The four Steam screenshots that matter the most, social reposts, and competition for attention

Three quick-fire game marketing thoughts

Hi everyone!

Alright, no long intros, no long outros. Let’s just get into it. 3 video games marketing tips and musings for today.

And to all my subscribers from my previous 32-33 newsletter - welcome to my Substack. Hope you’ll enjoy this place.

1. The first 4 Steam screenshots matter the most

This is a cool tip that I came across while listening to Agnieszka Gałecka, Storefront Specialist at 11bit Studios. She pointed out a very simple truth - that your first four Steam screenshots matter the most. These are the screenshots that will appear the most on Steam. One of those places where your first four will make an appearance is the Steam Developer and Publisher hubs. If you, or any potential player, hover over your game’s key art, they will have the first four screenshots flicking through indefinitely. Or if your game is Featured, it will show the first four screens straight away.

Another spots are the coveted front-page Discounts and Events features. That is prime Steam real estate. It would be a shame if you got yourself that Midweek or Daily Deal, and didn’t squeeze out the most from it because of substandard screenshots.

So take a look at those four screenshots, see if they explain and sell your game well (we can have a chat about good screenshots one day - let me know if that sounds like a solid topic), and if not, update it asap. You could be losing potential players' interest just because your screens aren’t top-notch.

2. If you’re making TikToks, repost them on YouTube Shorts and Instagram too

I’ve noticed recently that my YouTube Shorts are outperforming my TikToks - sometimes by 3, 4 times in views. The amount of time it takes for you to post that same TikTok clip on YouTube is about 30 seconds. Pro/Lazy-ass tip: Just before you post your TikTok, click on the 3 dots More Options, and save your final TikTok to your device. That way, you can repost it easily on YT Shorts.

3. The competition for attention among indies is getting fierce

Ok, so this is my anecdotal musing, but I feel that competition for player eyeballs is getting more and more stiff (or is that stiffer?). The truth is that there are more quality games being made by studios with access to quality marketing resources (ie Chris Zukowski’s Blog and Discord, GameDiscoveryCo). Everyone has access to Steam event sign up forms, Steam tricks, and everything else that gave a competitive edge a year or two ago. That line of what helped you stand out in the past has been pushed out further. The game of making games is getting tougher. YouTubers are getting more games sent to them than ever before, Steam events are getting more and more games applying for their events, showcases are getting more pitches, and there is a lot more content being pushed out on socials. It’s getting tougher, and with all of the industry layoffs that are happening might result in more new quality indie studios being opened up.

I read a stat that in a single day in 2024, there was more music uploaded to Spotify than all the music released in the whole year of 1989. That’s a lot of good music that flooded in surrounded by crap that will probably never be heard. Our industry’s discoverability is not that bad, but prepare yourself for it to get tougher. And the only advice I can give is make sure your game freaking pops. Get those hooks ready (I might write about hooks next, as it is a fascinating phenomenon, I feel).

Thanks so much for reading, and may your wishlists continue to grow, preferably exponentially.

Cheers,

Michal