Indie Game Devs - How to Actually Find your First Players

Getting players for your indie game in 2025 isn't about having a massive marketing budget. Here's what's actually working, according to developers who've done it.

The Free Route Worked #

One dev managed to get 148,000 wishlists in about 6 months with almost zero marketing budget. Here's what they did:

• First, they tested Reddit ads ($300 investment)
• Result: Only got 30 wishlists
• Lesson: Paid ads aren't always the answer

Then they focused on Steam's free visibility tools:

• Released a demo during Steam "Open World Survival Crafting" Fest
• Got enough traction to get into popular incoming
• Launched a free prologue
• Result: 110 million impressions and 5 million visits, for free
• Big YouTubers (1M+ subscribers) started playing the game organically

Not too bad eh? You can see their progress here.

The TikTok Success Story #

Another indie dev shared their journey with their game PANICORE:

• Posted consistently on TikTok
• Released a demo
• Time investment: 3-4 hours daily on marketing
• Result: 200,000 wishlists in 5 months before launch
• After 3 months post-launch: 650,000 sold units and 400,000 outstanding wishlists

The game has reached a point where we don't actively market anymore, since players create material themselves. However, putting extra effort into marketing on our side is often rewarded with slightly higher sales.

The Steam Festival Strategy #

An ex-AAA developer who recently hit 10K wishlists shared their experience with AETHUS:

1. Released a high-quality demo
2. Reached out to content creators before launch

• Got coverage from SplatterCatGaming and Wanderbots
• Led to massive traffic spikes

3. Participated in Steam Festivals:

• Space Exploration Festival
• Updated demo before the festival
• Released new trailer
• Got front page placement alongside games like The Alters
• Generated thousands of wishlists

Success Stories From Small Teams #

Here's a great example from an indie dev with Mighty Marbles:

• Started with 4,500 wishlists pre-launch
• Gained 1,500 additional wishlists since launch
• Sold 400 units
• Revenue: $4K USD (before Steam's cut)

How to Find Your Target Audience? #

Now some advice from us... here's how to research your market:

1. Use Available Tools:

• VG Insights
• Gamalytic
• For ongoing insights: GameDiscover Co newsletter

2. Research Similar Games:

• Look at players of games like yours
• Study what worked for comparable titles
• Analyze at least 50 games in your genre when doing comparisons
• Filter for recent years as trends change

For marketing advice and data analysis, we recommended checking out Chris Zukowski's talks.

Takeaways? #

• You don't always need a massive budget
• Consistency in marketing efforts matters more than money
• A great demo can be your most powerful marketing tool
• Steam festivals are crucial for visibility
• Content creators can make a massive difference

Remember: These are real results from actual developers. While not everyone will hit these numbers, these strategies have proven successful for multiple indie developers in 2024.

We know it more than anyone else, getting players playing your games isn't easy. We've share some other tips on how to get people discovering your games for free. We hope those real world examples help you in your journey. Good luck on promoting your game!