How to market an indie game in 2026
Indie game studios grow through TikTok and Reddit. This blueprint sets out what to post and how often, the season, the rules on claims and reviews, and the first 90 days, from 26 sources checked in October 2026.
Where to show up
Core channels get most of the hours. Support channels get a little. The rest can wait until the core ones work.
| Channel | Role | Why |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Core | Zukowski ranks TikTok second among wishlist sources, after festivals (10-step plan, 2024 update; his ranking). In 2022 TikTok reports usually sat at 1,000 to 2,000 wishlists against 50 to 70 for a viral tweet. In June 2026 the game Speak rose from 694 to about 13,000 wishlists around Next Fest, with a developer TikTok that reached about 1 million views (Zukowski, Jul 2026). It works best for games people 'know when they see them'. His test is 30 days of daily posts: if no single post earns 1,000 wishlists, the game is probably not social-friendly, and you scale back to about one post a week on your best platform (Dec 2023). |
| Core | Zukowski's funnel starts on Reddit (Reddit, Steam page, Discord, beta, buy; 10-step plan, 2024 update) and one 2022 post brought 11,000 wishlists (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Rules differ by sub and are enforced: presskit.gg (Feb 2026) says 'Here's my game, wishlist it' posts do not work, and developers often needed months of participation before game posts gained traction. | |
| Support | The same vertical clip can go to Reels at no extra cost. A publisher's undated estimate credits vertical video on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with about 35% of indie Steam wishlists (Polden Publishing, via WN Hub; an anecdote, not a study). We found no Instagram-specific game data. | |
| YouTube | Support | YouTube holds the trailer and the creators who cover games like yours. Zukowski's source ranking puts streamers third (10-step plan, 2024 update; his ranking), and he says a Steam page with no trailer and one tweet is not an announcement (Dec 2023). For a small studio it is the home of the trailer, vertical Shorts cut from TikTok, and an occasional devlog. We read no devlog benchmark. |
| X | Support | X and Bluesky hold peers, press and streamers more than buyers. Zukowski ranks Twitter last of six wishlist sources (10-step plan, 2024 update) and measured viral tweets at 50 to 70 wishlists (2022). Game Developer reported that many developers moved to Bluesky (date not checked), but Bluesky's US mobile visitors fell 44%, from 2.7 million in June 2025 to 1.5 million in March 2026 (Comscore, as summarised by eMarketer, 2026; page not opened). Post the same clip in both places and spend little time. |
| Skip | Not researched. No source we read links Pinterest to Steam wishlists. | |
| Skip | Players are not there. Use it only to pitch publishers or hire; some publishers share their wishlist data there. | |
| Skip | Not researched. No source we read links Facebook to Steam wishlists. | |
| Threads | Skip | Not researched. No source we read links Threads to Steam wishlists. |
| Quora | Skip | Not researched. No source we read links Quora to Steam wishlists. |
| Google Business Profile | Skip | A game studio is not a local business. |
| Email newsletter | Skip | Valve already emails wishlisters at launch, for discounts of 20% or more that last over 8 hours, and once when the demo goes live (Steamworks, 2026). Steam follows and a Discord hold the community. A mailing list matters mostly for the next game; Zukowski has an 'Email marketing 101' guide that we did not read. |
Who buys and how they choose
PC players, mostly on Steam, who buy after they see a clip, a trailer, a stream or a Steam list, and who wishlist first. They judge a game in seconds by its capsule image, the opening of its trailer and a clear genre label ('we are this game but new', Zukowski 2023). Steam players favour building, crafting, simulation and strategy games; puzzle, platformer, match-3, shmup, VR and kids' educational games are harder sells, and Zukowski estimates about 90% of success is game type and visual quality (How To Market A Game, 10-step plan, 2024 update; his estimate). The studio is a solo developer or a team of 2 to 10 with one game, and the first launch decides whether there is a second. This preset is Steam-first; mobile-only studios should also read the consumer mobile apps preset.
Trigger: a clip, a stream or a Steam list puts the game in front of a player. Many wishlist and wait: Valve says players often wait for a reason to buy, such as an Early Access exit, an update, a discount or friends playing (Steamworks wishlist page, 2026). Research is a few seconds on the Steam page: capsule, trailer, tags, reviews, price. Lead time is long: Zukowski advises a public Steam page at least 6 months before release (10-step plan, 2024 update); Valve requires the Coming Soon page to be public for at least 2 weeks (Steamworks, 2026). The player decides alone and is price sensitive; Valve emails wishlisters at launch and for discounts of 20% or more that last over 8 hours. Wishlists convert worse than they used to: games released in 2023 to 2025 sold 0.22 copies per wishlist in the first month, 0.43 in six months and 0.70 in a year, against 0.45, 0.82 and 0.99 for 2020 to 2022 releases (Zukowski, Oct 2026, 160 games, as reported by Inven Global).
