Marketing a game in 2025
What 500+ Conversations With Developers Reveal About Launching Games in 2025
INDIE GAMEGAMINGSTEAM
If there’s one truth I keep hearing from indie developers, it’s this:
“Making the game was hard…
but marketing the game feels impossible.”
After speaking with hundreds of devs, reviewing survey data, watching Steam festival trends, and managing campaigns myself 50+ case studies, I realized that many developers share the same frustrations, fears, and misconceptions , even though they're working on completely different projects.
This article is a deep dive into what’s really happening in indie game marketing today:
why so many developers struggle, why “doing everything right” sometimes still fails, and what actually works in 2025.
It’s meant to be honest, practical, and comforting.
Because the truth is: most devs are not failing because their games are bad.
They’re failing because the rules of marketing have quietly changed.
1. What Developers Keep Saying:
The Shared Pain Points
Across all the conversations and data, several patterns repeat so consistently that it’s almost eerie.
“I promoted it everywhere, and still… no one saw it.”
The reality is that visibility today isn’t guaranteed , not even during Steam Next Fest. There are simply too many games being released, and too many competing for the same spotlight. Timing is important, regional time zones, metrics, targeted audience, targeted genre, localize the hashtags, content calendar for posting, scheduling, spoiling the upcoming events, even the hashtag ones, and more
Influencer outreach feels like rolling dice.
Creators are overwhelmed with pitches. Even great games get ignored if the message isn’t clear, short, and immediately interesting, sometimes the pitches are too long, instead of writing the long text into a press release, that goes, under a press kit link, google drive one, and translated into a multiple language like a google doc, they tend to write the whole text, the book, in that email.
Posting consistently feels like a job on top of my job.
Developers are expected to be:
programmers
artists
community managers
marketing strategists
social media managers
No human can sustainably perform all of these roles without burning out.
Conversion rates are a punch in the gut.
A TikTok clip can reach 3 million views and bring…
20 wishlists.
Maybe.
Most developers are shocked to discover how fragile and inconsistent the conversion funnel really is.
“My demo had players… but no feedback.”
Silence hurts.
Developers interpret it as “everyone hates it,” but often it means players simply moved on quickly, or the call-to-action was missing.
You can include a widget, or in game menu, submit feedback that leads to a form, or simply join in our discord for feedback. This needs to be in every build of yours.
Will beat the negative reviews from a store page. Listen to your community directly. there can be submitted tickets too, and so on. Be creative. Be sure to setup that discord server first.
“I’m just guessing. I don’t know what works anymore.”
This is one of the most common sentiments , even from experienced devs.
Marketing feels like a maze with moving walls.
2. The Real Reasons Indie Marketing Fails (But Nobody Says Out Loud)
After comparing hundreds of successful and unsuccessful campaigns, these are the actual reasons most marketing efforts collapse , and they have nothing to do with talent or effort.
1. Steam pages fail in the first five seconds.
Players don’t “explore” your page.
They skim it.
Most leave immediately because:
the capsule doesn’t communicate the genre
the screenshots don’t show gameplay clearly
the trailer thumbnail isn’t compelling
the description starts with lore instead of clarity
black scenes or screens in your trailer
the trailer starts with a logo and black screen
not showing actin, what matters, gameplay footage, even if it's a short clip, features
don't put a lot of text in your video and/or steam page description
don't have the steam store page localized
If players don’t understand your game in 5 seconds, you’ve already lost them.
2. Trailers prioritize editing over meaning.
Developers get stuck polishing transitions, color grading, or music sync…
But players only care about one thing:
“What do I do in this game?”
If a trailer doesn’t answer that before the 12-second mark, it rarely converts.
3. Devs are afraid to show imperfect gameplay.
This one is incredibly common.
Developers hide:
rough UI
unpolished combat
placeholder animations
But ironically, raw gameplay clips (even janky ones) often get more engagement, because they feel real and honest.
Players connect with authenticity way more than polish.
4. Posting once a month is not marketing , it’s disappearing.
Steam, TikTok, Twitter/X, YouTube…
all reward consistency, not single bursts of hype.
