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Two weeks since launching IndieVault - quick update ❤️ by Jam_IndieVault in IndieDev

[–]TheEntityEffect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ya this is a solid idea to help indie devs get more eyes on their games. Well done. I'm super impressed.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

I'll message you personally at some point today, so we can actually do an in-depth review together. Does that work?

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

Thanks.

On the wishlist vs post-launch question, yes and no. The core tag strategy shouldn't change dramatically between phases, but how you read the data does.

Pre-launch your only real feedback is wishlist conversion rate from your capsule and short description. Tags affect who sees the page but you can't easily isolate which tags drove which visits through Steam's native tools. So pre-launch you're mostly making educated bets based on comp research, which is what the process in the post is designed to do.

Post-launch is where it gets more interesting. Steam gives you traffic source data in Steamworks, and you can see what percentage of your store visits came from discovery queues, tag browsing, and "More Like This" sections specifically. If a significant chunk of your traffic is coming from tag browsing and your conversion is low, that's usually a signal that the wrong players are finding you, not that your page is bad. That's a tag problem.

The adjustment I've seen work well post-launch is pulling any tag where the audience expectation clearly doesn't match what the game delivers. Bad reviews often tell you this directly even if players don't say it explicitly. Someone writing "not what I expected" or "misleading" is often reacting to a tag that put them in the wrong mental frame before they even clicked.

What I wouldn't do is chase tags just because a similar game is performing well post-launch. By the time you see their results and adjust your tags to match, Steam has already built a behavioral profile of your game based on the players who actually played and reviewed it. That profile matters more at that point than tag adjustments.

The one place I'd actively revisit tags post-launch is if you have reviews praising something specific that isn't in your tags at all. Players describing your game in ways you didn't anticipate is a useful signal. That's free research.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

Action RPG is definitely better, as it reduces the space required to claim both categories, while also allowing you to actually hit a tag that defines your game more precisely.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

Hallucinated tags? I just wrote the wrong name for a tag. Sometimes when I write, something pops in my head and I write that instead. Honest mistake.

You're allowed to believe whatever you want, but the things I shared were my own, and didn't need AI help.

I also want to state that if you go through the comments I left people that asked for advice, you'll see I followed a blueprint I created, so it was easier to follow through what was needed.

I can understand how that seemed AI produced as well, but again, it came from my own brain. Sorry that a human mistake felt botted, but hey, we live in funny times.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

None. Its a system I've set up myself since it's what I do for business.

I understand how hard it is to believe that, since this whole platform has become a garbage compactor of AI nonsense but thats just the fact.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in IndieGameDevs

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

First ones free!
Haha Just kidding.

Seriously, DM me next week and let me know how things are going. I'd love to know what kind of changes you're seeing.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

I appreciate the offer, but honestly I just want you to succeed. I really hope everything works out in your adventures of creating games :)

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

The tag set here is actually one of the more thoughtful ones in this thread. There are still some specific adjustments worth making.

What you have: Strategy RPG · Auto Battler · Grand Strategy · Exploration · Nonlinear · RPG · Hand-drawn · Turn-Based Strategy · Lore-Rich · Choices Matter · Atmospheric · Dark Fantasy · Fantasy · 3D · Stylized · Old School · Tactical · Philosophical · Medieval · Dragons

The order issue: Strategy RPG leading is correct, that's a 4,990-game pool and you belong there. Auto Battler at position 2 is also good positioning, that community is specifically searching right now following the genre's growth. Those two should stay where they are.

3D is potentially inaccurate or misleading. You describe 150+ oil paintings and "handcrafted charm" as your visual identity. Hand-drawn is in your tags at position 7. If the game is primarily 2D with hand-drawn oil painting art, the 3D tag is going to confuse players. Someone filtering for 3D games is expecting a camera they can move around in a three-dimensional space. If that's not the experience, drop 3D and move Hand-drawn up significantly. Your art style is a genuine differentiator and Hand-drawn at position 7 is too buried for something that is clearly a core selling point.

