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New Marketing Strategy For Indie Game Devs Struggling To Get Attention and Wishlists

Most people think game marketing is about techniques like creating content, posting it on social media, getting a YouTuber to talk about your game, giving out game keys to game journalists, having a slick trailer, getting a professional Steam page done.

But how many indie game devs have tried all these techniques... and no matter how hard they try to market, they are still not getting attention, and wishlists are not increasing.

Is their game bad? Is it too niche? Maybe they just suck at these marketing techniques?

No. Here's what's actually going on...

It's because once you try to COMPETE for attention, you've already lost. So it doesn't matter about your marketing techniques. Competing for attention is not a good strategy -- especially if you're a small indie game studio with no connection or no money for marketing.

So in this article, I want to share a new marketing strategy where you AVOID competing for attention. And I'll share with you a technique to help your small niche indie game get more attention and increase your chances of getting more wishlists.

Here's what you need to know, and then later I'll show you what you need to do.

Don't Compete For Attention. Look To Find A New Category...

To help you understand this concept I'm about to share with you, I'm gonna go into YOUR world. And once this concept clicks with you, I promise that you'll approach marketing your indie game in a whole new way... and in a way that increases your chances of getting attention and wishlists.

Ok, let's talk about you first.

What game engine are you using to make your game? I'm asking because if you notice, you picked a certain game engine because it fits YOUR needs better than all the others.

For example, Unity's category is big teams making games, or movies, or are in the manufacturing industry.

Then you have Unreal. Their category is: game developer first. They focus on helping game devs make high-quality, high-fidelity 3d. Yes, it can do 2d games. But it mostly focuses on high-graphic, 3d games.

Then you have Godot. Their category is for indie game devs making 2d (or 3d games). It's free. Open source. And cross platform.

Then you have RPG Maker for devs making RPG games.

And then you have SHMUP Creator, for devs making a shoot'em up or bullet hell.

Now, this is the core concept I want you to click with: Each game engine is NOT competing with each other. Each game engine has a very specific niche they found. In other words, they found a category, and they aim to dominate that category.

That's how they managed to get YOUR attention. You have a very specific need. And one game engine fills that need better than all the others. It wasn't slick marketing. They weren't cool trailers. It wasn't getting bombarded by ads. What got your attention is because one game engine feels like it was exactly made for you.

Ok... what does this have to do with you and your game getting more attention and more wishlists?

Let's work on that next...

It's NOT About Marketing Techniques... It's About Creating Categories That Solve A Players Need

The reason your game is not getting attention is because it's too niche or that your marketing sucks.

You're not getting attention because to the player, your game doesn't feel like it's made for them.

Think about it this way: if you're making a 2d RPG game, then Unity doesn't feel like it's made for you. There's too many features you don't need. And the learning curve is too big. But Godot or RPG Maker is a better fit because it feels like it's made exactly for your needs.

It's the same with your players.

Say for example, you're making a puzzle game. Millions of people love puzzle games. But it's hard to compete and get attention when your game feels and sounds like all the other puzzle games.

Again think back to your game engine: Unity, Unreal, Godot, RPG Maker... they spent a lot of time crafting their marketing message to make sure people know what category the engine is in.

It's the same with your game. You need to drill down, and create a NEW category so that you're not competing... but instead, you're differentiating yourself from all the other thousands of puzzle games fighting for the same attention.

And I'm not saying to create a NEW genre. I'm just saying that you need to clearly understand how your game is different from other games in your genre... and then you need to clearly communicate that so your player can understand your category -- in less than 3 seconds.

So, the concept is simple: Don't compete. Once you compete, you've lost. A better marketing strategy is to create a new category. Then craft a marketing message in a way that your player knows exactly what category you're in.

This works because, just like you, people want to play games that feel they are made "just for them”. This is how you cut through the noise, and grab people's attention. When people feel your game is made specifically for them, for their needs, for their wants, then you'll increase your chances of grabbing their attention.... and increase your chances of them wishlisting your game.

