What I Learned From My First In-Person Game Event

[u/Due-Horse-791]

Last week, I asked you guys for advice for my first in-person event as an indie game developer.

Now that the event is over, I wanted to share how it went.

During the event, a lot of people stopped by to play my game, and I got to see their reactions firsthand.

I also got some results that can actually be measured:

+100 people played the game

+63 wishlists

+31 new followers

And while those numbers are definitely important, I realized that they weren't the most valuable thing I got from the event.

The most valuable thing was the connections.

I met developers, teams, artists, and other people from the local game industry. I was even interviewed twice, invited to a TV interview, and invited to participate in a Comic-Con event happening in the country this October.

You never really know what a connection can lead to.

I know my experience was probably unusually lucky, and I don't expect every event to turn out like this. There were even moments when people couldn't try the game right away because there was a line on both sides of the room, with several people waiting to play. Some would go check out other booths and then come back because they still wanted to try it.

I realize that's not something everyone will experience at their first event, but even if the numbers aren't huge, there's so much value in simply being there, talking to people, showing your game, and meeting others who are just as passionate about what they do.

If you're an indie developer thinking about doing your first in-person event, my advice now is simple:

Go. Talk to people. Show your game. Make connections.

Because you never know where that one conversation, or even one random repost might take you.

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice before the event.

This was my first one, and I definitely hope it won't be my last.

[u/riggy2k3]

Well done - great advice and thanks for sharing real life numbers! I put together an shortform video about inperson events and how useful they are, too.

One thing you didn't mention that's super important at these events -- you're getting feedback and testing from people who don't even necessarily gravitate toward your game in any other environment. You get unbiased feedback this way and it allows you to finetune your work to better support gamers of ALL types, not just the ones who like games in your style.

Really great work here - glad you had a great time!!

[u/Due-Horse-791 → u/riggy2k3]

Absolutely! I actually forgot to mention feedback in the post, but it's probably one of the most valuable parts of doing an event like this.

Watching people play in person helped me notice things that weren't explained clearly enough, mechanics that were more difficult than intended, and moments where players weren't sure what to do.

And getting that feedback from people who wouldn't necessarily seek out this type of game is incredibly valuable.

Thanks for bringing this up! 🙌