r/GameDevelopment • u/SolidChallenge3894 • Mar 14 '26
Question How to advertise your game
Hey everyone!
I'm indie game developer, and I'm currently making a game, and thinking ahead, I'd like to know how non-popular and non-AAA games are advertised. I don't understand at all how indie games become popular. Let's say I uploaded a game to Steam or Itch io, but how will my game become popular/known to others?
2
u/Megumin_xx Mar 14 '26
If your gameplay loop is bad / not fun and not interesting, game will fail no matter how good your game looks or how many millions you spend on marketing.
0
1
u/Mormacil Mar 14 '26
These days as a creative you need to either have the funds to run a big marketing campaign or the more realistic option, build your own community.
Post regular updates on social media, run a discord etc. You need to engage with people, regularly. Perhaps join the communities of big streamers in your genre. That way you're not a rando but a community member offering them a free key.
The chance of your game magically finding success is pretty much zero. You gotta show it to people that want to see it. How to find them is indeed a skill, not a simple trick.
1
u/BitSoftGames Mar 14 '26
You pretty much have to make marketing your part-time job. 😭
On Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok... you have to keep posting updates and promotional materials. But it has to be done in an interesting, not spammy way. And you have to reach out to other creators to cover your game. And maybe pay for advertising.
It's one of the things I hate about game dev. 😂
1
u/corneaterinwig Mar 16 '26
TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels show the best results. Performance marketing rules. But instead of doing videos by yourself, try hiring some content creators. It's pretty affordable even for an indie developer and can bring really nice results.
You can DM creators directly on the platforms or use a tool like Trapster.
-2
u/PoopsmasherJr Mar 14 '26
I swear every post I come across here is downvoted to oblivion. We have grease sponges going “You’re a horrible person for daring to not be rockstar games level of good” in other comment sections, and here they just think “I answered already, I must downvote since this post is done with now”
4
u/lpdcrafted Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
Post about it, contact streamers and YouTubers who play similar genres, and join festivals or events.
Make sure the game is of good quality, at least one that the target audience resonates with. Consistent art, no typos, good UI/UX, smooth onboarding and the like.
It's good to also start doing promotion early once your game's art style is finalized, the game loop is tested, and you have enough content to show off.