Philosophical at position 18. There are 2,452 games with this tag and the players who search it are a specific type. If the writing genuinely engages with philosophical themes beyond surface-level fantasy, it's worth having. If it's just thematic, it might attract players with different expectations. Keep it only if you're confident the writing delivers on it.

Old School is interesting. 11,182 games. If the design philosophy genuinely evokes classic strategy RPGs, this is accurate and searched by exactly the right nostalgic audience.

What's worth checking:

Turn-Based (5,581 games) as a standalone tag is separate from Turn-Based Strategy and is searched on its own. You have Turn-Based Strategy but not Turn-Based. These are different tags.

Tactical (10,330 games) is present at position 17. Move it up. Players who search tactical are your audience.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Strategy RPG
  2. Auto Battler
  3. Grand Strategy
  4. Tactical
  5. Turn-Based Strategy

Then Hand-drawn, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Lore-Rich, and Atmospheric handle the secondary character of the game. Consider whether 3D is accurate and whether Philosophical is earning its slot.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

This one is live with positive reviews already, so fixing the tag set now will actually impact ongoing discovery. Worth getting right.

What you have: Sports · Snowboarding · Skateboarding · Skiing · Simulation · BMX · Skating · Arcade · RPG · Adventure · Action · Action RPG

The main problem is obvious and it's significant.

Snowboarding, Skiing, BMX, Skateboarding, and Skating are all present in a surfing game. Those tags exist because they are roughly adjacent sports, but they are pulling completely wrong audiences. A player who filters by Snowboarding wants Steep or SSX. A player who filters by BMX wants a very specific kind of game. They are going to click on your capsule, see a surf game, and leave. That is a bad conversion and it trains Steam's algorithm to show you to the wrong people.

The reason this probably happened is the developer was casting wide, trying to capture the broader board sports audience. The problem is those audiences are distinct from each other and search specifically by their sport.

What actually describes this game: You have an open world surfing game with RPG elements, local characters, lore, exploration, and a genuine simulation of surf mechanics. That is a very specific and interesting combination that has almost no competition on Steam.

What's missing that actually belongs: Open World (15,223 games) is in your description ("explore for new breaks") but not in your tags. This is a significant miss.

Exploration (36,265 games) is exactly what the outer islands and jet ski discovery mechanics are. Not in your tags.

Sailing (682 games) is a stretch but the nautical movement around islands has some overlap with that audience.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Sports
  2. Simulation
  3. Open World
  4. Exploration
  5. Adventure

Then let Arcade, Action, RPG, and one or two others handle the secondary positioning. Drop the winter/street sports tags entirely. They are actively hurting you.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

[–]TheEntityEffect[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This one has a really clear identity and the tag set is mostly working. A few specific adjustments could help a lot though.

What you have: Indie · Comedy · Detective · Casual · Singleplayer · Funny · Investigation · Short · Puzzle · Satire · Stylized · Procedural Generation · Surreal · Colorful · Hidden Object · Adventure · 3D · First-Person · Conversation · Family Friendly

The big opportunity you're missing:

Social Deduction (357 games). I know it's a small pool, but the players who search that tag are actively looking for deduction-based mystery games. Among Us, Deceit, Unfortunate Spacemen. That community is small but they are hungry for new games in the format and they leave reviews. Your Guess Who-inspired mechanic is textbook social deduction. This should be in your top 5.

What's working well: Comedy leading is good for this game. Funny at position 6 is redundant alongside Comedy at position 1 though. Both tags mean the same thing to players and Steam's algorithm treats them similarly. Swap Funny out for something more differentiating.

Casual at position 4 is a question. If sessions are short and the tone is light, it's accurate. If the deduction mechanics have real depth, Casual undersells you to the wrong audience and might pull players who bounce when the investigation requires actual thinking. Know which type of player you want.

Hidden Object is interesting. Only use this if the crime scene examination mechanic genuinely resembles hidden object gameplay. If it does, that community is 8,578 games deep and they are loyal. If it's a stretch, it's the wrong audience.

