I thought about also sharing with you guys a recent marketing experience with 0 funding, mostly because I assume most of us do marketing ourselves so it automatically becomes part of the game development.

So during this post, I want to: 

• point out the importance of knowing your target audience;
• the importance of having good promotional material;
• my personal experience with Facebook groups promotions;
• some Facebook algorithms.

Ok, let`s start! 

First-round

I recently remade my Steam thumbnail and what better way to get some promotional material than this?! Also please note that this information is strictly resuming to Facebook groups.

I first posted in pixel art theme groups on Facebook. Why? Because I try to aim for the target audience and what better way than to start on a place where people love pixel art (since the game is also pixel art) and here are the results from day 1:

1. Pixel art + 35k members = post got 330 likes 30 comments 17 shares​
2. Pixel Art 29k members = post got 111 likes 25 comments​
3. Pixel Art Heaven = post got 136 likes and 22 comments​

Results: 1 follower and 20 new wishlist additions.

Conclusion

I am not some high tec guru dark star fapfap button Wizzard master developer, no, I am just like most developers so when I start to see so many like per post I was very excited, normally my posts on those groups get per average 20-30 likes, I was having high expectations for a wishlist so I was a bit disappointed when I saw only 20 new additions. It can also be the fact that some of them already had my game on wishlist since I posted there before from time to time about the game. Anyhow it was a good result and I strongly recommend you make smart posts, for example, I only stated in the post I made these pixel art banners but I did not put any links in the description so people actually asked for a link and only after that I edited and added the link, so try hard not to be a hit&run poster. Also if you want to keep your post up, respond to comments a few days after so that your topic gets bumped up. Please also consider I did not include the private messages received based on this.

Second round

So why haven't I posted in all FB groups the same day?

Because of Facebook algorithms, for example, even though I made the new custom text for all posts, I did have the same 2 pictures uploaded and if facebook sees you post the same comment too many times it will automatically warn you and mark your posts as spam. The second day I decided to target Xcom players because my game is heavily inspired by Xcom, I am not talking just about some art and 1-2 mechanics, no I am talking about the overall game design and the majority of features, heck, my game is basically Xcom in real-time.

And note that I posted same 2 picture but I adapted the text, Here are the results:

1. XCOM players 4k members = post got 80 likes 50 comments​
2. XCOM: Enemy Withinposting 400 members = post got 14 likes 3 comments​
3. Xcom 2 2k members = post got 40 likes 8 comments​

Results: 10 followers and 80 new wishlist additions

Conclusion

Based on pixel art communities results, I was expecting around 8-12 wishlist additions so when I saw the results it was clear for me, I first yelled some mumbo-jumbo spartan DarkStar Sailormoon Voltron lines in a weird language then I realized that even though the pixel groups were A LOT bigger then Xcom ones and that I got more engagement on them then on Xcom ones, the more I get closer to the target audience the bigger the conversion rate is. So I strongly recommend hard research on the target audience before starting marketing. I believe it is the same s**t with wishlist conversion rate into sales, as in if you get wishlists from giveaways and from people who meh or are casuals the conversion rate will be lower, and the more genuine wishlist audience you got the more the conversion rate will grow.

Third round & forth round

At this point, I included both 3 and 4 rounds of Facebook group marketing because the results are non-existent. Round 3 was aiming toward casual gamer groups and round 4 was aiming toward Indie Game developer groups and other small pixel art groups, same promotional picture + adjusted text. Please notice how huge are some groups, how small, and how that factor is truly not important when it comes to smart marketing and knowing your target audience.

Results:

1. Indie Game Promo IGD 56k members = post got 9 likes 3 comments
2. ​Retro Indie Pixel Game 9k members = post got 12 likes 1 comment​
3. RTS game lovers = post got 2 likes

​and other groups not worth mentioning because of results

Conclusion

And for the casual gamer audience, I targeted PC gamer(more than 30k members) group, steam gamers, and so on BUT and it is a strong BUT here, I got 1 or 2 likes per post in these groups, now you are going to say "awww then this is a waste of time I will ignore those groups" and after you say this I will strangle you because you know nothing, Jhon Snow! Why? Some time ago I made TAURONOS game and that game had casual players as the target audience, the thing is that I got good love on this casual player audience group for that game specifically because that was its target audience.

