Thread by @AfterburnerRob

(1/9) A thread on the most important learnings I share with developers who ask me for advice on launching their debut indie game on Steam (in 2020 or beyond):

#indiegame #indiegames #IndieGameDev #gamedev

(2/9) Your pre-launch wishlist count matters. It impact the surfacing of your game store-wide, and a huge portion of your sales are going to come from wishlist conversions.

Steam users who have wishlisted your game get an e-mail when your game launches or is discounted at >=20%.

(3/9) The most lucrative section your game can be in is in "Top Selling" globally or regionally. These are automatically calculated very frequently based on revenue velocity so it's important to generate sudden massive spikes in sales which require large wishlists.

(4/9) This is especially true for Early Access games (like @DreamscaperGame). Be warned: If you choose Early Access, your game will not be eligible for New & Trending.

Therefore the only way you can get a lot of eyeballs is to climb Top Selling, again requiring large wishlists.

(5/9) Related: timing is the most important thing to get right. The biggest myth I hear from gamedevs is that you're not competing with other games.

Surfacing on Steam is a zero-sum game. There's only a limited number of chart & recommendation slots.

(6/9) Choose a day where you're going to be one of the most notable launches of the week. If you can't find a window where you are in the top 3 most wishlisted games, then that should be a sign that you still have work to do when it comes to growing your community.

(7/9) If your game has at least a modest launch (and positive reviews), you will probably experience what is known as the "stegosaurs tail" where, while your baseline revenue will trend downward, engaging in Steam sales will cause massive spikes at relatively predictable rates.

(8/9) This is bizdev 101 but build a good relationship with the people who are selling your game.

Show that you and your game's presence are positive contributions to the Steam ecosystem. Your small indie game can't compete with revenue, but you can compete with heart & passion.

(9/9) Finally, I think it's worth finding yourself a Steam marketing guru several months ahead of your launch who can prepare you for all of this, to help build your confidence.

I always recommend @somniumlg who I've learned a tremendous amount from and who I love working with!