Case Studies
🎮 3 different games. 📽️ 300+ articles and videos. 🤼 135 million total reach.
👤 One person, me only.
From press like IGN, PC Gamer, Vice, Games Beat, to coverage from YouTubers with over 6 million subscribers — it’s been a journey, and i'm so grateful for each of you who supported the games 😍
Proud to be behind some of the most talked-about indie FPS and action games, roguelikes, horror games, and more, up to 45 indie games, more successful case studies, will be posted soon, in progress.
Including: Alpha Response, Lost Castle 2, Frozen Ship
Case Study: Alpha Response – From 3,000 Wishlists to 138,000
Role: PR Executive & Marketing Strategist
Timeline: June–September 2024
Platform: Steam (PC)
Genre: Tactical Co-op Shooter from the Creator of Counter-Strike
In early access
Overview
When I joined the project, Alpha Response had only 3,000 wishlists, no marketing presence, and mostly negative reviews,in early access.
Despite being developed by the original creator of Counter-Strike, the game was virtually unknown ,no announcements, no posts, no outreach, and zero media coverage.
My mission was clear:
Make Alpha Response visible, rebuild its reputation, and ignite the community before and during Early Access.
Top buyer regions included India, the U.S., Brazil, Germany, and several Asian territories ,confirming cross-regional appeal driven by organic coverage.
Player sentiment shifted positive before Steam Sale visibility, proving the PR-driven campaign’s independent traction.
Introducing the developer in livestreams and posts gave the game a human identity , transforming curiosity into community.
I coordinated the full Gamescom presence , from booth design and logistics to live press scheduling and influencer management.
I handled early press and influencers booking, printed materials (flyers, stickers, T-shirts), and community gifts.
We hosted the developer for live interviews and player introductions, supported by a German translator for media and gamers on-site.
The booth became a high-traffic hub for streamers, journalists, and players, generating over 50K new wishlists during the event.
Challenges
No prior marketing or community activity
Negative sentiment due to early impressions and graphics criticism (UE4 visuals not meeting 2025 expectations)
No press or influencer presence
Weak Steam page performance and poor discovery
Non-existent social media channels
Essentially, a great product hidden in plain sight.
Strategy & Execution
A. Public Relations & Press Activation
Created a full PR rollout connecting Alpha Response to its legacy:
“The new tactical co-op shooter from the creator of Counter-Strike.”
Reached out to over 200,000 press contacts, influencers, and gamers.
Secured coverage in over 210 outlets, including IGN, PC Gamer, Vice, PCGamesN, and multiple YouTube interviews. Translation it is a strong key, was globally reach, a turn into coverage from multiple regions, including china too.
Cross-promoted trailers and press features to sustain visibility cycles.
Accumulated a combined reach exceeding 60 million impressions (press + influencer + social).
B. Community and Content Loop
Encouraged the developer to announce the game personally and engage with players.
Organized Steam store livestreams, gameplay showcases, and Q&A sessions.
Built a community loop: players sharing screenshots, discussions, and co-streaming gameplay.
Focused entirely on organic visibility , no paid ads, only community-driven content.
C. Continuous Optimization
Updated capsule art, localized assets, and optimized Steam tags weekly.
Published bi-weekly game updates (small patches, improvements, news posts).
Audited the Steam page weekly to adjust visuals, wording, and keywords based on CTR and feedback.
Results
Wishlists: grew from 3,000 → 138,000
Peak CCU: over 10,000 players
Coverage: 210+ verified articles, 60M+ total media reach
Sentiment: shifted from negative to positive within three months
Visibility: featured on Steam charts and New & Trending during key periods
No paid ads used . Fully organic growth driven by PR and community content
Key Insights
Authentic storytelling (“from the creator of Counter-Strike”) was the strongest visibility trigger.
Real gameplay and dev presence outperformed all static promotional materials.
Community-driven visibility compounds faster than traditional ads when aligned with strong legacy appeal.
Regular updates and visible responsiveness to feedback converted skeptics into advocates.
Future Focus
The next phase centers on:
Responding to player feedback with a major update,
Expanding community engagement through co-streaming and user-generated content,
Maintaining visibility consistency to sustain CCU and conversion growth long-term.
Alpha Response proved that even a game starting from zero visibility can achieve massive traction through organic storytelling, consistent community work, and transparent communication.
No ads. No tricks. Just the right message, at the right time, from the right creator, the power of the FPS base, friendship, to play co-op, a very good marketing tool, that can create a long term community driven content.
