How To Get More People To Play Your Indie Demo At A Game Convention
On the weekend, I went to the Toronto Games Expo. And as I walked by each indie game booth, I noticed that the small indie game booths were NOT getting any attention. It was either the game devs standing, waiting, looking around eagerly. Or they were sitting playing their game to pass the time.
And it wasn't because those games were bad. There's something else going on.
You see... as a player... as an attendee... if I have to overcome any "friction" to play your game, I'm just gonna keep on walking.
So let me share with you 7 "frictions" (or tips) I noticed these small indie game devs were guilty of. And I'll show you how you can avoid these frictions so that at your next game conference it's very easy for players to jump in and play your game.
Friction #1: Your Entry Point
Tell me where to sit. Tell me where to stand. Show me exactly which laptop or console I can play. If I don't know a simple thing like which laptop I can use to play your game, then I'm gone. I'm onto the next booth.
And I say this because it might seem obvious to YOU the person setting up the booth which laptop is for playing the demo. And it's obvious to YOU where to sit or stand.
But as a player, as an attendee, there's so much foot traffic, and so many people just standing around, that it's confusing to ME to know if I can just jump in and play.
Think about it this way: when you go through a fast food drive-through, there are simple signs and arrows telling you exactly where to go. Drive here. Stop. Order here. Drive here. Pay. Drive here. Get your order. Drive out this way.
Everything is laid out so that there is no friction, and no confusion.
This might seem simple and redundant. But don't underestimate how easily a person can get confused. And especially during a game's con where there's so much foot traffic and so many people just standing around... it's very confusing for me to know what I can do and what I can't do.
So, a simple sign over a laptop that says "Welcome! Player Here!" will cut through all the confusion.
Simple signage works because through the crowd, I can read "Player Here'!". And then I check if the spot is open. And I jump in.
Simple. No thinking. No friction.
But if there are no clear directions telling me what to do, then I have to go find the dev, and ask them, or ask the person just standing around if they're waiting in line, or worry if I can just jump in without asking.
Also, I noticed that the bigger indie devs who had more attention, physically stood out. What I mean is, they were often better dressed than the attendees. In an instant, you could tell that was the dev.
Being well dressed is important because it establishes competence. And in one second I knew who the dev was, and so it was easy for me to approach them. But if the dev blends in with the crowd, I have to put in effort to find them.
And I'm not saying you need to wear something very formal or uncomfortable. Even if you like wearing hoodies, at least make yourself stand out in some way. Wear a name tag, ID badge, or lanyard with your game's logo. Something so that you don't look like you're part of the crowd.
My point is, if I feel uncertain in any way, I'm gone. So, take out any uncertainty you can so that the player can easily just jump in and play. No thinking. No wondering where to sit or stand or what controller they can use. And no wondering who the game dev is. So use signs, arrows, name tags or lanyards to remove any uncertainty.
Ok, next...
Friction #2: Your Booth Isn't Your Office Desk
To be honest, the small indie game dev booths were a disorganized mess. Cables everywhere. Old lunch boxes and food sitting around. Game controllers here and there. I had no idea where to stand, or sit, what controller to grab, or what laptop and mouse to grab.
To get rid of any confusion, keep your booth clean. Keep it very simple. Your booth should only be for three things:
- Your sign
- Your laptop or console
- And business cards
And this might seem obvious, but I was very surprised to see most small indie game booths looked like shit. And I get it. It's a long day. You don't have a lot of space. You gotta eat. You gotta put caples and equipment somewhere. Fine. But make sure to keep a designated area clean for the player.
That's because clutter is NOT inviting. Clutter adds confusion.
But having an area clean and organized booth makes it easy for me, as a player, to jump in and play.
Next...
Friction #3: Can't Read Your Sign Because It's Below Eye Level
Tall signs. Get a tall sign. People won't read your sign if it's at desk level. Keep your sign above eye level. Of course you have to follow the organizer's rules on how you setup your table. But at least make sure your sign is above eye level.
And your sign needs to use bright, saturated colors. And use contrast. What I mean is: black background, with bold letters. That's because you don't want your sign to blend into the background of the conference floor.
And don't just display your logo. On your sign, make sure to add a tagline that describes your game genre.
Even something simple like:
Your Indie Game Name
Your Tagline: a rougue-like, story-rich adventure game
Remember, everything on the conference floor is FIGHTING for attention.
And if I'm walking by your booth, and your sign is at desk level, I'm not gonna go on my tippy toes to look over the crowd. I'm just gonna keep walking.
And your first job is to get my attention. So if your sign blends in with the background, then you've lost my attention.
And if your sign DOES happen to grab my attention, then a logo isn't enough. I want to know more. So pull me in by using your tag-line telling me atleast tell me what genre your game is.
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Ok, next...
Friction #4: I'm Not Your Beta Tester
Watching a person play your game right in front of you is probably the most VALUABLE thing you get from having a booth. Sure, take notes. Engage. Ask questions.
But man, I'm here to play games. I'm here to have fun. I'm not here to work for you.
There is a time and place to beta test your game. In fact it would probably be cheaper to put up a flyer at your local college or university and offer $20 to 20 people to play your game for one hour. For $400 bucks (plus extra costs like space rental and equipment), you'll get 20 hours worth of good data. You'll get a better return on investment.
