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I don't think Facebook ads would work for many games. Here's an example: https://store.steampowered.com/app/949790/Rogue_Bit/ https://store.steampowered.com/ap

I don't think Facebook ads would work for many games. Here's an example: https://store.steampowered.com/app/949790/Rogue_Bit/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/949790/Rogue_Bit/ How do you market such game outside of Steam? How do you reach the programmer/hacker niche that would be interested in playing this?

jklinger410 8y ago
Since half of them are blocking every type of tracking known to man, in my view? Fuck that demographic. Let all of your nerdy projects starve because you guys all hate marketing.
mattkrause 8y ago
You post it here? Give away some promo codes at Meetups or other gatherings where programmers congregate? It’s not like this would be any easier without Steam.
- babuskov 8y ago
  > You post it here? I tried. Twice. Even made a browser playable demo: https://roguebit.bigosaur.com/ https://roguebit.bigosaur.com/ Mostly got ignored (a single upvote on the post). > It’s not like this would be any easier without Steam Of course. This is exactly what I was trying to say. No Facebook ad can match Steam. With Steam algorithm, you can laser-focus the type of players who play this type of games. Without Steam you have to spend so much time and energy.
  - mikekchar 8y ago
    Quick feedback: If you change the trailer to show some game play, I think it would improve your conversion rate. As stupid as this sounds, I have discovered I'm too lazy to try the browser version (but not too lazy to give you a reply -- that is weird...) The trailer just didn't hook me and I found myself thinking, "I don't have enough energy to learn how to play the game right now. Maybe later". But I know "later" will never come. To be fair, I'm not a fan of puzzle games and this looks like a puzzle game. However I think the engagement issue may still affect other people.
    - babuskov 8y ago
      Yes, it is a puzzle game. Thanks for the feedback. I will consider changing the trailer.
PeterisP 8y ago
How do Zachtronics games get the word out? Is the game good ? Are the people who have played it mentioning it to everyone they know and don't know in social media, because it's so much better than others? If not, is there a niche that would be interested in playing this? I mean, if I haven't yet got the time to play, say, #5 best game in some niche, then I'm probably not that interested in #15, and hearing about #50 would simply be unwanted spam. The function of some curation or recommendation engine that I want is to act as a gatekeeper, to direct my attention to the best games in such a niche and away from merely decent, okay-ish games in the same niche, no matter how their developers might want to reach me.
- babuskov 8y ago
  > How do Zachtronics games get the word out? Zach spent 10 years building his reputation one small game after the other. In a time when there weren't that many game developers around and there was no flood of games like today. > Is the game good ? 100% positive rating on Steam should answer that. > Are the people who have played it mentioning it to everyone they know and don't know in social media, because it's so much better than others? So, what you're basically saying is word of mouth, not Facebook ads that was suggested. > I mean, if I haven't yet got the time to play, say, #5 best game in some niche Then you are not the target market anyway. That's why game developers need Steam. To access people who actually have time to play games and focus on a particular niche. What you wrote just proves the point: without Steam the developer are bust. The market of people who barely have time to play 5 games per year is just too small.
Jach 8y ago
Don't facebook ads let you target pretty specific demographics? (Likes programming, likes video games.) I guess you'd just have to do a trial run and see what happens. I'd also make the first video a gameplay video, but that's my own bias as a gamer filtering things. > How do you market such game outside of Steam? You should probably be asking that to someone with experience in marketing, preferably marketing games. Lacking funds to consult and hire someone/some company with experience, perhaps you can convince someone with the right personality (someone who doesn't see marketing as "so much time and energy") to help out with some sort of revenue sharing contract. I want to make some indie games myself one day; I'm grateful I had a crash month of attempting to be a knives salesman many years ago because I know if I do make something and it comes time to ship I can't be the one responsible for marketing it.
beerlord 8y ago
You don't. Sorry to say it, but there is no audience for those kind of games. It just doesn't sell itself from the screenshots. There needs to be a higher Steam Direct fee to gatekeep out products which are non-commercial. Its much better if people decide to just not make a game, rather than launching it and finding out much later that their time was wasted. A $500 - $2000 Steam Direct fee would accomplish that.
- babuskov 8y ago
  > You don't. Sorry to say it, but there is no audience for those kind of games. It just doesn't sell itself from the screenshots. But there is audience. The game already sold over 1000 copies on Steam and it's been out less than two months. I think everyone misunderstood my initial post. I wasn't complaining that my game isn't selling well. I was just saying that it's almost impossible to market it without Steam. Steam is crucial to finding niche audiences for niche games. > A $500 - $2000 Steam Direct fee would accomplish that. I wouldn't mind a $500 Steam direct fee. The game already earned more than that.