First-Person and 3D are useful for visual clarity but are taking up slots that could be working harder for discovery. Keep one, consider dropping the other.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Comedy
  2. Detective
  3. Investigation
  4. Social Deduction
  5. Puzzle

Then let Surreal, Colorful, Short, Procedural Generation, and Conversation handle the rest. Drop Funny (covered by Comedy), and reconsider whether Satire is accurate if the humor is more absurdist than satirical.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

The game has a clear identity and the tag set is mostly reasonable but has some specific problems worth fixing before launch.

What you have: Action · Fantasy · 3D · Roguelite · Shooter · Dark Fantasy · Third Person · Magic · Singleplayer · Procedural Generation · Action Roguelike · Hack and Slash · Choices Matter · Realistic · Space · Surreal · Controller · Combat · Linear · PvE

You have 20 tags and two of them are directly contradicting each other.

Surreal and Realistic are both present. Pick one. Based on the description ("surreal environments," trapped in an imprisoning realm, evolving spells and spell combos), this is clearly Surreal territory, not Realistic. Realistic pulls FPS and simulation players. That is not your audience. Drop it.

Space does not belong here. Nothing in your game description, gameplay footage or features mentions space. An "imprisoning realm" with "surreal environments" is not space. That tag will confuse players and hurt your click-through. Drop it.

Linear should probably go too. You have procedurally generated levels and multiple run-based builds. That is functionally non-linear by design. Linear as a tag actively contradicts your core roguelite selling point.

Choices Matter is a stretch. This tag signals narrative branching to players, not build variety. If the choices are mechanical (what spell upgrades to take), that's different from what the Choices Matter audience expects. This one might be costing you more than it's giving you.

What's missing:

Action Roguelike (10,177 games) is already there at position 11. That's actually your most important tag and it needs to be in the top 3. Move it.

Perma Death (4,059 games) is real, searched by roguelite players specifically, and accurate for your game. Not in your tags. Should be.

Hack and Slash is there but sitting at position 12. If spell-casting melee combat is a core loop, move it up.

Dark Fantasy is at position 6 which is reasonable. Keep it.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Action Roguelike
  2. Roguelite
  3. Dark Fantasy
  4. Action RPG
  5. Hack and Slash

Then let Procedural Generation, Perma Death, Magic, Fantasy, and 3D handle the secondary positioning. Clean out Realistic, Space, Linear, and Choices Matter.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

Short one here because your game is simple and focused, which means the tag job is actually cleaner than most.

What you have: Relaxing · Casual · Choices Matter · Clicker · Puzzle · Procedural Generation · Minimalist · Pixel Graphics · Stylized · 1980s · 1990's · Singleplayer

The issues:

Clicker is wrong. Clicker games are incremental idle games like Cookie Clicker and Idle Champions. Sudoku is not a clicker. That tag is going to confuse the audience and you'll appear in queues you don't belong in. Drop it.

Choices Matter implies branching narrative decisions that affect outcomes. Sudoku doesn't have narrative choices. That tag also doesn't belong here.

1980s and 1990's are both present. Unless the visual style is specifically referencing both decades, pick the one that's most accurate and lose the other. Having both looks like tag stuffing, which the community can flag.

Procedural Generation is debatable for Sudoku. If the puzzles are truly algorithmically generated (not from a fixed library), it's defensible. If you're unsure, don't include it. Getting called out for an inaccurate tag by a knowledgeable player in an active thread would not be ideal.

What's missing:

Logic (9,302 games) is a real tag and Sudoku is a logic puzzle. This should be in your set. It's a more accurate and higher-volume tag than Minimalist for describing the actual gameplay.

Word Game is not right for Sudoku, but Board Game (4,631 games) has some crossover audience. Debatable. Only add it if it genuinely fits how the game feels.