But at a games con, I'm there for ME. I'm there to be entertained. I'm there to check out all the stuff that's happening on the floo. I'm not here to feel like I'm in some lab and have the game dev look over my shoulder judging me how I play the game. It's not fun for me.
Again, it's fine if you take notes and ask some questions. But always put the attendees' needs first. Your goal should be so that the attendee has a fun and memorable moment so that they remember you, and wishlist your game.
This leads me to...
Friction #5: Your Demo Is Too Long And Too Hard Man
It was obvious that some game devs weren't ready. It seemed like they whipped up a demo, bought floor space, and hoped for the best.
I'm not saying they didn't put in a lot of effort. Everybody I met was very passionate, hard working, and gave their best.
But even still, having a polished, tight demo BEFORE going to a conference is very important if you want the player to have fun and wishlist your game.
For example, some demos I played were too long. A demo shouldn't be 30 mins. It should be a polished 5 to 10 minute experience -- especially at a games conference where there is so much to see and do.
Also, some demos were too hard. And if you're making a difficult game... or a very dense game with complicated mechanics... fine.
But for me, the player, the attendee, it's awkward and not fun spending more than 10 minutes trying to figure out a hard puzzle. At home, sure. I can focus, and have more patience. But on the floor at a games con, I'm here for a fast, fun, experience. Plus I have a lot of other cool stuff I want to check out, and not just sit here and figure out a game.
And I'm not saying to dumb down your game, or change anything.
I'm saying that before going, make a tight demo. Get feedback. Polish it. Again, don't use your floor time to beta test your game or your demo. That's not a good return on investment.
And even if your game is complicated, or hard, or dense... your demo needs to be a "self contained" experience that can fit in 5 to 10 minutes. What I mean is, in 5 to 10 minutes, I should experience the best part of your game, and I want to leave wanting more.
And I don't want to play the tutorial level. I hate playing tutorials when I'm at home. And it's even worse in a game's conference because there is so much to see and do.
And I know it's easier said than done. But that's why you need to test your demo and get feedback before going to the conference.
Ok, next...
Friction #6: I'm Going To Forget About You The Moment I Leave Your Booth
Make sure that after every interaction you have, to give out your business card. And make sure your business card has a QR code that goes to your Steam page or Itch.io page.
And when you give me your card, tell me exactly what to do and when. For example:
"Thanks for playing the demo. Here's my card. When you get home, scan the QR code and download the demo. And don't forget to wishlist the game. Thanks!".
This is VERY important because like I said before, people need clear directions on what to do. Don't assume they'll do it. What's obvious to you, isn't obvious to them. This is why you always hear youtubers telling you to subscribe and like. It works because people are lazy.
So don't assume a player is going to remember you and your game, and go home and search you up on Steam. Don't assume they're going to grab your business card that's sitting on the desk. Don't assume they'll scan the QR code and download the demo when they get home.
It's very important that YOU grab your card off the desk, hand it over to the player, and tell them what to do when they get home.
Last one...
Friction #7: What Are YOUR Expectations And Goals Going To A Game Conference?
It's funny because they call it the Toronto Game's Expo, but it was mostly Artist Alley. Also, I saw more Star Wars stuff than I did anything video game related.
You see, most people going to a game's con are NOT there to play small indie games. In fact the indie game tables had the least floor space.
That's because what sells tickets isn't indie games.
My point is, as a small indie game dev, you need to clearly define your goals when you spend time and money going to a game's conference.
Is your goal exposure? Is it more wishlists? Is it watching people play your game in front of you so you can improve your game? Is it networking? Is it marketing your game?
I'm asking because if all you want to network and meet people then you'd get a better ROI going to an indie game community event. An event that only focuses on indie games, and not on other distractions like Artists Ally, YouTube celebrities, and other gimmicks.
And if you want more wishlists, then maybe spending that money on Facebook or Reddit ads would give you a better return on investment. Or take the money and sponsor a youtuber.
Or like I said before, if you want to see people play your game so you can improve your game or demo, then take that money and set up your own beta test.
I'm not saying don't go to a big game conference. There are a lot of intangible results you can gain. But if you need tangible results like getting 10,000 wishlists, then as a small indie game dev, other strategies would work better.
And don't get me wrong... when your studio grows, and you have a bigger fan base and big audience, then yes, 100% go to these conferences. Your fans would love to meet you in person and play your game. But right now, when you're small, and you have no audience, just know that going to game conferences won't bring you tangible results like 10,000 wishlists.
And that's ok. Sometimes intangible results like having fun, getting out there, meeting people, finding new fans, is worth the energy, time, and money. But weigh your options. Maybe a different strategy would work for you right now instead of going to a game's con.
Again, my goal is to help you increase your wishlists and sell more game copies. So hopefully you got one good idea or insight to help you improve your table if you decide to do a game's con.
What's Your Goal?
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Thanks for reading! Hope you got one insight to help you market your indie game and start growing your audience, and finding customers!
Dariusz Konrad
Email: dariusz at mainquestmarketing dot com
Discord Username: dariuszkonrad
LinkedIn: My entrepreneurial successes
Work: Game devs I've helped so far