jklinger410 8y ago

Since half of them are blocking every type of tracking known to man, in my view? Fuck that demographic. Let all of your nerdy projects starve because you guys all hate marketing.

mattkrause 8y ago

You post it here? Give away some promo codes at Meetups or other gatherings where programmers congregate? It’s not like this would be any easier without Steam.

babuskov 8y ago
> You post it here? I tried. Twice. Even made a browser playable demo: https://roguebit.bigosaur.com/ https://roguebit.bigosaur.com/ Mostly got ignored (a single upvote on the post). > It’s not like this would be any easier without Steam Of course. This is exactly what I was trying to say. No Facebook ad can match Steam. With Steam algorithm, you can laser-focus the type of players who play this type of games. Without Steam you have to spend so much time and energy.
- mikekchar 8y ago
  Quick feedback: If you change the trailer to show some game play, I think it would improve your conversion rate. As stupid as this sounds, I have discovered I'm too lazy to try the browser version (but not too lazy to give you a reply -- that is weird...) The trailer just didn't hook me and I found myself thinking, "I don't have enough energy to learn how to play the game right now. Maybe later". But I know "later" will never come. To be fair, I'm not a fan of puzzle games and this looks like a puzzle game. However I think the engagement issue may still affect other people.
  - babuskov 8y ago
    Yes, it is a puzzle game. Thanks for the feedback. I will consider changing the trailer.

PeterisP 8y ago

How do Zachtronics games get the word out? Is the game good ? Are the people who have played it mentioning it to everyone they know and don't know in social media, because it's so much better than others? If not, is there a niche that would be interested in playing this? I mean, if I haven't yet got the time to play, say, #5 best game in some niche, then I'm probably not that interested in #15, and hearing about #50 would simply be unwanted spam. The function of some curation or recommendation engine that I want is to act as a gatekeeper, to direct my attention to the best games in such a niche and away from merely decent, okay-ish games in the same niche, no matter how their developers might want to reach me.

babuskov 8y ago
> How do Zachtronics games get the word out? Zach spent 10 years building his reputation one small game after the other. In a time when there weren't that many game developers around and there was no flood of games like today. > Is the game good ? 100% positive rating on Steam should answer that. > Are the people who have played it mentioning it to everyone they know and don't know in social media, because it's so much better than others? So, what you're basically saying is word of mouth, not Facebook ads that was suggested. > I mean, if I haven't yet got the time to play, say, #5 best game in some niche Then you are not the target market anyway. That's why game developers need Steam. To access people who actually have time to play games and focus on a particular niche. What you wrote just proves the point: without Steam the developer are bust. The market of people who barely have time to play 5 games per year is just too small.

Jach 8y ago

Don't facebook ads let you target pretty specific demographics? (Likes programming, likes video games.) I guess you'd just have to do a trial run and see what happens. I'd also make the first video a gameplay video, but that's my own bias as a gamer filtering things. > How do you market such game outside of Steam? You should probably be asking that to someone with experience in marketing, preferably marketing games. Lacking funds to consult and hire someone/some company with experience, perhaps you can convince someone with the right personality (someone who doesn't see marketing as "so much time and energy") to help out with some sort of revenue sharing contract. I want to make some indie games myself one day; I'm grateful I had a crash month of attempting to be a knives salesman many years ago because I know if I do make something and it comes time to ship I can't be the one responsible for marketing it.

beerlord 8y ago

You don't. Sorry to say it, but there is no audience for those kind of games. It just doesn't sell itself from the screenshots. There needs to be a higher Steam Direct fee to gatekeep out products which are non-commercial. Its much better if people decide to just not make a game, rather than launching it and finding out much later that their time was wasted. A $500 - $2000 Steam Direct fee would accomplish that.

babuskov 8y ago
> You don't. Sorry to say it, but there is no audience for those kind of games. It just doesn't sell itself from the screenshots. But there is audience. The game already sold over 1000 copies on Steam and it's been out less than two months. I think everyone misunderstood my initial post. I wasn't complaining that my game isn't selling well. I was just saying that it's almost impossible to market it without Steam. Steam is crucial to finding niche audiences for niche games. > A $500 - $2000 Steam Direct fee would accomplish that. I wouldn't mind a $500 Steam direct fee. The game already earned more than that.