A stable schedule like this works extremely well:
1 raw gameplay clip
1 short devlog/progress update
1 fun/quirky post
every week.
Not perfect posts.
Just consistent ones.
You can use almost every social tool, to schedule a stream, broadcast on steam, or a social media post. how to stream on x :
HOW TO STREAM ON X and Youtube using the social platform and OBS in a LOOP
Fyi, for x, you need a blue badge to make it work.
First go here then push CREATE BROADCAST
Category- games-gaming
Chat, to everyone
You can schedule it
Don’t enable stream encryption ,because will get geo restriction.
Get that stream key and go on OBS, AFTER YOU SAVED YOUR SETTINGS and pushed CREATE BROADCAST
Once you launch OBS Studio, you’ll see a Scenes panel on the far left. Scenes basically acts like your “studio cameras.” You can select them to quickly switch between different things on screen during the live stream.
After you’ve launched your OBS Studio, you’ll begin adding “Sources” to your “Scenes” panel.
For each Scene you have, you’ll need to add some Sources. A Source is basically the media — looping video, webcam, music, mic input, etc. — you’d like to assign to each Scene. To add a looping video, click the + icon on the Sources panel, then select Media Source. You can then select your looping video clip. (After you’ve selected it, make sure you hit the Loop option check-box.)
Click the button “Get Stream Key” to access your “Stream Key.”
Next, select Settings on the right side of the OBS Studio interface, and navigate to the Stream options. You’ll need to select your service, then input the information for Server (which may automatically set itself), and input your Stream Key. To quickly find your Stream Key, click the Get Stream Key button.
If you’re streaming to YouTube, you can visit YouTube.com/live_dashboard. (You may need to log into your YouTube account.)
You’re now ready to live stream! To show your looping video on the stream, just select the Scene that has your looping clip as the Source. (It should be playing on the OBS Studio preview screen.)
You can also use : https://robostreamer.com/ to stream in loop to your STEAM PAGE
5. A weak demo destroys momentum.
This is painful to say, but crucial.
Strong demo:
teaches the mechanics quickly
delivers a memorable moment
ends before the player gets tired
have achievements to track the player feel, 7-15
Weak demo:
confuses players
is too long
has unclear direction
kills wishlists with just walking scenes
The difference between 40% conversion and 4% conversion is often just demo quality.
How to make a passwords protected build, and give exclusivity only, can work for a beta build, key:
Access Your Build:
Go to the Steamworks dashboard and select the build you want to protect. Update the Build: Click on the Update button for the selected build.
Enter a Password:
In the designated field, enter your desired password. This will ensure that only those with the password can access the build.
Set Before Going Live:
Make sure to set the branch password before you make the build live. This is crucial for keeping the contents private.
Distribute the Password:
Share the password with anyone who needs access to the build, as they will need it to view or download it.
6. Many devs talk to other developers, not players.
Their Discords are full of devs.
Their feedback comes from devs.
Their Reddit threads are dev-focused.
But devs do not represent your real audience.
Gamers think differently.
They expect differently.
They buy differently.
If players aren’t in the conversation, the marketing direction becomes misleading.
7. Steam’s algorithm cares more about review velocity than wishlists.
This is one of the biggest surprises for devs.
steam is trying to push the upcoming releases, within up to 1 day before, in new and trending.
But with 2-3 hours, VERY close to the release, the algorithm will activate his magic. Based on multiple numbers, how many followers, wishlists, capsule art clicks, news clicks, store page clicks, visits, and so on. It has many “surfaces” (Discovery Queue, tag hubs, New & Trending, Popular Upcoming, search, Next Fest, Follow Feeds). Each tests your game with a small audience.
If those people click your capsule, watch the trailer, scroll screenshots, Wishlist / follow, or download the demo, Steam expands exposure. If they don’t engage, it shrinks exposure.
yes, your Early Access launch counts as a “new release” and can appear in Steam’s “New & Trending” section, but only if your launch metrics are strong enough in the first 24–72 hours.