Where buyers find businesses like this
- Steam wishlists, Steam lists and the recommendation system — Valve: 'wishlists can be an important factor' in where a game appears on Steam, and there is no minimum wishlist count before Steam starts showing it (Steamworks, 2026). Zukowski, from developer data: in the 7 days before a major Discovery Queue traffic peak the median game had 11,202 store visits and 3,583 wishlists; the lowest that still triggered one had 4,347 visits and 524 wishlists (Dec 2023). He also says games with a vague or missing genre are hard for Steam to place (Dec 2023). He estimates 5,500 to 7,000 wishlists to reach the Popular Upcoming list (2024 update); Valve names no minimum.
- Steam Next Fest and Valve's themed fests — Valve runs Next Fest three times a year and a game may join only one; placement is randomised for the first few days (Steamworks, 2026). June 2026 had 4,382 demos, up 66% from 2,645 in June 2025; the top 10% of games gained at least 121 followers (author's estimate: about 3,000 wishlists) and the top 1% gained 1,330 (GameDiscoverCo, Jul 2026).
- Third-party online festivals and showcases — Zukowski tracked 470 third-party festivals; 31,285 games (31% of the 100,506 released on Steam since 2020) joined at least one, an average of 2.91 each. If accepted a game can gain 'hundreds, potentially thousands' of wishlists, but 'exposure doesn't equal sales' (Zukowski, Aug 2026).
- Short vertical video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) — TikTok reports of 1,000 to 2,000 wishlists against 50 to 70 for a viral tweet (Zukowski, 2022). In 2026 the game Speak went from 694 to about 13,000 wishlists around Next Fest, helped by a developer TikTok that reached about 1 million views (Zukowski, Jul 2026). The 10-step plan ranks sources: festivals, TikTok, streamers, Reddit, press, Twitter (Zukowski, 2024 update; his ranking).
- Streamers and YouTubers who play demos and new games — Zukowski: build a spreadsheet of streamers who covered similar games and contact a few each day (Dec 2023). Key requests are full of scams: developers report roughly half of unsolicited requests are fraudulent (presskit.gg, Jan 2026).
- Reddit, then Discord — Zukowski's funnel is Reddit, Steam page, Discord, beta, buy (10-step plan, 2024 update). One 2022 Reddit post brought 11,000 wishlists (Zukowski, Dec 2023); treat it as an outlier.
- Press — Valve opens a Press Preview 11 days before Next Fest, and says it cannot guarantee press coverage or that anyone will play your demo (Steamworks, 2026).
- Paid ads — No paid ads in this plan. Valve says paid advertising for Next Fest is not available (Steamworks, 2026).
The first 90 days
Days 1 to 3
Write the one-line pitch with the genre in it ('we are this game but new') and test it on strangers by asking which games it reminds them of.
Short description: genre first, then what is different; no 'unique', 'fun' or 'creative'; apply the Minecraft swap test (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
Days 3 to 14
Build the Steam page assets: a professional capsule (streamers use it for thumbnails), a trailer, screenshots with and without UI.
Choose accurate tags; Valve uses categories and tags to place games in Next Fest. Publish the Coming Soon page as soon as it is ready, submitting at least 7 days ahead; plan for it to be public 6 months or more before release (Valve; Zukowski, 2024 update).
Days 3 to 14
Set up a press page (layered capsule, trailer, screenshots, key-request path) and a Discord.
Generate no keys yet: 0 before the announcement (presskit.gg, Jan 2026).
Days 14 to 44
Run the 30-day social test: daily clips, GIFs and TikToks, plus one Reddit post.
Read the Steam wishlist graph each day (Steamworks shows it with a one-day delay). If no single post earns 1,000 wishlists, the game is probably not social-friendly: drop to about one post a week on the best platform (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
Days 14 to 30
Announce properly: a trailer, outreach to sites and festivals, and a countdown teaser of about 7 days.
A Steam page with no trailer and one tweet is not an announcement (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
Days 20 to 60
Build the streamer spreadsheet (people who covered similar games) and contact a few each day.
Generate 20 to 50 keys before the demo or fest, verify every requester, and track each key (presskit.gg, Jan 2026).
Days 30 to 75
Run a playtest, then ship a demo as early as is reasonable (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
Add analytics at the tutorial, boss, restarts and returns. A median playtime under 24 minutes points to a game problem, not a marketing one (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Use Valve's one demo-live email to wishlisters within 14 days of the demo's release.
Days 45 to 90
Apply to every relevant third-party festival and to Valve's themed fests that fit the genre.
Pick Next Fest with care: a game can join only one. Beginners should 'base-maxx': page and demo early, then the last Next Fest before launch; 'momentum-maxxing' (holding the page and demo back for a burst) is high risk and medium reward (Zukowski, Jul 2026).
Days 60 to 90
Post native-video clips in the right genre subs, one non-recurring post per sub per month, never the same post in several subs on one day; use Screenshot Saturday weekly (presskit.gg, Feb 2026).
Days 75 to 90
Diagnose. Stuck games get 1 to 2 wishlists a day; games the algorithm has noticed get 100 to 300 a day after a spike of 1,000 or more in a week (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Fix the capsule, trailer, short description and genre clarity before spending more time on posting.
