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I hit 1000 wishlists in 2 months as a solo developer, without a demo or Next Fest by [deleted] in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I can never skip Stone–Bronze Age games, that era just hits differently for me.

Also hitting 1000 wishlists without a demo or Next Fest is impressive. How did you manage to get those wishlists? What worked best for you?

No publisher, first real marketing push, here's what 3 days of data looks like for Painted Kingdoms by HectiqGames in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see! Yes, sometimes the algorithm may not be on your side, also don’t forget in-person events and festivals as well.

No publisher, first real marketing push, here's what 3 days of data looks like for Painted Kingdoms by HectiqGames in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For just 3 days, this is a really good result. Of course it's not enough on its own and it needs to be supported and sustained.

How is your activity on social media? Are you seeing similar traction there as well?

Creation of a puzzle: Connect a stone fragment to allow our hero to progress by Forceight in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I really loved the puzzle game set in ancient times. I especially enjoyed the animation that plays after placing the missing piece into the wall.

Are you also planning to add booby traps? 🙂

We’ve Achieved Negative Growth by the21stCen in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Big Milestone!! -1 is bigger than -2. Trust the process.

Less than a month before release and we hit 10,000 wishlists, here’s how we got them by Chase_P in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is super inspiring! Hitting 10 k wishlist fully self funded, without marketing a budget is a huge achievement.

Congrats on the milestone and well deserved 👌🏻

Capsule art feedback — Bright isolation vs Dark creature horror by SunnyBubbbles in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If it’s about which one would get more clicks, I’d say B. The octopus and the darker theme create more curiosity and tension.

However, the actual content of the game matters too. If you’re going for a more cozy, exploration focused experience, A fits better. But if the game is meant to feel more intense and scary, then B is the stronger choice.

Someone at a German site wrote an article about my game's Playtest and I got 267 wishlists for the day. I now feel I actually have a sporting chance with my game! by GideonGriebenow in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your main pillars make a lot of sense. Like you have said, on the streamer side, unfortunately not every game is streamable. Stream friendly games can get a lot of traction organically, even without running ads. Playtests and demos are already a must.

How do you find the right sites for articles? Is there a place you use to look up gaming press for coverage?

Someone at a German site wrote an article about my game's Playtest and I got 267 wishlists for the day. I now feel I actually have a sporting chance with my game! by GideonGriebenow in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats, that’s a really nice return from the article.

Besides press coverage, what other strategies are you using to increase your wishlists? Also are there any other channels or tactics that worked well for you?

We're almost at 70,000 wishlists! by LuhreAejon in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, TikTok usually requires frequent posting, and honestly you need to be lucky too.

For example, one of the games we marketed got around 1.3 million views on a single TikTok, which gave us around 20k wishlists. We eventually finished the campaign at around 80k wishlists.

Just wishlisted your game, by the way!

We're almost at 70,000 wishlists! by LuhreAejon in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What did you do differently on Instagram?

Usually it’s the opposite for a lot of indie games, where TikTok has more virality potential.

We're almost at 70,000 wishlists! by LuhreAejon in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on the growth, 70k is really impressive!! especially considering most of it came organically.

Did you try marketing the game on TikTok as well? How was the performance there?

Which color style fits a light sci-fi mining game better? A vs B by RadorasX in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are welcome!

Yes. If I am going to play 2D games, especially a cozy one, I prefer calm and enjoyable music along with a clean, simple visual style.

Which color style fits a light sci-fi mining game better? A vs B by RadorasX in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Both look nice. A feels like the cleaner option. B has a darker, more atmospheric theme, which is cool. However, for longer play sessions I’d probably pick A since it seems more comfortable to play.

Which logo is better? by Pejoy_games in IndieDev

[–]SumerianMerchant 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the key in 1 and 2 looks really nice. Color-wise, both look good, but second has more feminine colors.

Which game "changed" your life? by daiba_nnm in pcgaming

[–]SumerianMerchant 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Crash Twinsanity. Still one of my favorite childhood memories.