So in conclusion: Know your target audience & do not be a spammer that does hit&run, be smart about it and you will avoid wasting time on promotions that will bring no results. Time is very important. Now I am not saying not to post in Indie game development groups but I am saying do not post in Indie game development groups unless you have too much time.

I will make some more posts during the week in other groups but I estimate the main goal was already achieved.​

Overall:

• always make posts in target audience groups otherwise you would just be spamming;
• adjust the text to each specific group, don`t be lazy or hit&runner, put a bit of soul into your post;
• respond to all comments, it helps when people see you care and it also gets your post bumped back up;
• put quality/polished promotional material;
• have a call to action, either by asking for feedback or support for your wishlist, it is all up to you on what you need;
• do not post in all groups in a short period of time or Facebook will mark you as a spam post;
• do not post the exact content on many groups or again, Facebook will mark you as a spam post.

Aditional:

• I also used ads a few times this year and I must say the conversion rate for Facebook ads is totally not worth it. It brings some traffic but most its from fake accounts.

If you got any suggestions/feedback on what I did wrong please do let me know.

Also please do not think marketing resumes only on Facebook (I am talking now to the newbies, not to the veterans who obviously know this). If you enjoy this post I will try to share my marketing up-to-date experience for all social platforms and marketing-wise related stuff such as email marketing, PR, marketing plan 1 month before release, and others.

I am not perfect and this is just my opinion & personal experience. I originaly posted this topic on TigSource.

- Popa Cristian/16bitnights

Hi guys! Recently another games-platform started to mail intimidations, to paralyze our services, supposing several violations.

Luckily we found very good (senior) partners that suggested us what to do. We didn't suspended our website and those "intimidations" were retired.

This 2022 is very crazy!

But probably you are here for the updates...let's start!

Latest Updates:

- you will see your own (last) comment on top in the game-pages commented;

(so you can follow the discussion easily and fastly)

- improved the design of the pages for wide screens;

(We fixed yesterday ther last graphic-bugs, tell us if you see something strange)

- Added Greek language;

(But still not Greek games)

- Added new cards when you level up.

But the biggest update will come this summer (I hope). It needs a lot of tests but it will make the platform more competitive for players!

Continue to follow and support our social pages! We need your help!

Metroidvania is a subgenre of video games that features a combination of mechanics first found in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Metroid. This now beloved subgenre had its humble beginnings in the 80s as then unrecognized Japanese developers toiled over the creation of complex levels and truly challenging difficulty. What were initially just elements of a series became systems in a subgenre, disseminating across the ever-expanding world of video game development.

One of the best great indie game of this subgenre were The Last Faith, released few time ago on Steam and Hollow Knight, with a lot of fans and a huge community!

The Last Faith is an exploration-based Metroidvania, action side-scrolling platformer with dark and gothic horror themes at its core. A very professional studio behind this project!

Hollow Knight is a challenging and artful insect-based adventure. As a cute little bug, you go up against deadly creatures and intricate traps. Beneath the fading town of Dirtmouth sleeps a vast, ancient kingdom. Many are drawn beneath the surface, searching for riches, or glory, or answers to old secrets. As the enigmatic Knight, you’ll traverse the depths, unravel its mysteries and conquer its evils. Developed by Team Cherry.

But now we can see 5 metroidvania indie games to follow, discover and download on indiexpo if you loved The Last Faith and Hollow Knight!

1. The Crown Stones: Mirrah

The Crown Stones: Mirrah is a Metroidvania with RPG / Action / Horror and Adventure elements that will show the world of the dead like never seen before, a game full of secrets and puzzles that becomes more difficult and darker and has as main inspiration the game Castlevania and Dark Souls.

Developed by Frater Studio

GamePage and Download

2. Witchcrafter: Empire Legends

One of the most played game on indiexpo! Witchcrafters are skilled sorcerers able to control four elements: fire 🔥, air 🌪️, water 💧, earth ⛰️

With character progression you can master also derivatives: electricity ⚡, ice ❄️, flora🌱, lava🌋.

Your choices impacts the branching story, political situation and relations between a cast of distinguishable characters. Estel will evolve from a young, stubborn kid to a mature, but distrustful witchcrafter.