Day 90
Choose the release window.
Claim the date in Steamworks early, avoid the genre's herd month, release at least 2 weeks after the Coming Soon page is public, and at least 30 days before a Steam sale if you want to join it with a discount (Valve; Zukowski, Sep 2026). Decide on Kickstarter only with an audience in hand; keys for backers are limited to campaigns of 30 days at most (Valve).
Keep the next game in mind
Zukowski urges smaller early games and cross-promoting the first game's audience to the next (10-step plan, 2024 update; 'The Missing Middle', 2023).
Channel by channel
TikTok · core
Zukowski ranks TikTok second among wishlist sources, after festivals (10-step plan, 2024 update; his ranking). In 2022 TikTok reports usually sat at 1,000 to 2,000 wishlists against 50 to 70 for a viral tweet. In June 2026 the game Speak rose from 694 to about 13,000 wishlists around Next Fest, with a developer TikTok that reached about 1 million views (Zukowski, Jul 2026). It works best for games people 'know when they see them'. His test is 30 days of daily posts: if no single post earns 1,000 wishlists, the game is probably not social-friendly, and you scale back to about one post a week on your best platform (Dec 2023).
Rhythm: Daily for the 30-day test, then about one post a week on the best platform (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Cut the clips in one batch and reuse them on the other platforms.
| Format | Share | How a good one is built |
|---|---|---|
| Looping hook clip | ~45% | 0 to 1 s: the payoff frame (the explosion, the cute thing, the twist). 1 to 10 s: the mechanic working, needing no context. Loop the last frame into the first. Keep a large 'Wishlist on Steam' text on screen for 3 seconds. — Viewers give a video about a second, and loops count as extra views; the call to action sits on screen for 3 seconds (Zukowski, 2022). |
| Homemade developer video | ~25% | A screen recording with text-to-speech or the developer's own voice and a plain edit. One joke or one surprise. — The developer in Zukowski's 2022 post found 'the more production value the worse it performs' and that screen recordings with text-to-speech worked. One case, not a rule. |
| Character or enemy intro | ~10% | Introduce one character or enemy in 10 seconds with a joke or an inside reference fans will repeat. — Zukowski (2022) advises separate character introductions and humour that fans share. |
| Last-chance or launch reminder | ~10% | 'Last chance to play the demo' or 'out tomorrow' in one short clip with the date on screen. — In the 2022 case 'follow and wishlist' reminders did comparatively poorly, but one 'last chance' video brought about 12,000 followers. |
| Demo or fest day clip | ~10% | The demo's first minute, the fest dates, 'play free now'. — Fest weeks are when Valve's own audience is browsing (Steamworks, 2026). Judgement on the format. |
What to post about
- The core mechanic in motion
- Cozy, funny or satisfying moments of the genre
- Characters and inside jokes
- Dev story with a real number
- Fest, demo and release dates
Openings that work
- Challenge: 'Can you clear this room in 10 seconds?' (example line)
- Joke with a payoff: 'The boss has one weakness. It is the tutorial.' (example line)
- A striking first frame, then the twist (Zukowski, 2022: a hook such as a challenge, a joke or an aesthetic)
- An obscure reference only genre fans get (Zukowski, 2022)
- 'We are [known game] but [difference]' (Zukowski, Dec 2023, for the genre line)
How people find you here: The For You page shows videos to strangers by interest. In Zukowski's 2022 post about 4 relevant hashtags define the audience but do not directly add views; trending sounds can help even when muted; and timing mattered: the same video got 4,000 views in 6 hours at the wrong time and in 30 minutes at the right time (8 am and 2 pm Pacific in that developer's test). Guides say; We read no TikTok statement on ranking.
How a viewer becomes a client: Steam link in the bio, a wishlist call to action on screen, replies to comments, and a Discord link. In the 2022 case UTM links tracked only about 10% of traffic and viewers moved to Discord more easily than to Twitter, so judge a clip by the Steam wishlist graph on that day, not by clicks.
Benchmarks: TikTok reports of 1,000 to 2,000 wishlists against 50 to 70 for a viral tweet; one visual novel's video gained more than 571,000 views over several days and over 2,900 wishlists, taking it from 3,000 to 6,000 (Zukowski, 2022). Speak: 694 to about 13,000 wishlists around June 2026 Next Fest with a developer TikTok of about 1 million views (Zukowski, Jul 2026). A 2022 GameDiscoverCo case reported 120 million TikTok views and over 60,000 wishlists (seen in search results; article not opened).
Avoid on TikTok
- Judging the platform from one post: run the 30-day test first (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
- Over-polishing every clip: heavy production did worse in one developer's case (Zukowski, 2022).
- Using a region workaround to post from a restricted country: the 2022 post says it breaks TikTok's terms and carries malware risk.
- Leaving out the on-screen wishlist call to action.
- Paying or gifting a creator without a clear 'ad' or 'sponsored' mark in the video (FTC, US).