Steam’s visibility is not manual ,in some CASES, it’s algorithmic and reactive. Valve doesn’t “feature” you directly (unless for major showcases).
You earn that slot by triggering the algorithm. How “New & Trending” actually works Steam tracks a handful of real-time performance signals after your release goes live (including Early Access).
These are the key ones:
1. Sales velocity The #1 factor.
Steam looks at recent sales + wishlists converted + regional traction within the last few hours.
If you spike harder than other new titles in the same period → you surface in New & Trending.
2. Wishlist conversions When wishlists convert to purchases on launch day, that gives Steam a “confidence signal.”
A burst of wishlist activations within hours of launch can propel you upward.
Example: 10k wishlists → 2k convert on day 1 → instant visibility bump.
3. Concurrent players Steam heavily values CCU (concurrent users).
Even a few hundred active players playing at once helps you rank higher, as it shows retention and engagement.
4. Click-through rate (CTR) If people click your capsule when it’s shown on a list or tag page, Steam learns it’s appealing.
Your capsule art, title, and tags must drive curiosity.
A low CTR can bury you even with sales.
5. Reviews and refund rate Positive reviews and low refund rates improve algorithmic confidence. A sudden wave of negatives or refunds can kill your visibility window.
6. Tag performance Steam tests your game against users who browse similar tags. If players who love “Roguelike” or “Base Building” engage with your page → Steam amplifies it more under those tags.
When you leave EA (1.0 launch), you get another small “visibility round,” but not as powerful as the first.
Valve gives you a “launch visibility round” , a few thousand impressions automatically.
What happens next depends on how those convert.
You also need to use the livestream in the loop, even on steam store page, community discussion, group members, follower count, player count, reviews, purchases, etc. valve is looking for that numbers in the first hours.
Getting:
200 recent reviews
80%+ positivity
will boost you harder than:
20,000 wishlists
Steam surfaces games that appear actively enjoyed, not games that are merely anticipated.
I’m gathering insights for my upcoming Steam Digest article on how devs promote their games , what works, what fails, and what we can all learn. If you’ve launched (or are preparing to launch) a game, please share your experience in this short survey (≈ 5 min). Your voice could be featured (anonymously or credited) in the article the google form
want to see for yourself more data in Realtime , accurate player numbers, and more on steamworks ? install this plugin, extension and see for yourself
just a fyi that Blue Ocean Games always do a TRAILER JAM CONTEST rewarding with $300.000 the best voted trailer more info here
8. Big events reward preparation, not luck.
Steam Next Fest, Gamescom, and others heavily favor games that arrive with:
solid capsule art
banger clips
a clear CTA
polished build
easy-to-share press kits
multiple trailers
community presence
interview speaking points
QR codes
Most devs participate with just a trailer and a dream.
And they walk away discouraged.
Let me take care of it.
3. What Actually Works in 2025 (Over and Over Again)
After observing hundreds of campaigns, these strategies consistently produce actual results:
Raw gameplay outperforms polished trailers.
People trust real footage.
Even tiny clips of the core fun sell better than cinematic trailers.
Community-driven marketing beats paid ads.
Reviews, discussions, streams, memes, and players sharing screenshots create momentum that ads simply cannot replicate.
Frequent Steam updates boost visibility.
Capsule refreshes, patch notes, announcements, livestreams , they all tell Steam one thing:
“This game is alive.”
And Steam rewards that.
Your “About” section should be written like a Kickstarter pitch.
Emotion + clarity + promise.
Not lore.
The best games prepare 20–50 clips before revealing anything.
So the marketing engine doesn’t run dry.
4. A Modern, Realistic Marketing Plan for Indie Developers
Here’s the marketing structure used by the highest-performing indies today:
Phase 1
Before the Reveal
You prepare:
30–40 solid gameplay clips
10 high-quality screenshots
a short teaser trailer
Steam page assets
a press kit
multiple capsule variations
a vertical-version trailer
This gives you a six-month head start.
You should be aware of the international holidays and celebrations, also for the different timezones, the editor hobbies, and nationality. Where the editor is from, where is located, their celebrations, when will be and how much time.