Estel can reach any ledge. Get advantage of the smooth platforming movement and your unique skills. Explore secret caves and sanctuaries, dense forests and wilderness, visit villages and towns.

Witchcrafter's intent is to become a systemic game - with 🔥 fire propagation, 💧 water simulation, physics based dynamics and even terraforming. Decorative elements, flora and enemies should all react to player's actions.

It's a platformer with metroidvania and RPG elements, heavily based on elemental magic spells and unique abilities allowing to reach locked places. It is a story rich adventure with a lot of branching dialogues and difficult decisions to make.

Developed by Pawel Jarosz

GamePage and Play Online

3. Skelethrone

Recently uploaded and also on Kickstarter. Skelethrone is a action RPG with metroidvania elements and soul-mechanics. Game that combines the skilled combat of a souls-like game with a profound and evocative narrative storyline.

A great adventure inspired by writer Michael John Moorcock, consisting of non-linear levels. It is in English and Russian.

Developed by 70' Strike Studio

GamePage and Download

4. Nightkeep

Nightkeep is a 2D metroidvania-like platformer with RPG elements set in a fictional medieval fantasy world, accompanied by an original story.

Developed by PixelABCD

GamePage and Download

5. Inmortis

Face corruption and insanity through a ruined world ruled by twisted Gods where every fight will be a challenge. It started few time ago also a kickstarter campaign.

Developed by Pecking Crow Studio

GamePage and Download

We didn't think the filter would work so well!

Throughout November and December we reintroduced a feature (redesigned): filters per games.

We strive to work towards site simplifications, and creating a minimalist design.

We included features to promote smoother user operations. This resulted with positive user feedback.

This is incredible!

We will continue to work and improve this function!

Other recent news:

• Fixed a bug that would send you an email notification about your comments
• added the Greek language to the site
• translated the email notifications

When things go well, no one ever thinks that it could all go wrong...

2021 had just ended, with the team on Discord, we were discussing how this year we had obtained more subscribers and views than the previous year. There were talks of new features being added, improvements being made and how they can impact the site in 2022.

Everything was going smoothly, and we did not suspect that the unexpected was just around the corner. The first days of January the site began to have problems. The server appeared unreachable, and the site is inaccessible. We start the "standard maneuvers" and after a couple of postponements, everything was back to working.

Two days pass and the site is down again. No changes had recently been applied to Indiexpo, which made it difficult to understand what was going wrong. However, this made us understand that the problem was at the server level and not at the code level.

The "standard maneuvers" didn't help this time, so we were lucky enough to have the site programmer come to the rescue. He finds a strange connection between the site and the server. He doesn't quite understand what's going on, but he finds a way to recalibrate some settings and the site is back up and running.

But after a day the site is down again, and the error seems even more serious.

Chat started to think that the site is closing. We received emails and reports of users who were unable to access the site for days. Talks on social media had everyone guessing to what was happening on the website.

We contacted the service that sold us the server. They reassured us by saying that the problem does not depend on them, and that they do not detect problems, but the site is still down. This time it cannot stay up for a few minutes without crashing, and the programmer no longer knows how to address the faults. This was seemingly impossible.

The service staff who sold us the server propose a hardware replacement. Components that should improve the performance will be presented and replaced.

We accepted and waited anxiously.

Then the news...

We are contacted again, and we are told that during the replacement of the various components, the hard drive with all the games and data appeared to be damaged.

We immediately check the backup, and we realize that it is not up to date at all and the material that we could lose would be substantial. So understandably, it resulted in the closure of the site.

The programmer explains that if the hard drive still turns, maybe we will be able to recover some files. If it does not turn, we should go to a specialized centre to try to recover the data. However, the latter option would be very expensive, risky, and extremely difficult.

It was agreed that the work would be carried out in two attempts.

The first attempt is made.

It fails...

This 12-year long work could all end. The beginning of 2022 can mark the end of a site that is now part of our daily life.

We begin to contact a specialized centre (with exorbitant costs) and we begin to think if we should start over (impossible) or change the site entirely. We were totally disoriented and helpless.

The second attempt begins.

Success! All games and data are recovered!

The site is put back online, the backup restored and enhanced.

indiexpo still lives!

Thanks guys for being close and supporting us!

We are back to stay!

Let's do it!

 Rewind 2021 video with the Best Indie Games of this year!