Reddit · core
Zukowski's funnel starts on Reddit (Reddit, Steam page, Discord, beta, buy; 10-step plan, 2024 update) and one 2022 post brought 11,000 wishlists (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Rules differ by sub and are enforced: presskit.gg (Feb 2026) says 'Here's my game, wishlist it' posts do not work, and developers often needed months of participation before game posts gained traction.
Rhythm: At most one non-recurring post per sub per month, plus the weekly Screenshot Saturday thread in r/gamedev (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). Lurk and comment for a few weeks first.
| Format | Share | How a good one is built |
|---|---|---|
| Short gameplay clip, native video | ~40% | Under 60 seconds, uploaded to Reddit (not a YouTube link), the hook in the first second, the title stating genre and twist. — Listed first among post types that work (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| Honest devlog with real numbers | ~25% | Numbers up top (wishlists by week, what spiked), what you did, what failed, what you would change. — Honest devlogs with real numbers do well (presskit.gg, Feb 2026) and give developers something to discuss. |
| Before and after | ~15% | Two images or clips side by side of one change (art pass, UI, animation) with a one-line reason. — Listed among post types that work (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| Question that invites discussion | ~10% | A real design or marketing question with your own attempt and numbers. — Listed among post types that work (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| Genre-sub announcement or demo link | ~10% | A clip, the genre word in the title, the demo link, and a note that you made it. — Genre subs often allow developer announcements if the game fits (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
What to post about
- Screenshot Saturday progress
- Postmortems and devlogs with numbers
- Genre-fit announcements and demos
Openings that work
- '[Genre] where you [twist]. 20 seconds of the demo.' (example line)
- 'We shipped a demo and got [N] wishlists in a week. What worked and what did not.' (example line, use only real numbers)
How people find you here: Votes and the sub's own threads; genre subs put games in front of that genre's fans. Guides say; We read no Reddit statement on ranking.
How a viewer becomes a client: Steam link in the post or first comment where the sub allows it; Discord link in the profile. Check the wishlist graph on the day of the post.
Benchmarks: One Reddit post: 11,000 wishlists (2022, per Zukowski, Dec 2023); an outlier. Account signal: several hundred community karma, built over weeks or months (presskit.gg, Feb 2026).
Avoid on Reddit
- A static screenshot with a Steam link, or a capsule with a wishlist plea (presskit.gg, Feb 2026).
- The same post in several subs on the same day (presskit.gg, Feb 2026).
- More than one non-recurring post per sub per month (presskit.gg, Feb 2026).
- Mobile games in r/iOSGaming outside 'Developer Saturday': it risks a ban (a developer's launch list, undated).
Instagram · support
The same vertical clip can go to Reels at no extra cost. A publisher's undated estimate credits vertical video on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with about 35% of indie Steam wishlists (Polden Publishing, via WN Hub; an anecdote, not a study). We found no Instagram-specific game data.
Rhythm: Re-post the week's best TikTok clip as a Reel and nothing else.
| Format | Share | How a good one is built |
|---|---|---|
| Reel from the best TikTok clip | ~90% | Same cut and same first frame as TikTok, exported as a clean file, with a Steam wishlist call to action on screen. — Costs no extra filming. |
| Screenshot carousel | ~10% | Slide 1: the best screenshot with a genre line. Slides 2 to 5: one mechanic each. Last slide: 'Wishlist on Steam'. — Cheap to make for fest weeks. Judgement. |
What to post about
- The core mechanic in motion
- Satisfying or funny moments of the genre
- Fest and demo dates
Openings that work
- The same first frame as the TikTok version
- Genre line first: 'A [genre] where you [twist]' (example line)
How people find you here: Genre words in the caption. Guides say; We read no Instagram statement on ranking.
How a viewer becomes a client: Link in bio to the Steam page, or to the demo during a fest.
Avoid on Instagram
- Spending more than 15 minutes a week here before the demo is out (judgement).
- Counting likes as wishlists: read the Steam wishlist graph.
YouTube · support
YouTube holds the trailer and the creators who cover games like yours. Zukowski's source ranking puts streamers third (10-step plan, 2024 update; his ranking), and he says a Steam page with no trailer and one tweet is not an announcement (Dec 2023). For a small studio it is the home of the trailer, vertical Shorts cut from TikTok, and an occasional devlog. We read no devlog benchmark.
Rhythm: A trailer at the announcement, a fresh cut for each fest, one Short a week from the TikTok batch, and a devlog only when there is news.
| Format | Share | How a good one is built |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement or fest trailer | per milestone | Show the core loop in the first seconds and make the genre clear within 10 seconds; end on a Steam wishlist card (judgement). Valve picks some games' trailers for the official Next Fest trailer, which launches 4 days before the event (Steamworks, 2026). — The trailer is on the Steam page and is what streamers and press use. |
| Short cut from the best TikTok clip | ~60% | Same looping hook clip, 15 to 30 seconds. — No extra filming. |
| Devlog | ~20% | One change shown working, one number (wishlists or demo playtime), one thing that failed. 3 to 8 minutes. — Honest devlogs with real numbers do well with developer audiences (presskit.gg, Feb 2026, for Reddit). |
| Demo or fest announcement | ~20% | Dates, what is in the demo, the link, 30 to 60 seconds. — Gives streamers and press one clear thing to share. |
What to post about
- Core loop in motion
- Before and after of one feature
- Dev stories with numbers
Openings that work
- 'A [genre] where you [twist]' (example line)
- 'We are [known game] but [difference]' (Zukowski, Dec 2023)
- 'Day N of making [game]: what changed' (example line)
How people find you here: Search by game name and genre; creators who covered similar games bring their own audience. Guides say; We read no YouTube statement on ranking.