How to build your press kit in a Google drive link step by step is here,just scroll
The best option,is to convert the timezones, follow them on socials,connect with them, on X & LinkedIn.
Also for LinkedIn there's a catch 👀 having your QR code for your LinkedIn profile at the events too, will get you more connection 😉 and stability. Making even deals 🤝 or future ones .
If you are thinking to use a CRM like Brevo for example , you should be aware of the keys for Google & Yahoo to pass the protocol, not going in inbox and so on, a lot of settings with the domain provider/DNS.
Be aware when you are sending emails in mass, to segment them like “press” “streamers” “ review” “gamers” etc. Not sending a press release to a streamer.
Also using a SMTP server will get you a lot of security and will pass any protocol 😃 and can send depends of the plan minimum 300k emails/month.
The content of the email 📨 needs to be more than “out now” or “coming soon” 😁 They need exclusivity, to assure you coverage, and don't make an embargo date, too soon,like will be out in 2 weeks.
They need time to open the email, because are receiving 50.000 emails / DAY from a lot of PR firms. Also some of them are in spam,the reason:
Not passing the protocol, have attached something, pdf, video, zip , and not being sent from a @ domain . com email address.
Never upload a zip file, on your media kit from Google drive.
What you need to do:
Artwork ( vertical & horizontal)
Logos ( game & studio) with a transparent background
In-game screenshots (vertical & horizontal)
!! If it's a coming soon game without any B-roll gameplay footage or trailer,teaser trailer, then you need to restrict access for the branch “videos” send it only to major outlets, influencers and say they will need access because it's private, exclusive only for them . or use another gdrive link without a pass
Press release ( Google doc link in the media kit) ~ should have your email, watsapp number, dev name, studio name, if there is a quarter of launch, i.e. Q3 2025 and which platforms or consoles, your elevator pitch about the game, unique features, similar games, any coverage you might have i.e. interview with “The Gamer” FOR EXAMPLE, article on “Gamerant” or any other article ,any viral tweet, or anything viral, awards, if you are planning something i.e. gamescom 2025 with the game, big streamer coverage, all o his needs to be as a hyperlink,or into a LINKTREE and link it in the press release, with steam and others.
It is very important to know the person, and research about what genre did they cover, and if there are major releases.
Why it is important to be in touch with the editor or freelancer ?
Because if you are planning to go to Gamescom for example , you need to get in touch,contact them in advance to get a deal, meeting, interview,showcase, event coverage from them, like one month and half before the event to start.
For example at gamescom there will be more than 300k people's including media outlets.
If you don't know and schedule in advance a meeting with them in day x hour x ,x place , and give them exclusivity there, you will ruin everything.
It is not ok, just to rent the booth , pay for everything, and wait . You will have only 2% chances to get some coverage.
Just a fyi, that's why I'm taking games with me, at the events and ask the editors, influencers in advance if they are interested to meet, and when, where and how.
And also contacting the exact person for the x objective, like IGN to come at the x booth align the timing and desire with them, to take an interview,and / or do a Livestream,article.
What's important also to have :
Personalized business cards, and personalized separated game cards , great cutting ✂️ not just rectangular. QR needs to match to the media kit, for media outlets , and your website for gamers .
The website needs to have :
A separate subdomain page 📃 like playtesting form built-in, for signing up ( that will be a QR code for the game card too)
All the widgets for discord server , socials, steam page , newsletter, the media kit/press kit on top,like a button or a separate subdomain page
All the coverage you got so far
Localization for the website in other languages
Here you will find the exact step by step how to build a media kit/press kit on a Google Drive
By following these steps, you can create a well-organized structure for your press materials in Google Drive named “Media Kit”
Create a Main Folder:
Open your Google Drive.
Click on the "+ New" button on the left side.
Choose "Folder" and give it a name, such as "Press Materials" or "Media Kit."
Create Subfolders:
Inside your main folder, click on the "+ New" button again.
Select "Folder" to create subfolders for different types of materials. For example:
"Images"
"Videos"
"Press Releases"
"Logos"
"Screenshots"
"Documents"
"Graphics"
Upload Files:
Open the subfolder where you want to upload materials.