Celebrating the games, developers, players and gamers that made 2021.

Discover the best indie games and free games uploaded during the 2021. 

>> Rewind 2021 Video <<

The games showed are ALL FREE on indiexpo website!

in order of appearance:

Dwerve

Aviano

Bittersweet Birthday

River Tails

Light Keeper

ONA

Awa's Journey

Last Soul

Memories

Funtasia Furry Road

Heart Fragments

Ninna Nanna

War Vegetables

Beyond your Window

Proh1bited Temple

Don't Eat My Mind!

Soulchild

Oscillate

Killer Worm 2

Worlds Within Worlds

Venice 2089

Flatmates

POLE

Lost in Blindness

The Crackpet Show

Path of Shadow

Neko No Sentouki

Recently a lot of new Indie Games were uploaded on indiexpo website!

A lot a small teams or solo devs use this platform to upload also their free demos to reach feedbacks and improve their game to prepare a good crowfounding campaign!

During November there are three interesting crowfounding campaigns started on Kickstarter of games already released on indiexpo!

It already passed Kickstarter, reaching over 12.000 $!

It is a very professional visual novel, with a small team but with amazing skills! We love anime and manga and here the level is very high!Heart Fragment is a psychological otome game where your choices play an important role not just in the route you're on, but in the game as a whole. 

The result is hundreds of player choices to make, more than 100 CGs, two art styles to choose between, 6 routes, a highly customizable finale where you choose the "true ending", and an estimated total of 40 hours of content!

Make your way through 40+ endings - romantic, platonic, even a mix of the two for "the hope of romance to come". Stay on guard for bad endings... or dive headfirst into them and learn what information they can reveal to further advance the plot!

Kickstarter Page | Game Page

We noted and loved this game from the first time that it was uploaded on indiexpo!

The cartoon style is great and the animations are perfect!

Now it is live on Kickstarter and just passed the 50%!

River Tails: Stronger Together is a 3D co-op adventure platformer with a colourful cartoon aesthetic. Teammates must work together to defeat end-of-level bosses and solve puzzles across a range of natural-world environments. River Tails is perfect for all sorts of gaming partnerships: friends, couples, siblings, and even parents with their kids.

The main characters aren’t the most obvious partnership. In fact, these animals are often cast as enemies. Meet myth-busting mates Furple the cat and Finn the fish!

Play either as Furple, the curious and excitable purple kitten, or Finn, the independent fish with a bit of an attitude problem. You’ll embark upstream with these unexpected allies, towards the icy mountain where Furple’s family are in mortal danger. Can you save them in time? To make progress up the river, you’ll need to master just two core actions: jumping and grabbing.

Good luck guys!

Kickstarter Page | Game Page

Never seen a game like this. It is an exploration game about the Indian culture.

An allegorical story mixing different visions and interpretations. Every visit will be different, everybody will see unique content. Explore all continents, visit lost temples and mystic places. Meet sages from different civilizations and discover ancient revelations. Solve puzzles and visual paintings to unfold hidden messages. Find special keys in the game and access deeper thought.

ONA allows you to travel around the world in a meaningful and immersive journey.

Reveal the meaning of your quest. Wander through a universal and timeless adventure that will lead you into the unexpected depths of the world and of yourself.

Kickstarter Page | Game Page

Are you preparing a Kickstarter campaign for your indie game?

Contact us! We will try to help you to share it!

Hi! Did you see the latest updates on indiexpo?

We never stop and recently we improved the website to be more useful for gamers and developers!

At first we translated indiexpo into two new languages: Filipino and Thai!

With the help of several users from the indiexpo's community we translated the latest words and now also the younger developers and gamers, from Thailand and Philippines, can use the website easly!

It's also redesigned two areas of indiexpo, Subscriptions and Your Games (for game developers)

Now you can see the latest news and updates of the followed games and to left a comment faster!

Another new feature is about the Comments Area of the Game Pages. Now you can tag another user when you left a comment and he/she will receive a notification about it! And added a new anti-spam system! 

And there are other small features like the possibility (finally) to change your password and email in Settings Area and to see the new UI of the Level Area!

And more has coming!

Stay tuned and play indies!

Recently we talked about Witchcrafter: Empire Legends, a dark fantasy, story focused, pixel art platformer metroidvania with elemental magic, that is reaching a lot of new players every day!