How a viewer becomes a client: Pinned comment and first description line link to the Steam page; the wishlist card at the end; the demo link during a fest.
Avoid on YouTube
- Calling the game 'unique', 'fun' or 'creative' in titles and descriptions: use the Minecraft swap test, and if the line fits Minecraft equally well, rewrite it (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
- A dummy Steam page with no trailer posted as the announcement (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
X · support
X and Bluesky hold peers, press and streamers more than buyers. Zukowski ranks Twitter last of six wishlist sources (10-step plan, 2024 update) and measured viral tweets at 50 to 70 wishlists (2022). Game Developer reported that many developers moved to Bluesky (date not checked), but Bluesky's US mobile visitors fell 44%, from 2.7 million in June 2025 to 1.5 million in March 2026 (Comscore, as summarised by eMarketer, 2026; page not opened). Post the same clip in both places and spend little time.
Rhythm: Three clip posts a week from the TikTok batch, plus replies to creators and press who cover your genre. About 30 minutes a week.
| Format | Share | How a good one is built |
|---|---|---|
| Clip post with a one-line hook | ~60% | The looping clip, one line of genre and twist, the Steam link in the first reply. — Reuses the batch. |
| Progress post for developers | ~30% | A GIF and one line on what changed this week. — Developers and press follow progress; presskit.gg says progress GIFs do well with developer audiences on Reddit (Feb 2026). |
| Fest or demo announcement | ~10% | Dates, the demo link and the capsule image. — One clear call to action for the week. |
What to post about
- Progress GIFs
- Fest dates and demo links
- Replies to streamers and press who covered similar games
Openings that work
- 'Day N: [what changed]' with a GIF (example line)
- 'A [genre] where you [twist]' (example line)
How people find you here: Followers, replies and being quoted by creators. Guides say; We read no X or Bluesky statement on ranking.
How a viewer becomes a client: Steam link in the first reply; Discord link in the bio.
Benchmarks: Viral tweets usually gave 50 to 70 wishlists against 1,000 to 2,000 for TikTok reports (Zukowski, 2022). Bluesky US mobile visitors: 2.7 million in June 2025, 1.5 million in March 2026 (Comscore via eMarketer, 2026).
Avoid on X
- Counting likes as wishlists.
- Spending hours choosing between X and Bluesky: post to both from one batch.
Channels to leave for later
- Pinterest — Not researched. No source we read links Pinterest to Steam wishlists.
- LinkedIn — Players are not there. Use it only to pitch publishers or hire; some publishers share their wishlist data there.
- Facebook — Not researched. No source we read links Facebook to Steam wishlists.
- Threads — Not researched. No source we read links Threads to Steam wishlists.
- Quora — Not researched. No source we read links Quora to Steam wishlists.
- Google Business Profile — A game studio is not a local business.
- Email newsletter — Valve already emails wishlisters at launch, for discounts of 20% or more that last over 8 hours, and once when the demo goes live (Steamworks, 2026). Steam follows and a Discord hold the community. A mailing list matters mostly for the next game; Zukowski has an 'Email marketing 101' guide that we did not read.
Google and the blog
Support channel. The Steam page is the hub and ranks for the game's name; a small site mainly serves press and streamers (press kit, key requests) and gives peers a postmortem to share. Honest devlogs with real numbers do well on Reddit (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). We read no benchmark for game-site SEO, so keep it to a few pages.
| Article | Searches like | How the winners are built |
|---|---|---|
| Game FAQ and demo page | “[game name] release date”, “[game name] demo”, “[game name] system requirements”, “[game name] steam” | One page: genre line, trailer, capsule, release date or window, demo link, Steam wishlist button, platforms and requirements, press kit link, contact. It must say the same as the Steam page. |
| Devlog or postmortem with real numbers | “indie game postmortem”, “how many wishlists before launch”, “steam launch postmortem”, “indie game marketing mistakes” | Numbers first (wishlists by week, what spiked, sales by week), then what you did, what failed, what you would change. It travels on Reddit and with trade press (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| Press kit page | “[game name] press kit”, “[game name] key request” | Layered capsule PSD, trailer, screenshots with and without UI, logo, fact sheet and a key-request path. Share files through Drive or Dropbox and do not zip them (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Verify every requester (presskit.gg, Jan 2026). |
| Games like [known game] list | “games like stardew valley”, “best cozy farming games on steam”, “best co-op horror games on steam” | Judgement, not sourced: hard to win against Steam, wikis and big outlets. Write one only when the genre is narrow and the list helps a player choose, and link the Steam page. |
When searches peak: Valve's sales and fests set the calendar (see the calendar). Release in a quieter month than the genre's peak: for horror, October is crowded and was the 3rd worst month by revenue for games with $100K or more lifetime revenue, and June may be best (Zukowski with GameDiscoverCo data, Sep 2026). Claim the release date in Steamworks early. Put the Steam page up at least 6 months before launch (Zukowski, 2024 update) and publish festival trailers and devlogs in the two weeks before a fest.