But if your game looks and feels like all the other games out there doing the same thing, people will ignore you.

So, how do you use this concept you just learned to help you grab attention and get more wishlists? Well, let's keep going. Next I'll show you exactly what to do...

How To Create A New Category So That You Grab Attention and Get Wishlists

People will put more effort into solving a problem than they will try to gain something. Not always. But the best way I know how to get a person's attention is to clearly show and tell them you know their problem... then show and tell them you are the solution.

For example, Kingdom Come: Deliverance.. The devs found a problem in the medieval RPG genre: a lot of medieval RPG games are either cartoon fantasy or dark fantasy. But what if there was NO fantasy. No magic. What if it was based on history? By solving this problem, they create a NEW category: a realistic medieval RPG game.

Here's their marketing for their Kickstarter:

kingdom come deliverance marketing

Kingdom Come set out to fix a problem in the medival genre and create a new category to dominate


Or here's another example...

There are very few good hockey games on the PC. So Tape-To-Tape devs found a problem, and solved it...

tape to tape hockey game for pc

Tape-to-Tape, marketing that speaks directly to player problems


They saw that there were no good PC hockey games. So they set out to make one for them.

My point is, you don't need anything complicated to create your own category and get attention. It's as simple as finding ONE problem your game is solving. And then use that as your core message.

Again, think about your game engine. Their core message is very simple:

The message is simple. And to get your message that simple, all you have to do is figure out what problem your game is solving in your genre.

Let me show you how...

Your Action Step Right Now:

Knowing is not the same as doing. I know how to shoot a 3 pointer. I watched Steph Curry's 3-pt tips on YouTube. But when I get to the line, it's a different story. Air balls.

My point is, you NEED to take action. You need to practice new concepts you just learned. Otherwise, all the tips you just learned will go to waste.

So do this right now...

Open a google document, and save the file as "Marketing Strategy: Create A New Category”.

Ok, good. Now on top of the document, cut and paste this:

What Problem Is Your Game Solving?

It's that simple. What are the problems in your genre? How is your game solving that problem? Take 10 minutes to figure this out.

This is very important because answering the question is the fundamental building block of all your marketing.

If you can pinpoint the problem your game is solving, then when you post on Twitter or Reddit or pay for ads, your marketing will get more attention because it's speaking directly to a player's wants and needs.

And if you're still stuck, then go to Steam. And find 3 games similar to yours. And read the reviews. Players will tell you exactly what problems they're having. And what I want you to look out for when reading these reviews is how YOUR game aims to fix those problems.

Again, what you're doing here is creating a NEW category in your genre. And by working on answering this question above, you're clearly defining that category so that players will understand what you're doing right away.

And by showing and telling players exactly how your game aims to fix those problems, you'll increase your chances of getting attention and getting more wishlists.

But if you can't clearly define your category, then you'll just end up trying to compete for attention in your genre. And no matter how hard you try all the marketing techniques (such as posting on social media, sending out keys to YouTubers or game journalists, making a game trailer, having a professional Steam page), you won't grab attention because it won't directly speak to the player.

Again, think back to your game engine. That game engine aims to solve a problem you have. And all their marketing is all about how they aim to fix YOUR problem. That's how they managed to get YOUR attention.

It's the same with your game. If you want to grab attention and increase your chances of getting more wishlists, then create a new category. And to do that, figure out what problem your game is solving in your genre. And use that as your core marketing strategy.

Still Stuck? Get Free Help...

Questions? Reach out to me. My contact info is below. Let me know exactly where you're stuck, tell me more about your game, and share any links you have. And I'll help you the best I can.

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Dariusz Konrad
Email: dariusz at mainquestmarketing dot com
Discord Username: dariuszkonrad
LinkedIn: My entrepreneurial successes
Work: Game devs I've helped so far