As an indie developer, navigating the complexities of Steam’s platform can be daunting. However, understanding its inner workings can significantly enhance your game’s visibility and success. In this blog post, we’ll explore some vital strategies to help you effectively market your game on Steam whilst we develop a new storefront for a game coming soon and also upgrade our current store for STAR SHREDDERS. This guide is inspired by resources and courses from experts like Chris Zukowski and Indie Game Business.
Understanding Steam as a Social Network
The Misconception
Many developers view Steam merely as a storefront for game files.
Reality
Steam functions more like a social network, recommending games based on user behavior. By recognizing this, you can tailor your marketing strategies to leverage Steam’s recommendation system effectively.
Steam’s Recommendation System
Steam utilizes multiple algorithms and widgets to recommend games to users. These recommendations are primarily based on user behavior and game similarity. Understanding this system is crucial for positioning your game where potential players will see it.
User Behavior
Steam recommends games similar to those users have played and enjoyed.
Similarity
Highlighting how your game resembles and differs from popular titles can attract players looking for familiar yet fresh experiences.
The Importance of Genre and Similarity
Similarity to existing popular games is crucial for drawing user interest. Players often choose new games because they remind them of other games they liked. Hence, your marketing strategy should emphasize both the similarities and unique aspects of your game compared to popular titles.
Steam’s Widgets and Discoverability`
Steam’s discoverability features like “Featured and Recommended,” “Custom Recommendations,” and the “Discovery Queue” are pivotal in increasing your game’s visibility. Ensuring your game’s genre is clearly defined helps these algorithms recommend your game accurately, reaching the right audience.
- Featured and Recommended – Based on past play behavior and genre tagging.
- Custom Recommendations – Personalized suggestions based on games users have played.
- Discovery Queue – Presents games similar to the user’s interests.
Goals for Your Steam Page
Algorithmic Understanding
Provide clear metadata and genre details to help Steam categorize and recommend your game.
Player Attraction
Make your game visually appealing and ensure it stands out as a quality product.
Creating Effective Steam Capsules
Though we’ll dive deeper into Steam capsules in a future post, here are some initial tips:
- Consistency – Use consistent colors, typography, and art style.
- Reflect the Game’s Nature – Ensure your visuals reflect the action and strategic elements of your game.
Highlighting Unique Selling Points (USPs)
Strong USPs are vital for capturing attention and increasing your game’s discoverability. They set your game apart, build player interest, and enhance marketing efforts.
- Attracts Attention – Differentiates your game from others.
- Increases Discoverability – Enhances search and recommendation performance.
- Builds Engagement – Sets clear expectations and creates emotional connections.
- Boosts Marketing – Facilitates targeted campaigns and media pitches.
Best Practices
- Consistency Across Assets – Maintain a unified style across all assets.
- High-Quality Images – Use high-resolution images to avoid blurriness.
- Clarity and Emotion – Keep designs clear and uncluttered, evoke emotions and convey action.
- A/B Testing Test – different designs to find the most effective one.
Learning from Successful Games
Analyze the design and layout choices of successful games in your genre to understand how they attract players. By emulating these strategies, you can improve your own game’s presentation and appeal.
Presentation
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Chris Zukowski (https://howtomarketagame.com/) and Indie Game Business (https://indiegamebusiness.com/) for their invaluable resources and guidance that have contributed significantly to this journey.
Massive thanks and congratulations to all games used in presentation as we believe strongly that all showcase the best practise spoken about above and are great examples of amazing games that showcase that well in their storefronts. Special shout out to the ConcernedApe team hitting over 200k players concurrently with Stardew Valley 8 years after release!
By following these guidelines, hopefully this can enhance your game’s presence on Steam, reaching a broader audience and increasing your chances of success in the competitive gaming market. Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where we’ll explore creating effective Steam capsules in more detail.