Where businesses in this niche get featured and linked
- Steam Next Fest (three a year) and Valve's themed fests, which Valve lists with dates (Steamworks, 2026)
- Third-party festivals and showcases named by Zukowski (Aug and Jul 2026): LudoNarraCon, Wholesome Games, Tacticon, TurnBasedThursday, Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, Roguelike Celebration, The Indie Premier, PC Gaming Show
- Trade press and data newsletters that print postmortems and festival data: Game Developer, GameDiscoverCo, How To Market A Game (seen in research; no submission rules read)
- Key-request and press-page tools: Keymailer, Terminals.io, presskit.gg (presskit.gg, Jan 2026)
Communities on Reddit
Read the rules and the top threads before you post. Most of these remove promotion; a useful answer is what earns a visit.
| Subreddit | Who is there | What works and what is allowed |
|---|---|---|
| r/gamedev · about 1.8M (presskit.gg, Feb 2026) | peers | A Screenshot Saturday entry with a GIF and a one-line change. Postmortems and devlogs with real numbers. Promotion: Mainly developers talking to developers. A recurring Screenshot Saturday thread is the most marketing-friendly space; 'Here's my game, wishlist it' posts do not work (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/IndieGaming · about 700K (presskit.gg, Feb 2026) | buyers | Short native-video gameplay clips with a clear hook. Promotion: Players looking for new games. Static screenshots and a capsule with a Steam link do not work; no specific rule text was read, so check the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/IndieDev · about 300K (presskit.gg, Feb 2026) | peers | Progress GIFs and requests for feedback. Promotion: Developers; overlaps heavily with r/gamedev. No specific rules were described. |
| r/playmygame · about 60K (presskit.gg, Feb 2026) | buyers | A demo or playtest link with a clip. Promotion: Explicitly made for self-promotion; posts still need a video or visual hook (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/roguelikes · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link, with the genre word in the title. Promotion: Genre subs often allow developer announcements if the game fits the genre; read each sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/roguelites · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link. Promotion: As above: read the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/BaseBuildingGames · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link. Promotion: As above: read the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/horrorgaming · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link. Promotion: As above: read the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/incremental_games · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link. Promotion: As above: read the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
| r/tycoon · not stated | buyers | A clip and the demo link. Promotion: As above: read the sidebar (presskit.gg, Feb 2026). |
The year in this niche
| When | What matters |
|---|---|
| Now to 2 Nov 2026 | Next Fest runs 19 to 26 Oct 2026; Steam Scream V runs 26 Oct to 2 Nov 2026 for horror and Halloween-centred games only (Steamworks, 2026). Valve advises leaving a demo up after Next Fest. |
| 16 to 23 Nov 2026 | Auto-Battler RPG Fest (Steamworks, 2026). |
| 17 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 | Steam Winter Sale. A game released at least 30 days before the sale starts can join with a discount, so release by 17 Nov 2026 to take part (Steamworks, 2026). |
| January 2027 | Desktop Companion Fest 14 to 18 Jan and Shop Keeper Fest 25 Jan to 1 Feb (Steamworks, 2026). Registration for the Feb 2027 Next Fest was reported to close about 10 Jan; confirm on the Steamworks edition page. |
| February 2027 | Sheep Fest 4 to 8 Feb, Couch Co-Op Fest 8 to 15 Feb, and Next Fest 22 Feb to 1 Mar 2027 (Steamworks, 2026). Press Preview opens 11 days before and the Valve festival trailer 4 days before. |
| March 2027 | Rhythm Fest 8 to 15 Mar, Spring Sale 18 to 25 Mar, Dinos vs. Robots Fest 29 Mar to 5 Apr (Steamworks, 2026). |
| April to May 2027 | Racing Fest 12 to 19 Apr, Witch Fest 22 to 26 Apr, Fighting Fest 26 Apr to 3 May, Real-Time Strategy Fest 10 to 17 May, Mountaineering Fest 31 May to 3 Jun (Steamworks, 2026). |
| June to July 2027 | Next Fest 14 to 21 Jun and Summer Sale 24 Jun to 8 Jul 2027 (Steamworks, 2026). The Autumn Sale 2027 date is not yet listed. |
| Choosing the release month | Avoid the genre's herd month. For horror, October is crowded and June may be best by median revenue (Zukowski with GameDiscoverCo data, Sep 2026). Games already out can use Halloween discounts, creator outreach and fests instead. |
| If you crowdfund | February is the best Kickstarter launch month for video games (35% success) and December the worst (28%); the overall rate is 32% (GameDev Reports, Nov 2025). |
Partners who share your audience
- Streamers and YouTubers who covered similar games. Keep a spreadsheet and contact a few each day (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Use Keymailer or Terminals.io once requests pass 50 to 100; below that a spreadsheet is fine (presskit.gg, Jan 2026).
