This has likely been covered before but times change and so do popular websites, so I'll ask!
What places do you guys use to promote your games? We're talking freeware here. I've got my game mentioned on the completed games thread, and I put it on facebook, and some point and click facebook page, and that's about it. I want more people to play it!
http://rpgmaker.net/
Really cool site even though they're mainly an RPG Maker site,they still accept games from other engines and they let you customize your own game page(with restriction of course),but you can change the background,the bar/font color,add your own banner etc.
I also use Indie DB but I don't go there very often,also there's Game Jolt which I never use.
Try GameJolt (http://gamejolt.com/). The interface is a little tricky, you'll need to prepare banners cut to a specific size, etc. -- but it's a friendly platform with lots of things going on, such as gamejams, weekly features (my game Gray got featured once), etc. Plenty of AGS'ers on there, too. Desura (http://www.desura.com/) is a platform for commercial games, mostly, but they do accept free games, too. Haven't tried it myself -- but I think it might be worth a shot. IndieCity, on the other hand, is hard to recommend -- they have this long approval process of about four weeks, and then the game gets much less exposure than it could've due to the site's mandatory download engine that requires registration.
Anyone have any thoughts on IndieVania?
I've made a weebly site, a tumblr, a twitter account, game jolt.
I think the trick with Twitter is to just follow people, but make meaningful follows. I tend to follow game developers, retro gamers, gaming bloggers, and gaming sites. A lot follow back, that way you get suggested to be followed by the right audience.
Just increase your internet footprint.
If you're lucky you might get a mention on adventuregamers.com or some random PDF newsletter.
I tend to average 10 visits a day on my weebly.
I went through a phase of working at promoting my stuff, but it didn't really pay off. And I realised that I haven't really made anything that deserves promoting.
I think the best thing to do is make an awesome game though. If you build it they will come.
I have yet to make an awesome game, probably will never get round to it!
I had kind of a bad experience on GameJolt, though I guess the site was less to blame and was more a user's fault. There are lots of freeware sites around. After I put my game up on a few of them, other sites e-mailed me asking for permission since it is free content for them. Gamershell.com was one of the better ones; I had a good back-and-forth convo with one of the people on the site. One webpage, which I can't remember right now, played my game and put up their own screenshots which I thought was cool and also gave me some helpful feedback. Really I spent about a week on-and-off just putting the word on the street at various web-sites. Sounds like you are off and running already.
Very helpful, thanks! Gamershell, blimey they still going, I forgot all about them! I used to get demos from there!
Retro Wolf: You saying my game isn't awesome? Ha just kidding, I don't think that was aimed at my game, although I wouldn't say my game IS awesome, although I'm pleased with it! Weebly? I'll have to look whatever that is up!
Fitz and Yitcomics: It's certainly worth a try with this gamejolt, the challenge might be worth the reward!
I haven't played any of your games yet, though I bet they're orgasmic! ;)
I'll get round to playing some AGS games again one of these days!
I emailed Gameboomers about my free game and they put it in the Free Games Galore section. http://www.gameboomers.com
Hey retrowolf, the funny thing is, I just recently discovered my game already has been featured on adventuregamers.com along with Mess Goblins and another game, fantastic!
It can be quite surprising what you find when you Google your own games.
This article from a while back is pretty interesting:
Why selfpromotion as an author won't work (http://www.whimsydark.com/blog/2015/4/13/please-shut-up-why-self-promotion-as-an-author-doesnt-work)
The conclusion is that it's not worth promoting works through social media.
For games I would suppose getting your game featured by mediasites would get the word out there. Let's plays could be another thing. Even though I think they are a doubleedged sword when it comes to graphic adventures.
A 12 year old did a let's play of Moustache Quest, it was amusing to hear him mispronounce "gynaecologist".
I agree with the article, there's just too many other people doing the same things.
Thanks to the internet anyone can become a games developer, a comic book author, a movie maker, or porn star.
There's 500 new iOS apps a day! How on earth do you get noticed?!
This is partly why I've chosen to embrace the title of Amateur, I've accepted that I'm never going to be internet famous or successful. Just to enjoy the hobby.
I've got mine on Indiedb. I mostly link there since it's a lot easier to manage and do updates right now, given my absence of PR / web dev type personnel.
Matt - drop me a PM or Tweet me and I'll post about your game on my sites, indiegamenews.com and pcgamereviewsandnews.com.
I have also recently been told that indiegamestand.com are starting to feature freeware games as well, although I'm not sure if you can just ask to add your games or need to be invited by their staff.
Cap, I took a look and it looks like you can submit your game here (https://indiegamestand.com/free-games/) by registering -- though the free game distribution service isn't there just yet.
I like the link Mathias posted. A nice read -- even if I don't agree with every argument, on the whole the dude makes a lot of sense. I'm interested in reading more of his other article, the one about the DO's of self-promotion.
Retrowolf: I don't know what you're talking about! Google my own game, ha.. as if.. pshh.. ah.. uh.. yeah you totally got it right. I totally googled my game.
Yeah I am a jack of all artistic media, master of none! I like writing music, making games (duh), drawing cartoons, used to write stories, reviewing games (rarely) and there's my own directing of music videos (including stop motion) and daft shows! Yet none of them are widely recognised. Probably never will! But darn it I can't say I didn't try!
Silverspooooooook: Hello! Indiedb huh, I'll try them too!
Captain D: Awesome I'll PM you ASAHP! (As Soon As Humanly Possible)
Fitz - I wasn't sure as I got an email from the guy who's running the new freeware service there inviting me to add my games, but I know him anyway, so he may have only been reaching out to a few of his existing contacts before it all went public.
Matt - PM received! :grin:
Quote from: Retro Wolf on Tue 05/05/2015 08:45:03
There's 500 new iOS apps a day! How on earth do you get noticed?!
Sigh...,thinking about this always lower my confidence if I decide on going commercial one day :~(.Too many games and so little time...
That number covers more than games, but it's still too many. Android is probably worse since it's a lot easier to get stuff on there.
Indievania is "offline", whatever that means, and links to itch.io. Is anyone using itch?
Quote from: StillInThe90s on Thu 07/05/2015 19:52:07
Indievania is "offline", whatever that means, and links to itch.io. Is anyone using itch?
Yeah I like itch.io, it's dead simple to use and can be used for both commercial and freeware games. There is a nominal limit of 10 titles per developer but if you want more you can always contact the guy who runs the site.
Hey, just bumping this thread due to the recent possible demise and certain bankruptcy of Desura. I'm wondering if IndieDB will be severely impacted, and am wondering if anyone has any advice on promoting an as-yet unfinished game to get the visibility / demand / fanbase up?
I'm thinking about itch.io, but haven't yet finished the game so that's a no-go for now.
I mentioned GameJolt (http://gamejolt.com/) earlier in this thread. They allow games that are still in development -- and I've put Magenta on there a while ago. You can post news items that appear on the main site's news feed to remind people of your game. If I remember correctly, you don't even have to have any downloadable builds on there. Hope that helps.
Thanks for bringing up GameJolt, Fitz, it looks pretty useful.
THe only issue for me is I intend to eventually make my game commercial, and it seems your game must be free to go on GameJolt.
idddnt ags cool e nough? *puts un scoolnrss sunglasses* !Developers!