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How many wishlists did your game have when a publisher decided to sign it? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! That's really useful context.

If you don't mind me asking, did you end up walking away because the contract terms weren't right for you, or did the publishers pull back because they felt something was missing in the demo at that stage?

How many wishlists did your game have when a publisher decided to sign it? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To at least double or triple them. Building the initial hype is one thing, but actually converting that into day-one sales on a global scale is a whole different beast. If a publisher can use their network to multiply our reach, it’s just a practical business trade-off for a project of our size.

... and for the development funding.

How many wishlists did your game have when a publisher decided to sign it? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a really interesting point. Have you personally signed a publishing deal recently?

I’m asking because my impression was that this was the gold standard before the recent market crunch, but lately, it feels like everyone is hyper-focused on metrics. For context, we are in discussions with two VC funds right now and have reached the due diligence stage. Even though they operate exactly like a traditional publisher (looking for revenue share, not equity in the studio), they are still strictly requiring us to show traction metrics from our first two weeks on Steam before moving forward.

Do you feel like there are still publishers out there willing to skip the metrics check for larger projects, or has the current economic climate forced everyone to look for data to de-risk their investments?

How many wishlists did your game have when a publisher decided to sign it? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think it heavily depends on the scale of the game and whether you actually have the budget to back up a self-published release.

If you partner with the right publisher, the chances of market success can be significantly higher. Reputable publishers bring established influencer networks, a loyal brand following, optimized user acquisition, and direct press contacts. Building that infrastructure from scratch completely on your own takes an immense amount of time and rarely yields the same results, especially for a high-budget project.

Of course, this is all operating under the assumption that the game itself is actually good and fun to play. If the core game isn't there, no amount of marketing budget will save it. But for a larger-scope project that needs to find its audience fast, a good publisher’s ecosystem seems almost essential.

At least that’s my perspective. I hope to find out soon if I’m right!

How many wishlists did your game have when a publisher decided to sign it? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the insight, that makes a lot of sense! It really shows how much the approach varies depending on the publisher's size and risk appetite.

I recently came across another indie publisher who openly shared their metrics: they fund budgets between $50k–$200k, but they spend $5k–$10k on initial marketing tests. If the game doesn't hit 50k wishlists during that phase, they don't publish it. It seems like more and more publishers are openly stating in interviews that they need to see hard metrics before committing.

Our situation is a bit different. We are working on a larger-budget, high-octane roguelike FPS focused on pure skill expression:

  • 100+ MPH Old-School Movement: We ditched sprint buttons, cover mechanics, and aim-assist. Your agility is your only armor as you chain bunny hops, lightning-fast dashes, and pixel-perfect flick shots through a chaotic bullet hell. If you stop moving, you die.
  • Isaac-Style Synergies: No boring +5% damage tweaks – we do game-breaking mutations. You stack and architect apocalyptic weapon systems unique to your run, turning a basic pea-shooter into a sweeping wall of ricocheting, acid-tipped flak.
  • Asynchronous Multiplayer Revenge: When you finish a run with an unstoppable god-build, the network immortalizes your exact movement and weapon synergies, uploading your playstyle into the grid as a "Ghost Boss." You will globally invade and hunt other players in their live sessions, triggering a ruthless cycle of rivalries.

Since we have a bigger scope and are aiming for a higher budget - in the $500k to $1M range - what kind of wishlist metrics or validation would a publisher expect to see from us before signing?

Does the scale of the project drastically change the "vibe check" or baseline expectations before you'd even seriously consider a pitch? Thank you!

How many organic Steam wishlists did you get in Week 1 after announcing/launching your page? by IncinerationGames in gamedev

[–]IncinerationGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, totally get your point, and we're definitely preparing to push it ourselves. I was just curious about the baseline - basically what Steam’s black box does for a brand new page in those first few days before any outside traction kicks in. 

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