Click on the "+ New" button and choose "File upload" to upload individual files, or "Folder upload" to upload an entire folder.
File Naming Convention:
Establish a consistent and clear file naming convention to make it easy for others to find what they need.
Share Folders:
Right-click on the folder you want to share.
Click on "Share."
Enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the folder with and set their permissions (view, comment, or edit).
Add Descriptions:
For each file or folder, you can add descriptions to provide additional context.
Use Color Labels (Optional):
Right-click on a folder.
Choose "Change color" to assign a color label for better visual organization
Don't include a steam key in the email. Just suggesting if they are interested in covering the game, then reply for this email to get a steam key. OR USE A THIRD PARTY PLATFORM, FOR HOSTING THE KEYS, AND INCLUDE ALSO A KEY REQUEST LINK.
If you will include the steam key, is like forcing them to cover it, and with so many games they are receiving, will go in trash.
It is not a perfect timing for an open rate when you are sending emails in mass.
Some editors for a different media outlets, are working only on Monday & Friday. And there's a specific hour for them. Into a launch break.
Some of them are working only Monday and Wednesday from a different media outlet.
Some of them are working, but open the emails only on Sunday to catch up.And the x hour. A lot of them even if they are working on week days are mostly open the emails on a weekend day, and answer in dm's as well.
Never,ever send dm's on every socials, or resending the emails in a short time. Only one social,and wait for it. Also for a follow-up email,needs to pass 2 weeks.
You will get a block. From socials and email.
And also I repeat, having the exact connection, who cover the exact genre that you need, it's very important.
And aligning with their needs and struggle, also reply very fast when they are finally responding.
Be careful with the “to” and cold emails ✉️ when you reach to the media outlets. If is not a personalized one, to see that you’ve put effort in it, and IT IS FOR X PERSON , and saying something about their work too,in specific, that will go directly in the trash. 🗑️🚮
They will see, that you made the effort to research about them, watching their work, and being there on their communities. Like almost all media outlets,has a forum 👀 IGN, PC Gamer etc, search for it.( I did write about them in another article on Notion)
Pro tip: 💡 Give them a motive to want it. Also, take care of your social followers before reaching out to media.
Having a website ,discord, subreddit, views, not on steam yet, or coming soon, without a trailer or playable demo in a public mode.
Have DM’s open 👐 . A lot of media outlets,are contacting the PR’s to ask about the game because they can't reach you directly. In my case was 145 messages in dm’s, because they can't reach out to the devs, having their dm’s closed. Obviously,when I contacted the dev, they didn't believe, and we're hard bounced. You are lose a lot of opportunities.
You can put your email too, in the bio or somewhere in your profile. But media don't want to use that form of contact, spoiling their email, and future case of spam emails/sharing it.
For videos needs to have subtitles, and not having a watermark,and being like 10 min long ,with gameplay footage. Vertical & horizontal. This is what you will send in exclusivity to the media outlets. They will not post it, without asking you, also they will not posting it if there's a watermark on it. Why do long?
You will give them freedom to cut & edit it as they wish 😀 .,to fit for their audience and put the text etc. the audio and text files needs to be separated but in the same media kit. Can be one edited by you too.
Be careful with the subject line. If it's not revealed yet, needs “unannounced game” 🎯 to get the highest rate for opening the emails.
If you will send with a Gmail / yahoo email address, to a domain email address, that's 80% chances to go in spam. For using hyperlinks, not passing the key from the servers, having attachment, or a keyword that google don't like it.
Having a website & email, will not cost you a fortune. It's annual payment, and cheap. You can take a private email but needs a domain as well.
Be careful with websites/domains to match with your studio name. If you don't have a studio,then game name.
Like I said in another article, register the ownership, and take all the metadata on Google Search Console from the website, about the studio,coverage,game,title,cover,video,socials,publisher, release date,steam page etc.
Phase 2
Announcement
Your goal here is traction, not perfection.