- Festival organisers: apply to every relevant third-party festival; Zukowski points to a studio that does so (Aug 2026). Pick Valve's themed fests that match the genre.
- A publisher with an audience, if the deal is right: I Am Your Beast reached 60,000 wishlists in two weeks with the publisher Strange Scaffold and a guaranteed PC Gaming Show slot (Zukowski, Jul 2026).
- Platform holders' developer-partner teams, and genre peers and influencers (Zukowski, 10-step plan, 2024 update).
- Press: use Valve's Press Preview before Next Fest; Valve cannot guarantee coverage (Steamworks, 2026).
- Steam curators through Curator Connect, named in a key-distribution guide (Valve's page for it was not read).
Rules that apply
- Steam AI disclosure (Valve, worldwide): disclose AI content made during development (pre-generated) and content made while the game runs (live-generated); live-generated content also needs guardrails; Valve checks that the game is consistent with your marketing materials (Steamworks content survey, 2026). About 26.5% of June 2026 Next Fest demos had the AI disclosure turned on, up from 21.2% in Feb 2026 (GameDiscoverCo, Jul 2026).
- Steam adult-content disclosure and ratings (Valve, worldwide): disclose all adult content in your builds, even if players cannot reach it; regional age ratings are generated from the survey and shown at release; some answers cannot be changed after approval without contacting Steam Support (Steamworks content survey, 2026).
- Steam keys (Valve, worldwide): Release State Override keys are for small betas and press or influencer access and must never be sold; up to 5,000 Default Release keys for a launching game; giveaways only under 100 keys without a ticket; crowdfunding keys only for time-limited campaigns of 30 days at most; new developers wait three weeks after creating an AppID; do not give store buyers a better deal than Steam buyers; fraudsters impersonate journalists to resell keys (Steamworks, 2026).
- Creator disclosure (US, FTC Disclosures 101): free keys are a material connection; the disclosure goes in the video or stream itself, not only in the description; use plain words such as 'ad', 'sponsored' or 'thanks to [studio] for the free game'; avoid 'sp', 'collab', 'thanks' or 'ambassador' alone; repeat it during live streams. The guidance puts the duty on the creator, so brief creators in writing.
- Reviews and testimonials (US, FTC rule in force since 21 Oct 2024): no fake reviews, no buying reviews, and no pay or reward that depends on a positive or negative opinion; civil penalties up to about $52,000 per violation. Do not give keys or items in return for positive Steam reviews. We did not read Valve's own review-incentive rule.
- Steam page timing (Valve, worldwide): the Coming Soon page must be public for at least 2 weeks before release; page review typically takes 3 to 5 business days, so submit at least 7 days before you want it live; approved games do not release by themselves (Steamworks, 2026).
- Next Fest rules (Valve, worldwide): one Next Fest per game, a public demo by the start, no release before the fest ends, no prologues of games already on sale, and no paid advertising for it (Steamworks, 2026).
- Wishlist emails (Valve, worldwide): only users with a verified email get them; discount emails need 20% or more for over 8 hours; a two-week cooldown per app; the demo-live notification can be sent once per app within 14 days of the demo's release (Steamworks, 2026).
What to measure
- Total wishlists and wishlists per day from the Steamworks Sales & Activation reports, updated daily with the previous day's data (Steamworks, 2026). Log what caused each spike.
- Stuck is 1 to 2 wishlists a day; successful games earn 100 to 300 a day after the algorithm notices a spike of 1,000 or more in a week (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
- Wishlist to sales: 2023 to 2025 releases sold 0.22 copies per wishlist in month one, 0.43 by month six and 0.70 by year one, against 0.45, 0.82 and 0.99 for 2020 to 2022 (Zukowski, Oct 2026, 160 games, via Inven Global). Suspected causes: hover-tooltip wishlisting (wishlists act like bookmarks) and weaker festival wishlists. Wishlists still predict launch sales: R squared 0.72 for 2023 to 2025 (Zukowski, Oct 2026).
- Before a Next Fest, track base wishlists and the wishlists earned in the previous two weeks (momentum). In Zukowski's June 2026 table, 28 of 34 games with both base and momentum above 2,000 'hit 3,000+' (82%), against 3 of 47 with both below 2,000 (6%); five games with over 3,000 of each still got under 1,000 from the fest (Zukowski, Jul 2026).
- Festival outcome: in June 2026 the top 10% of games gained at least 121 Steam followers (about 3,000 wishlists, author's estimate) and the top 1% gained 1,330 (GameDiscoverCo, Jul 2026). Wishlists run about 7 to 20 times followers, median 12 (Carless's estimate, reported by Game World Observer, 2025).
- Demo health: median playtime under 24 minutes is a warning sign (Zukowski, Dec 2023).