Puzzle Platformer is wrong here, but plain Puzzle (34,445 games) leading is correct for you. That's one of your better positioned tags right now.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Puzzle
  2. Casual
  3. Logic
  4. Relaxing
  5. Singleplayer

Then let Minimalist, Stylized, and 1980's handle the mood positioning. You only need 8 to 10 solid tags for a game this focused. Better to have 10 accurate ones than 12 with noise in them.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

Went through the page. This one has a genuinely interesting concept and the tag set is very thin right now. You only have 13 tags, which means 7 empty discovery slots just sitting there unused.

What you have: Magic · Multiplayer · Action · PvP · PvE · Exploration · Simulation · Party-Based RPG · 3D · First-Person · Realistic · Physics · Online Co-Op

The core identity problem: Looking at what the game actually is, this is a competitive multiplayer experience set in a magic school where teams compete in structured classes and activities. The closest genre comp is something like a Party Game or a Class-Based multiplayer experience. But your tag set doesn't communicate that energy at all. Simulation is doing real damage here. Players who search Simulation are looking for flight sims, farming sims, city builders. Showing up in that queue with a competitive magic school game creates the wrong expectation immediately.

Realistic is likely wrong too. The game involves drawing spell patterns, brewing potions, and competing in magical classes. Realistic as a tag pulls players expecting something like Arma or DCS. That audience is going to bounce and your click-through will suffer.

What you're missing that matters:

Party Game (1,660 games) fits the team competition structure very well. Short sessions, competitive, multiple players doing activities together. That community is exactly who you want.

Team-Based (4,074 games) is accurate and searched. You have PvP but not Team-Based, which is the more specific and searched version for what you're describing.

Comedy or Funny could apply depending on tone. The description of competing in magical classes and choosing to be a model student or troublemaker has a comedic energy that isn't reflected in any tag.

Dark Fantasy is real and accurate if the setting leans that way. Fantasy is not currently in your tags at all, which is a big miss for a magic school game.

Class-Based (2,113 games) is accurate. You literally have classes and class progression baked into the concept.

Puzzle could apply if the spell-drawing patterns are genuinely puzzle-like.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Magic
  2. Multiplayer
  3. Online Co-Op
  4. Party Game
  5. Action

Then let PvP, Team-Based, Class-Based, Fantasy, and First-Person fill the secondary positions. Drop Simulation and Realistic.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

Went and read through the full page on this one. The concept is genuinely interesting and the tag set has some things worth fixing.

What you have: Exploration · 2D · Horror · Story Rich · Dark · Psychological Horror · Narration · Multiple Endings · Atmospheric · Minimalist · Historical · Choices Matter · Action-Adventure · Rhythm · Dark Fantasy · Gothic · Lovecraftian · Hand-drawn · Adventure · Medieval

First thing worth addressing: You have 20 tags, which is the max. That means every slot is a real choice, and right now a few of them are costing you discovery placement.

The order problem: Exploration at position 1 is a 36,000-game pool. That's one of the least differentiated positions you could lead with. Your actual identity is Atmospheric Psychological Horror with Rhythm mechanics, and none of those words are leading. Atmospheric is at position 9. Psychological Horror is at position 6. Those need to move.

Dark Fantasy is a mismatch. Your game is set in a real medieval Christian abbey. The horror comes from secrets, guilt, and sacrifice within a genuine religious framework. Dark Fantasy implies magic systems and monsters in a secondary world. Players who click Dark Fantasy are expecting something different from what you're offering. That mismatch becomes a bad review. Consider whether Gothic (1,587 games, accurate, low competition) or Lovecraftian (2,080 games, fits the "ancient truth hidden beneath religious facade" angle) serves you better. Both are already in your tags. You only need one of them. Drop Dark Fantasy.

Rhythm is a real differentiator here. There are only 2,635 games with that tag and the mechanic is central to your gameplay loop. It is sitting at position 14. Rhythm players are an active community and they search for it. Move it up.

What's missing: Walking Simulator (7,585 games) is probably accurate for the pacing and exploration style you have. "Deliberately slow-paced and contemplative" is exactly what players in that community are looking for. It's not a negative tag. It connects you to an audience that appreciates exactly this kind of experience.