Reveal the game with gameplay, not concept art
Post consistently
Start the wishlist loop
Begin community building early
Share progress, not promises
a lot of good marketing tips for VR, mobile, PC GAMES, consoles and more are still here soon will vanish away, migrating on my website
Phase 3
Active Promotion
This is where many devs give up , but momentum builds here.
Regular Steam news posts
Influencer outreach
Reddit, X, TikTok presence
Screenshot Saturdays
Festival participation
Patch notes and updates
The goal is to stay visible, not viral.
Phase 4
Conversion Time
As launch approaches:
final trailer
strong demo (if included)
press outreach WITH MINIMUM 2 MONTHS AHEAD
big creators or mid-sized clusters
review push
community events
consistent posting
This is the “make or break” window where most momentum converts into sales.
5. The New Indie Reality and What You Can Do About It
The landscape has changed.
The bar is higher.
Competition is brutal.
Algorithms are less forgiving.
But the path to success is no longer guesswork.
It is clear, repeatable, and achievable.
Show real gameplay
Build consistently
Think like a player
Prepare before revealing
Update your Steam page often
Focus on clarity, not complexity
Treat marketing as part of development, not as an afterthought
Indie games can still break out in 2025.
Some do every month.
And when they do, it’s almost never an accident.
It’s the result of clear communication, intentional strategy, and a slow, steady effort that compounds over time.
1- If you're on "playable" or "unsupported" for Steamdeck, check here: https://partner.steamgames.com/apps/deckreview/[YOURGAMESTEAMID]/published
As Steam "box" will be more powerful, it will be reassuring to already get your game "Verified"
2-Check requirement to activate the Steam Cloud option (important for cross platform):
https://partner.steamgames.com/admin/game/edit/[YOURGAMESTEAMID]
3- Make a review of your controller support, it will be probably valued to get the Steam input API integration:
https://partner.steamgames.com/admin/game/edit/[YOURGAMESTEAMID]
4- Center your visuals, you can do it with your raw text and [p align="center"]Your image[/p] tags
I highly recommend to use [p align="justify"]lorem ipsum[/p] to get a text with good looking.
5- BEWARE about gifs banners that simulate the Steam background, it's different between desktop/web and Mobile/Steam deck/Big Picture !
6- Steam use Linux proton, and seems to get process to port from W64 to ProtonOS. So I don't know if it's relevant to port your project on Linux:
https://partner.steamgames.com/apps/linuxruntime/[YOURGAMESTEAMID]
7- PC Gamers seems to get direct connection to Steam, I guess you can check what's new by checking their info. Remind yourself that it's ok if you're not here day one. Everyone is in the fog, It's the same with every console generation
here it's real https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamworks/announcements/detail/563639634283728255
Don't write an entire book, keep that text, in your actual press release, that need to be translated too, in multiple languages including simplified Chinese.
Can be customized. with the embargo date, time, hour in PT time zone, press kit, to have GIFS, logo's with transparent background, high quality, offline demo, instead of beta, etc.
Saw a lot of indie game devs stories, on reddit today, even for wishlists not converted,or what to make to convert them, or how to market the game to get it featured etc.
Why Wishlists Matter:
Steam notifies all wishlisters at launch or during sales- High wishlist count = higher visibility in Discovery Queue & Featured sections see proof of demand
Do This Join genre:
Specific Steam events (FPS Fest, Survival Fest)- Run Weeklong or Daily Deals Stream on your store page during sales Cross-promote with similar games Post updates in Steam 'Events and Announcements' Avoid This One-day spikes with no follow-up
Launching a sale without announcing it
Algorithm Boost Triggers Discounts over 20 percent perform best Avoid round numbers -> use 21 percent, 23 percent, 31,42 etc.
Combine discounts with events for a double boost Live streaming during discount increases front-page visibility
Sustained growth is better than sudden spikes
Do a plan, a strategy, with every month discount, for 6 months, in a row. for weeklong deal, daily deal, bundles, etc.
Bundles, regional pricing, localization, steam store page translated, etc... Just a little fyi
Hopefully my article was helpful . My kofi is here if you think that you might want to support me.