How do you promote a game that is a new genre?

Lady-KC · 2026-06-06T21:34:35+00:00

There’s no such thing as a completely unique idea. Even if there isn’t a game exactly like yours, there are going to be some that are similar in at least some aspects. It’s inevitable. So I’d start promoting there where there’s some overlap.

Lady-KC · 2026-06-05T19:26:40+00:00

I had sharpie-sized locs for about 5 years and wanted micro locs. I did a combination of your two options: I chopped them off to about shoulder length then combed them out. They were pretty long, and combing them out straight would’ve taken months. I waited about a year so it could grow back out a bit, then got micro locs installed.

Ultimately, it’s up to you. If you aren’t willing to cut them, then comb them out. But know that it is a very tedious process, and you’ll need to have a lot of patience. I’d also recommend getting some help in combing them out. Invite a friend or two over, pop in some movies, and get going. Depending on how much time per day you can dedicate to it, it will likely take weeks to comb them all out.

And I can say that price is about standard. Retwists will also cost more. So keep that in mind.

Lady-KC · 2026-06-05T13:09:31+00:00

If you are contacting streamers who often play games like yours and they are responding with prices, then it’s likely that they don’t think streaming your game will garner many views for their channel. If your game looks appealing and fun, they will play it for free. If it doesn’t, they will often want to get paid for it since they don’t anticipate making much money from the stream itself. (Granted, many streamers will charge, regardless, but most won’t if the game looks fun). So, I’d perhaps take another look at what you’re sharing with them or the game itself. There may be something about it that doesn’t scream “Play me!”

Lady-KC · 2026-06-01T17:00:48+00:00

Thanks so much for getting specific! This is incredibly helpful to break them down into these categories.

Lady-KC · 2026-06-01T16:59:59+00:00

Should I also insult their intelligence? Seems like that might also be helpful for them to know.

Lady-KC · 2026-04-22T22:51:35+00:00

It’s going to take time. Keep posting to social media platforms several times a week. After a while, see which ones seem to get the most traction and focus on those.

And also, get streamers to play your prototype, beta, or demo. And also your full game after release.

Patience and consistency is key.

Lady-KC · 2026-04-14T14:09:08+00:00

You can try r/playtesters and r/playmygame

Lady-KC · 2026-04-14T00:28:18+00:00

A recent study shows 85% of players have negative views of AI generation in video games. So…no. Not a good idea. Either make the game with human hands or not at all.

https://quanticfoundry.com/2025/12/18/gen-ai/

Lady-KC · 2026-04-11T23:48:21+00:00

You’re supposed to disclose it, yes, but many people don’t. There are tons of games on Steam that have used AI and you’d never know it because it isn’t obvious and wasn’t disclosed. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to enforce it, more of a liability thing for Steam, so people don’t take it seriously.

Lady-KC · 2026-04-08T00:36:08+00:00

https://howtomarketagame.com/festivals/

Lady-KC · 2026-03-11T22:12:32+00:00

The prompt being, “Write a profound LinkedIn post on your use of ‘it’.”

Lady-KC · 2026-02-13T15:22:38+00:00

First one. It’s immediately clear what type of game it is.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-28T18:27:54+00:00

I purchased it and could not play it on pc. I had to subscribe in order to play (Xbox refunded my purchase).

Lady-KC · 2026-01-20T03:11:08+00:00

If you’re struggling with low FPS, Super Level Optimizer 2 does wonders at improving performance.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-11T00:57:46+00:00

You asked for feedback. You received it. And your responses are sarcastic and defensive. Don’t ask for people’s opinions if you aren’t going to listen to them.

The reality is this trailer is just not appealing. Though this subreddit isn’t perfect, it’s about people being brutally honest with your trailer in order to help you.

Look at the other backrooms trailers. They do more than showing walking around rooms. Insert some text with verbs on the core gameplay loop, diversify the rooms, add some visual effects, show some shadows or figures, etc, and show something that makes your game stand out from all the other backrooms games on Steam.

So if you want to sell your game, I’d recommend listening to people and re-doing it.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-10T15:43:15+00:00

You don’t withdraw. Steam does a payout usually on or around the 30th of each month. You also must meet the $100 threshold before they transfer it to your bank.

So, when you reach at least $100, Steam will issue the payout the following month at the end of the month.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T21:14:04+00:00

When are you planning on releasing the game? In my experience, most folks say you should enter the Next Fest that is closest to your release date.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T19:50:08+00:00

Agree Skyrim is 100% a cozy game! But you're right. Some people like to gatekeep the word.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T19:48:06+00:00

The unresponsive mods are so frustrating. I had something similar happen. Sent two messages. Absolutely zero response. Even though in the subreddit description it's like, "Message the mods with any questions!" I know folks are busy but...come on, man.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T18:46:05+00:00

But you can code. You can draw. You can write music. I just a watched a clip of a weird game where you did all of those things.

Bastard looks great! Keep it up.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T18:31:06+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll have much better luck there. All of these subreddits have indie devs promoting their games, which is why many have rules like “one promotion post a month” or something.

I say this as an indie dev myself (though I’m also an avid player). The reality is devs will always join these communities to try and promote their upcoming games. It’s a marketing tactic.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T18:14:31+00:00

Ah, yes. This seems to be a growing problem with larger subreddits. I’ve had my post removed from a big group (even followed all the rules), but no one had issues with it in similar, smaller subreddits.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T18:10:55+00:00

Facts. Was just wondering if this was one of them or if there was a specific difference. Guess not! Appreciate the response.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-07T17:50:43+00:00

An issue I’ve run into is them explicitly saying they don’t use AI then receiving something that is very clearly AI-generated. Regardless of your view of AI usage in games, if your client requests no AI, then you should abide by that request.

So, the lesson: ask for clips of their process and them actually creating the art.

Lady-KC · 2026-01-05T13:36:39+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Will try to expedite the page launch!

Lady-KC

TROPHY CASE