2 answers
Hope
Student
Ball Ground, Georgia
5
Questions
Asked
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Is it a struggle when putting a game on market?
After coding and making a game when you put it on market is it hard to get people to play the game if so how do you deal with it?
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2 answers
Michael Christensen-Calvin
Founder at Hodgepodge Games
7
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Its very difficult to get people to play your game.
The most straightforward way to get people to play your game is to throw money at it. Buy advertisement space for your game, that will reliably get you new users, but only a small number of those people may stay with your game over time.
The other way is through word of mouth/social media. This is more complicated and hard to do well.
You should have social media presence so that you have an audience of people wanting to try your game when you announce it. This means not jsut having a twitter account and posting when you launch, but being an active member in the game community through that account, and frequently posting updates of your game progress so that anyone who is invested will stay connected. You can use twitter/facebook/tiktok/whatever, the point is that you need to get people interested in your game. You could even stream your game or maybe even stream the development of your game so that people know what to expect.
Basically, outside of the .0001% of games that magically go viral, in order to get people to play your game, you need to either do the legwork to get people to play your game by being telling people about it, or throw money at the problem (or both if you can afford it). Most AAA game studios spend as much on marketing their game as they did to actually make it in the first place.
The most straightforward way to get people to play your game is to throw money at it. Buy advertisement space for your game, that will reliably get you new users, but only a small number of those people may stay with your game over time.
The other way is through word of mouth/social media. This is more complicated and hard to do well.
You should have social media presence so that you have an audience of people wanting to try your game when you announce it. This means not jsut having a twitter account and posting when you launch, but being an active member in the game community through that account, and frequently posting updates of your game progress so that anyone who is invested will stay connected. You can use twitter/facebook/tiktok/whatever, the point is that you need to get people interested in your game. You could even stream your game or maybe even stream the development of your game so that people know what to expect.
Basically, outside of the .0001% of games that magically go viral, in order to get people to play your game, you need to either do the legwork to get people to play your game by being telling people about it, or throw money at the problem (or both if you can afford it). Most AAA game studios spend as much on marketing their game as they did to actually make it in the first place.
Thank you so much this helped with with later problems I may run into!
Hope
Archived User
4
Answers
Updated
Archived’s Answer
When I first entered the game industry, I quickly learned a valuable lesson: you don't create games for everyone—you craft them for a specific group of people who will truly love what you make. If you're working on a game by yourself and want a few people to play, enjoy, and maybe give you feedback, there are many free platforms where you can share your creation.
Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focus on finding the right players—the ones who will truly appreciate your work, offer helpful feedback, and maybe even become lifelong fans. The best way to connect with them is to go where they already are.
For instance, if you enjoy making puzzle games, check out platforms like Steam, Itch.io, Kongregate, and Miniclip. These sites are full of indie and web-based games, each with its own audience eager for new experiences. For mobile games, Google Play and the Apple App Store are perfect places where players are actively searching for new puzzle games. Communities like Reddit, Discord, and forums such as r/IndieDev and r/gamedev are also great spots to connect with fans of your genre.
If your goal is to have people play your game and share feedback, there are plenty of free options without the need for heavy marketing. Beginner-friendly platforms like Scratch offer a simple way to publish games for free. Construct 3 and GameMaker make it easy to build and share games with a community. Itch.io is an excellent place for indie games where you can upload your game and receive feedback. Game Jolt and Kongregate also let you publish games for free, reaching those who love indie projects.
Once you've identified your audience, the next step is engaging with them. One fantastic way to do this is by joining game jams.
A game jam is an event where developers come together to create games around a theme, usually within a set time frame, from a few days to a few months. Hosted by the game dev community, these jams are a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work, share updates, ask for feedback, and keep people engaged. You can also collaborate with musicians, UI designers, and artists who want to hone their skills. Other participants and followers of the jam will be excited to try out new games. (https://itch.io/jams)
After the jam, hosts might review the best games on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, giving your work even more exposure. Participants also play and give feedback on each other’s games, creating a supportive environment where you can improve, learn about marketing, and connect with the right players for your game.
Participating in game jams and releasing games on free platforms are fantastic ways to dive into game development. You don't need a huge marketing budget—just find your audience, engage with them, and keep creating. Making games is a journey, and each one you build teaches you something new. The key is to keep learning, keep improving, and most importantly, keep having fun.
Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focus on finding the right players—the ones who will truly appreciate your work, offer helpful feedback, and maybe even become lifelong fans. The best way to connect with them is to go where they already are.
For instance, if you enjoy making puzzle games, check out platforms like Steam, Itch.io, Kongregate, and Miniclip. These sites are full of indie and web-based games, each with its own audience eager for new experiences. For mobile games, Google Play and the Apple App Store are perfect places where players are actively searching for new puzzle games. Communities like Reddit, Discord, and forums such as r/IndieDev and r/gamedev are also great spots to connect with fans of your genre.
If your goal is to have people play your game and share feedback, there are plenty of free options without the need for heavy marketing. Beginner-friendly platforms like Scratch offer a simple way to publish games for free. Construct 3 and GameMaker make it easy to build and share games with a community. Itch.io is an excellent place for indie games where you can upload your game and receive feedback. Game Jolt and Kongregate also let you publish games for free, reaching those who love indie projects.
Once you've identified your audience, the next step is engaging with them. One fantastic way to do this is by joining game jams.
A game jam is an event where developers come together to create games around a theme, usually within a set time frame, from a few days to a few months. Hosted by the game dev community, these jams are a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work, share updates, ask for feedback, and keep people engaged. You can also collaborate with musicians, UI designers, and artists who want to hone their skills. Other participants and followers of the jam will be excited to try out new games. (https://itch.io/jams)
After the jam, hosts might review the best games on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, giving your work even more exposure. Participants also play and give feedback on each other’s games, creating a supportive environment where you can improve, learn about marketing, and connect with the right players for your game.
Participating in game jams and releasing games on free platforms are fantastic ways to dive into game development. You don't need a huge marketing budget—just find your audience, engage with them, and keep creating. Making games is a journey, and each one you build teaches you something new. The key is to keep learning, keep improving, and most importantly, keep having fun.