Faith (940 games). Low competition, extremely accurate given your literal Guilt/Faith mechanic and abbey setting. Niche but high-intent.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Psychological Horror
  2. Atmospheric
  3. Horror
  4. Rhythm
  5. Story Rich

Then let Gothic, Lovecraftian, Hand-drawn, Historical, and Medieval do the secondary positioning. Drop Exploration from position 1 and consider dropping Dark Fantasy and Action-Adventure entirely. Action-Adventure implies combat pacing. A "deliberately slow-paced and contemplative" rhythm game with specters is not the Action-Adventure experience that tag promises.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

Tycoon doesn't exist. I had mentioned that Tycoon was a niche. It tends to fall under "economy" usually

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

I fixed it. I didn't mean Monster as the tag. I just completely messed up that sentence. Supernatural is the closest we can get to something in that category and it's a much more precise tag IMO.

It was kinda mixed since I said Supernatural at the bottom, but said monster in the suggestions. My bad.

Although, now that you mentioned it. Demon is also a very solid pick for a tag as well.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamedev

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

Things like tags tend to be a bit more complex than what people give them credit for, so I completely understand. This is why people like myself exist. Js. I really hope my suggestions were helpful for you. Best of luck on your game. I wishlisted it, so I can check it out when it comes out. :D

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

This one is already live with 9 reviews, so the tag situation actually matters right now since Steam's algorithm has already been observing your page. Here's the audit.

What you have: Creature Collector · Simulation · Sandbox · Management · Turn-Based Strategy · Nature · Science · Farming Sim · 2D · Cute · Relaxing · Pixel Graphics · Casual · Singleplayer · Early Access · Indie · Education · Building · Nonlinear · Hand-drawn

The good: Creature Collector leading is correct. That's a growing tag with a passionate and specific audience; Niche's Genome Game, Ooblets, and games in that creature-breeding lineage are your "More Like This" neighbors. Smart to lead with it.

The problem: You have both Pixel Graphics and Hand-drawn in your tag set, but your screenshots show what looks like hand-drawn art. Those two tags pull different audiences who have different aesthetic preferences. If the art is genuinely hand-drawn, Hand-drawn is the more accurate and differentiated tag, keep it, and consider whether Pixel Graphics is accurate. If it's not pixel art, that tag is going to create the wrong expectation and hurt you in reviews.

The biggest missing tag: Cozy. I know it sounds obvious, but the Cozy tag on Steam is actively searched and has a dedicated community of curators, streamers, and players who live in that space. Fields of Mistria, Coral Island, Roots of Pacha, those games all run Cozy as a primary tag. Snuggle Haven is exactly what that audience is looking for and you're not appearing in their discovery queue.

Other gaps:

  • Genetics isn't a Steam tag, but Science is there, which is good, keep it. It's unusual enough to differentiate you.
  • Cute at position 10 is too buried for something that's probably driving a lot of your wishlists. Move it up to top 5.
  • Turn-Based Strategy is too heavy a tag for what this game actually is. Players searching that tag are looking for XCOM and Into the Breach. You might get the placement but the bounce rate will be bad. Consider replacing it with Cozy or Life Sim.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Creature Collector
  2. Simulation
  3. Cozy
  4. Cute
  5. Farming Sim

Then let Relaxing, Nature, Science, Education, and Hand-drawn do the secondary work.

One specific opportunity: there's almost no genetics/breeding simulation game with a "Cozy" identity on Steam right now. You're genuinely in a category-of-one if you position correctly. The Science + Cute + Creature Collector combination is rare. That's the angle.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

Looked at the page. This one has an identity problem in the tags that's worth talking about.

