Devran

24 | CS student making UE5 plugins and an indie game set in a medieval-fantasy setting.

[Devran @devranue]

If you're a game dev struggling to promote your indie game, this is the post for you! 📈

I spent the last couple of days doing research on marketing and promotion with the intent of stepping up my own promotional efforts. Below are my 8 findings and tips ⬇

1. Act like an extrovert, even if you're not!

A great way to get impressions is by interacting with accounts which already have a following. However, when you do this, don’t be too pushy. Just have a conversation.

Did they showcase a new mechanic? Compliment it and ask them a question about something you’re genuinely interested in related to the mechanic or game.
Are devs discussing a topic? Contribute to the conversation by giving your own opinions and insights.

2. Look at your posts from the reader's perspective!

Before you publish a post, embody the reader. What value does your post offer? Why should they interact with it and follow you? Give them a reason to, and end posts with a call to action.

3. Make use of content tables! (Image attached)

This is a great way to generate post ideas. Come up with a couple of post types and then go through content you have implemented in your game, no matter how insignificant it may seem. It can be a simple button design or a whole combat system.

4. Utilize viral topics, events, and topics!

Is there a viral question going around in game dev? Quote the post and share your opinion. And of course, ask others for their opinions to incentivize them to comment on your post!

5. Use power words!

Power words are persuasive, emotional words which can be used to trigger a strong psychological response from readers. These are words like “easy”, “available”, “limited”, “guaranteed”, “discover”.

6. Ask for feedback!

When you post something about your game, ask readers for their opinions. Not only can this help you come up with new ideas, but it also shows that you care about your game’s audience.

7. Analyze your previous posts!

Take some time to look at posts which did well and try to understand why. Think of ways you could have improved your bad-performing posts.

8. Don't be afraid to repost and recycle!

As you gain followers, there will be tons of people that haven’t seen your previous images, videos, and posts. Not only that, people forget quickly. So it’s fine to occasionally recycle “old” content and repost your older posts.
This is especially helpful when you’re busy.

That was it for this post! I'm now going to take my own advice and ask you to like, retweet, and share the post 😉 Follow me to stay up-to-date with my game dev journey!

[Devran @devranue]

@libbypeteanim This is one of the few games I'm really looking forward to! The animations add a lot of character. Are you planning on making the environments darker and Halloween themed?

[Devran @devranue]

@PixelatedDreamz @BloomEthan_ You could still stick to the old, simple landscapes though, right? Or did they overhaul sculpting and other landscape operations completely?

[Devran @devranue]

@CobraCodeDev @raynerbestard What's it called👀

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev https://t.co/Q9uHFLPFG7

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev Aren't you the one that made the claim that they're enslaved?

Yet another European. Interesting how you're okay with Europeans talking about Iran when they're pro-West but not when they're pro-Iran.

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev You can literally hear that it's a handful of morons wow'ing. Is that how people cheer? Can you explain the logic behind people supposedly cheering while they're getting bombed?

[Devran @devranue]

And to add to this, just because there are a couple hundred or even a thousand people celebrating their country, family, and neighbors getting bombed doesn't mean they're enslaved

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev Now one in Iran

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev It's two people... the rest are looking at them like they're crazy. What makes Iranians enslaved? The fact that they don't have the same laws as the West?

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev And since you're claiming that terrorism is a consequence of a lack of freedom, does that mean the West also has terrorism?

[Devran @devranue]

@OlexGameDev Wait until you find out that all that "terrorism" are consequences of the actions of the West in the ME. And what freedoms exactly?

[Devran @devranue]

My advice is the opposite. Make 1 small games to learn about release and distribution. Then work on your dream game. You'll learn everything you would making many small games and on top of that learn how to work with large scale systems and projects.

[Code Monkey @UnityCodeMonkey]

My #1 recurring tip to all Unity devs: Make many SMALL games, not one big "dream" game.
Every finished project teaches you:
- Scope management
- Realistic estimates
- Real player feedback
- What genres actually sell!

If you spend 5 years working on a single game, you will only learn those lessons once, whereas if you make 10 games in those 5 years, you will learn 10 TIMES the lessons in the same timeframe!

This is the closest thing to a "secret" behind long-term indie success.

If you truly desperately want to make massive games then my advice is make them in parts. For example make one small game all about your Combat mechanics, then another small game about your Exploration mechanics and another one all about your clever Building system.
Once you've made all 3 of those games, you can analyze what worked and what you could improve in all those individual systems/mechanics and put them all together in one massive game!

[Devran @devranue]

@TheHybred @kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic The apps are definitely a big part of it but so is the content. Whether it's sexualized imagery, degenerate, undesirable behavior, or something else that negatively influences society.

[Devran @devranue]

@plunderstruck How is my opinion disinformation? I'm also not just talking about disinformation. Look at Instagram

[Devran @devranue]

@kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic And to add to that, the current Western traditions of freedom weren't always a thing. So what's stopping it from changing again?

[Devran @devranue]

@kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic It being incompatible with Western values, traditions of freedom, etc. doesn't make it incorrect. If current Western values lead to a worse society then something should be done about it.

Where do you think the current trajectory of Western society as I described will take us?

[Devran @devranue]

@kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic The general population has no discipline or (personal) responsibility and act mostly based on desires, short-term gratification, and emotions. That's why protection is necessary. And if some freedom needs to be sacrificed for increased well-being then so be it.

[Devran @devranue]

@kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic It's information that's harmful to people. The negative effects of social media heavily outweigh the positives. If you look at IG for example, studies have linked Instagram to depression, body image concerns, self-esteem issues, social anxiety, and other problems.

[Devran @devranue]

@kiaran_ritchie @TimSweeneyEpic You don't think censorship of harmful content and internet usage is good? It would be beneficial for everyone's wellbeing to see platforms like Instagram get banned.