Most people who take the indie game development route are gamers themselves. They have earned their appreciation for the intricacies of game design over years of first-hand experience. However, they soon learn that jumping into the backend to create and market a finished product is not all fun and games. Here are four tips to help you find success.
1. Use Push Notifications To Your Advantage
Not realizing the potential of push notifications is a rookie mistake you need to avoid. In today’s super-competitive gaming market, push notification optimization is the #1 marketing tool that will help you in numerous ways. Effective push notifications can significantly increase user retention and keep players entertained.
Using the style and voice of your game, you can design your notifications so that they incentivize players to take certain actions and enhance their overall experience. While it’s especially important to leave a lasting impression with your first game, optimizing your push notifications should be a priority with every single one of your creations.
2. Don’t Be Afraid To Team Up
It’s natural to feel inclined towards working independently to maintain creative integrity over your finished work (and avoid having to share the profits). While going solo definitely has its merits, you shouldn’t be quick to abandon the idea of working with a partner or team, especially when you are developing your first few games.
It is useful to build your professional networks at this time by working alongside others. If that’s not convincing enough, keep in mind that working with another professional could help you progress at a far more rapid rate. You will be able to develop more games of higher quality in a shorter amount of time. As long as you find someone who vibes with your gaming style, the benefits of working collaboratively far outweigh any concessions you may have to make.
3. Set A Fair Price
Pricing is one of the hardest steps in game development, and your school or college probably didn’t even touch on it. Gamers may think they spend too much while creators and developers are more likely to feel undervalued. When determining your price point, take into consideration factors such as:
- Whether your game is played via PC or console
- Competition and market value of similar games
- Replayability
No matter how tempted you may feel as a budding developer in need of exposure, do not make your game free or less than a dollar. Of course, if it’s a simple mobile game completed in a short length of time, you need to be reasonable and stick to a modest price. However, the more unique and personal the gaming experience is, the more you can charge.
4. Hype Up Your Launch
It’s always worth your while to create an engaging launch party. Just be sure not to overlook the importance of the period leading up to your launch night. This is the time to build and promote on social media, hype up the event, and create a guest list of people who will continue talking about your game.
You may want to reach out to sponsors, public figures, or media representatives who can circulate news of your game’s release. Offer launch invites and free copies of your game to bloggers and gamers with YouTube channels. This can be easily achieved via email or messages on social media. Just choose your contacts well.
Being an indie game developer in 2020 is hard, especially when you’re new to the industry. Soak up all the advice you can get and go easy on yourself! Your skills will only grow stronger with time and practice.