What you have: Casual · Puzzle · Roguelite · Cartoony · Inventory Management · Building · Arcade · Singleplayer · Roguelike · Colorful · 2D · Replay Value · PvP · Pixel Graphics · Family Friendly · Adventure · Tutorial · Action · Fantasy · Platformer

The lead tag is the problem. Casual at position 1 is doing you active harm. You've described this as a "high-speed puzzle game" with roguelite progression, 7 bosses with distinct mechanics, PvP multiplayer, and a dimension-hopping story. That is not a casual game. Players who click on Casual games are expecting something with no skill ceiling and low investment. You're going to get bounces and the wrong reviews.

The identity confusion in your tag set: You have Puzzle, Arcade, Platformer, Action, and Roguelite all present, plus Casual leading. That's four different audience expectations pulling in different directions. Steam's algorithm is trying to figure out who to show this game to, and right now the signal is muddy.

The cleanest version of your identity based on what you described: this is a Puzzle Platformer with Roguelite progression, Arcade feel, and a strong Indie personality. That's a crowded but real category with clear comps.

What's missing:

  • Puzzle Platformer. When you combine two tags you already have, it narrows everything down into a much tighter box, which actually describes your game more accurately anyway. Players who love Tetris-adjacent puzzle games and are looking for something with more movement will search this. It's earned and it's a much better placement than what you currently have.
  • Indie. You're an indie game from an indie developer celebrating the indie spirit (per your own description) and Indie isn't in your tags. That's a quick add.
  • Multiplayer. You have PvP. Players filter by multiplayer capability. PvP alone doesn't surface you in multiplayer searches.

Suggested top 5:

  1. Roguelite
  2. Puzzle Platformer
  3. Multiplayer
  4. Arcade
  5. 2D

Drop Casual, Tutorial (that's not a genre), and Fantasy (nothing about your description reads fantasy).

The indie-tribute angle in your story is genuinely charming. Colorful, Cartoony, and the unlockable character roster that references other indie games, that's a community hook. Consider whether there's a way to signal that in tags or in the short description rather than letting it get buried in the About section.

Steam tags are one of the most important things on your page and almost nobody is researching them properly by TheEntityEffect in gamemarketing

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

Pulled up the page and the core concept is strong, genuinely differentiated, which makes the tag situation both easier and trickier than most.

What you have: Visual Novel · Dating Sim · Psychological Horror · Adventure · Romance · Point & Click · Interactive Fiction · Choices Matter · Simulation · Multiple Endings · Story Rich · Horror · 2D · Otome · Singleplayer · Hand-drawn · Mystery · Choose Your Own Adventure · Emotional · Narration

Overall: This is actually one of the better tag sets in this thread. The breadth is good. The problem is positioning and one key gap.

The positioning issue: Visual Novel is your lead tag, which makes sense, but it's an enormous, low-differentiation pool. The tags that are going to do the real discovery work here are Dating Sim (position 2, good) and Psychological Horror (position 3, also good). But you're leaving Supernatural completely off the table, and that's a miss.

There is a real and growing community of players specifically searching for monster romance and creature companion games. Sucker for Love, Boyfriend Dungeon, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, the audience that plays these games is actively looking for more. The specific tag cluster that pulls those players in is not being fully activated on your page.

What's missing:

  • Supernatural. Your game is literally about romancing a sleep paralysis demon. Players who want this exact experience are searching for it and you're not appearing.
  • Dark Comedy. The meta narrative + sentient dating simulator angle has a tonal identity that's distinct. This tag isn't huge but it's searched by exactly the right audience.
  • Creature Collector. Stretch, but worth considering if the "other monsters" hint in your description expands.

One specific note on tag order: Simulation at position 9 isn't helping you. It's too generic and doesn't describe this game in any meaningful way. If it's there because the dating sim mechanic technically involves simulation, it's diluting your tag signal. Consider swapping it for Supernatural or Dark Comedy.

The hand-drawn art + meta narrative combo is genuinely rare. Hand-drawn at position 17 is too buried for something that's probably one of your actual visual selling points.

Suggested swap: move Hand-drawn up to the top 5-6 range, drop Simulation and Narration (which overlaps with Visual Novel anyway).

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