A little gem made using Defold, a new engine game! Now this indie game, playable also online, has over 35,000 players! But there a re a lot of metroidvania games every day... and Paweł Jarosz, the solo dev behind Witchcrafter, shared his feedback about a new game in pixelart recently uploaded on indiexpo and added also in the Top 2 Indie Games of August 2021 video! From Dev to Dev is back!

Hi!

Let me talk about Light Keeper by Hugo Laion, a game I spotted on indiexpo and it got me very interested and I would love to share a word or two to the dev from the dev :)

Light Keeper is a pixelart roguelike platformer with a background story about a city plagued by creatures crawling from underground which was ages ago protected by magical light that supposed to be eternal. Unfortunately it was not.

As a queen of this city you must stop them and light up those torches. This is a nice excuse for making such type of game.

After introducing the setting let me first focus on mechanics and gameplay at first and then we will go to a technical breakdown with a lot of advices not only for Hugo, but for all indiedevs!

Light Keeper is a platformer with non-intuitive, but smooth controls. The character is moving really nice, has a noticable inertion - nice acceleration and decceleration.

However, as a gamer I am used to jump with Space bar, but here Space is for dashing. You jump with W key, which is very hard for me to use in the heat of a battle.

Some controls customisation would be very nice to have (but I know how hard it is to implement!).

The character has useful platforming abilities like sliding and jumping on walls, edge grabbing etc. This is so nice to have in a modern platformer and it makes the game less stiff comparing to classic ones. I like it!

The creatures are starting to crawl from the darkness and you begin to feel the pressure. It is really hard to survive here! Random spawning of enemies is not yet balanced well.

It happened to me to meet a boss I couldn't even scratch, while he got me smashed in a turmoil of (almost unpredictable when first met) missiles trajectories.

The current, random structure of encounters made it impossible to introduce mechanics and learn useful tactics and behaviors on weaker enemies, before encoutnering a challenging boss.

You are generally put in the middle of a boiling battlefield and after just a few moments of peace, you need to fight for your life. Tension is very high here - this is considered as an advantage for some players!

When it comes to audiovisuals the first thing that attracts my attention are assets used in the game. As a dev, I am very familiar with the market and I understand that being a solodev, as Hugo is, means you would like to utilise what is available.

I do the same myself. However, this means you could see a bunch of different art styles mashed up in the game which may distract you from the mechanics.

This is also very hard to present the game to others as it lacks its unique style at first glance. I know that struggle!

The key for this to be thoughtful is to add your own spice to the game so it is unique. Hugo manages to do it pretty well.

Light Keeper is made in Construct 2 and introduces a nice lighting shader. The structure of the game is clear for me, there is also a compass in game that shows you where the closest torch is.

The GUI is pretty scalled-up in this game, covering a lot of the screen - it is also demands some time to get used to it. In general this is a solid platformer and a good roguelike with high tension.

The game is available in English or Brazilian Portuguese.

If you like such genre it could be an interesting title for you to check out!

Good luck, Hugo, with the further development! You have make a huge milestone in your career - completing a game, releasing it and gathering a feedback is undescribed precious for game devs!

- Paweł

Witchcrafter is a great platform game filled with adventure, excitement and plenty of action. 

Here you play the role of Estel, a very young witchcrafter that grew with Trismegistos. He took care of him, and even trained him in a variety of different ways. 

Now your character is able to control all the elements, however the problem is that his power is uncontrollable, so you have to rectify that. Your focus is to try and save the world, while making sure that you keep Trismegistos, Fasteus and all your friends safe. 

No one really knows what resides beyond those doors, and you are in for quite the challenge. Within the Witchcrafter world you will find dragons, goblins and a variety of creatures that try to steer you away from your path. You need to do everything in your power to improve your skills, overcome all the obstacles and push your skills to the next level. 

On top of that, this is the perfect time to train yourself and take control over your skills. You can use your magic spells and abilities in order to access locked places. Every decision you take in Witchcrafter will have an impact on your journey. 

You have a variety of choices as you play, including a branching dialogue. Take the right decisions and follow an amazing story, while interacting with the world and taking better control over your powers!

This game was developed by Pawel Jarosz using an new game engine, Defold, and you can play it directly online on your browser!