- Launch targets Zukowski gives as his estimates: 5,500 or more wishlists and a 10 to 30% launch conversion; 10 reviews from paying buyers; for Early Access, 250 reviews in the first month (10-step plan, 2024 update).
- Key campaigns: coverage from 15 to 40% of keys sent is the norm; below 15% re-check targeting (presskit.gg, Jan 2026). Developers report about half of unsolicited requests are fraudulent.
- Kickstarter, if used: 32% of video game campaigns succeed; the average campaign raises $68.2K; none of 15 campaigns with goals of $2.5M or more succeeded (GameDev Reports, Nov 2025).
Sources
- Steam Next Fest (rules and mechanics) — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Upcoming Steam events (sales and festival dates) — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Wishlists — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Steam Keys — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Releasing your game (Coming Soon page and release) — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Content survey (AI and adult content disclosure) — Valve, Steamworks Documentation, 2026
- Wishlist inflation is real, but you still need them — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2026-10
- Steam wishlist inflation: value of one wishlist cut in half but predictive power unchanged (secondary coverage with the sales-per-wishlist figures) — Inven Global, 2026-10
- Games that used momentum for Steam Next Fest success — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2026-07
- You probably shouldn't launch a horror game in October — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2026-09
- The state of virtual 3rd-party festivals 2026 — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2026-08
- Why am I not getting wishlists? A step by step solution — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2023-12
- How to market your indie game: a 10 step plan (updated Aug 2024) — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2024-08
- Seven great tips for marketing your indie game on TikTok — How To Market A Game (Chris Zukowski), 2022-02
- Who 'won' June 2026's Steam Next Fest? — GameDiscoverCo (Simon Carless), 2026-07
- GameDiscoverCo named the games with the most wishlists following the June 2025 Steam Next Fest (secondary coverage; follower-to-wishlist multiplier) — Game World Observer, 2025-06
- This game used TikTok to get 120M views and 60K Steam wishlists (seen in search results; not opened) — GameDiscoverCo, 2022
- Reddit marketing for indie games — presskit.gg field guide, 2026-02
- Managing game key requests like a professional — presskit.gg field guide, 2026-02
- Kickstarter in 2025 and before (analysis by Narwhal.ax, 17,000 video game campaigns) — GameDev Reports, 2025-11
- Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers — US Federal Trade Commission, n.d.
- FTC announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials — US Federal Trade Commission, 2024-08
- As engagement declines, Bluesky reconsiders X playbook for Reddit-style communities (seen in search results; not opened) — eMarketer, 2026
- What are game developers getting out of Bluesky? (seen in search results; not opened) — Game Developer, n.d.
- Vertical videos and friends: Polden Publishing's wishlist sources (seen in search results; not opened) — WN Hub, n.d.
- iOS App Launch List (a developer's archive; used only for the mobile-game subreddits) — alexanderweichart.de, n.d.
Questions
Asked about indie game studios
What is the best marketing channel for indie game studios?
TikTok and Reddit. Zukowski ranks TikTok second among wishlist sources, after festivals (10-step plan, 2024 update; his ranking). In 2022 TikTok reports usually sat at 1,000 to 2,000 wishlists against 50 to 70 for a viral tweet. In June 2026 the game Speak rose from 694 to about 13,000 wishlists around Next Fest, with a developer TikTok that reached about 1 million views (Zukowski, Jul 2026). It works best for games…
How often should indie game studios post on TikTok?
Daily for the 30-day test, then about one post a week on the best platform (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Cut the clips in one batch and reuse them on the other platforms.
Is LinkedIn worth it for indie game studios?
Usually not at the start: Players are not there. Use it only to pitch publishers or hire; some publishers share their wishlist data there.
Which months matter most for indie game studios?
Now to 2 Nov 2026: Next Fest runs 19 to 26 Oct 2026; Steam Scream V runs 26 Oct to 2 Nov 2026 for horror and Halloween-centred games only (Steamworks, 2026). Valve advises leaving a demo up after Next Fest. 16 to 23 Nov 2026: Auto-Battler RPG Fest (Steamworks, 2026).
What advertising rules apply to indie game studios?
Steam AI disclosure (Valve, worldwide): disclose AI content made during development (pre-generated) and content made while the game runs (live-generated); live-generated content also needs guardrails; Valve checks that the game is consistent with your marketing materials (Steamworks content survey, 2026). About 26.5% of June 2026 Next Fest demos had the AI disclosure turned on, up from 21.2% in Feb 2026 (GameDiscoverCo, Jul 2026). Rules differ by country: check the regulator's own page for where you sell.
What should indie game studios measure?
Total wishlists and wishlists per day from the Steamworks Sales & Activation reports, updated daily with the previous day's data (Steamworks, 2026). Log what caused each spike. Stuck is 1 to 2 wishlists a day; successful games earn 100 to 300 a day after the algorithm notices a spike of 1,000 or more in a week (Zukowski, Dec 2023). Wishlist to sales: 2023 to 2025 releases sold 0.22 copies per wishlist in month one,…