Field Guides
In-depth guides for indie game developers — from press outreach to Steam optimization.
Wishlist Building(6)
11 min read
TikTok for Indie Game Developers
How indie game developers can use TikTok to drive wishlists. Covers content formats that work, the YAPYAP case study, cross-posting to Reels and Shorts,...
10 min read
Steam Followers vs. Wishlists Explained
A clear breakdown of Steam followers vs. wishlists for indie game developers. How each system works, when followers matter more, when wishlists matter more,...
12 min read
Reddit Marketing for Indie Games
A practical guide to marketing your indie game on Reddit without getting banned. Subreddit breakdown, what gets upvoted vs removed, Screenshot Saturday...
11 min read
How Many Wishlists Do You Need to Launch
Honest benchmarks for indie game wishlist targets by genre, revenue tier, and team size. Includes the 1,000 reviews benchmark, when to delay vs.
11 min read
Using Your Press Kit to Drive Wishlists
How to turn your indie game press kit into a wishlist conversion tool. Covers Steam integration, SEO for organic wishlists, the journalist-to-wishlist...
12 min read
How Steam Wishlists Work
A technical breakdown of Steam's wishlist system for developers: email notification triggers, cooldown mechanics, customer preferences, Steamworks regional...
Marketing Timeline(6)
10 min read
Post-Launch Marketing for Indie Games
Your game launched. Sales dipped. That's normal. Here's how to use Update Visibility Rounds, Steam sales, Daily Deals, and content updates to build long-term...
10 min read
How to Get Into Indie Game Showcases and Festivals
A practical guide to applying for showcases like Day of the Devs, Wholesome Direct, and IGF, plus physical events like GDC and PAX.
10 min read
Indie Game Pre-Launch Checklist
A categorized, priority-ranked checklist of everything indie devs need to complete before launch day. Organized by timeline: 12 weeks, 6 weeks, 2 weeks, 1...
10 min read
Indie Game Marketing on a Zero Budget
How to market your indie game when you have no money for ads, PR agencies, or paid tools. Free channels, real case studies, and practical strategies for solo...
8 min read
When to Create Your Press Kit
The four milestones when your press kit matters most, what to include at each stage, and why creating it the week before launch is a mistake you can't undo.
9 min read
How to Announce Your Indie Game (Without Messing
When to announce, what you need ready, where to post, and the real data on early vs. late announcements.
Press & PR(6)
11 min read
Getting Coverage from Smaller Outlets
Why coverage from smaller gaming outlets often converts better than major publications, how to find niche outlets for your genre, working with Steam Curators...
11 min read
Press Kit vs Press Release
A clear breakdown of press kits and press releases for indie game developers. When you need both, when one is enough, anatomy of each, distribution channels,...
11 min read
Managing Game Key Requests Like a Professional
How to handle game key requests without losing keys to fraud, track who has coverage copies, spot fake journalists, and build a system that scales.
11 min read
How to Write a Press Email That Gets Opened
Five subject line formulas, a full annotated pitch template, follow-up strategy, and every mistake that gets indie game press emails deleted.
11 min read
Do Journalists Use Press Kits?
Real journalist quotes, analytics data on press kit usage, what reporters look at first, how content creators use kits differently, and the minimum viable...
12 min read
Build a Game Press List Free
Step-by-step methods for building a targeted game press and content creator list for free. Manual research, social media techniques, spreadsheet templates,...
Steam Next Fest(5)
12 min read
Analyzing Steam Next Fest Results
How to read your Steam Next Fest metrics, benchmark against real data, understand what good and bad results look like, and make the launch/delay/pivot decision...
12 min read
Your Press Kit Checklist for Steam Next Fest
Everything your press kit needs for Steam Next Fest: demo-specific screenshots, fact sheets, key request forms, creator-ready download packages, and a complete...
11 min read
Next Fest Creator Outreach Guide
How to find, pitch, and work with content creators for Steam Next Fest. Timing, email templates, demo key strategy, clip-based promotion, and streamer-ready...
13 min read
How to Build a Demo That Sells Your Game
Demo length, scope, the cliffhanger technique, technical setup on Steam, timing around Next Fest, and when to keep or kill your demo after the event.
13 min read
Steam Next Fest Scheduling Guide
2026 Next Fest dates, registration deadlines, eligibility rules, how to choose which edition, the last-Next-Fest-before-launch strategy, and combining with...
Marketing Tools(5)
10 min read
Migrate from presskit() to presskit.gg
Complete walkthrough for migrating your old presskit() (dopresskit) installation to presskit.gg. Covers XML data export, field mapping, URL redirects, and what...
12 min read
Press Kitty vs presskit.gg: An Honest Comparison
A transparent, feature-by-feature comparison of Press Kitty and presskit.gg for indie game developers.
11 min read
Notion Press Kits: Quick Setup, Hidden Costs
Notion looks like an easy press kit solution for indie games. It is, until you need custom domains, SEO, analytics, or professional presentation.
11 min read
Google Drive vs Dedicated Press Kits
Should your indie game press kit be a Google Drive folder or a proper web page? Covers discoverability, SEO, professionalism, and the smart compromise that...
11 min read
presskit() Is Dead
presskit() (dopresskit) by Rami Ismail is broken on modern hosting. Here's the full history of what happened, why thousands of press kits died, and the best...
Branding & Identity(5)
9 min read
Writing Studio and Game Descriptions
How to write short descriptions, long descriptions, and studio boilerplates that work across your press kit, Steam page, and website.
11 min read
The Studio Press Kit
Why every indie studio needs a company-level press kit separate from individual game kits. Covers what to include, team credits, studio history, how studio and...
9 min read
Social Media Branding for Indie Game Developers
A practical guide to creating a consistent, recognizable social media presence for your indie game studio.
10 min read
Developer Website Guide for Press
A practical guide to building an indie game developer website that press, streamers, and players can actually find useful.
10 min read
Game Logo Design for Non-Designers
How to create a game logo when you're not a graphic designer. Covers what a logo needs to do, free tools like Figma, commissioning tips, file formats, common...
Trailers & Screenshots(5)
16 min read
How to Create an Accolades Trailer After Launch
A practical guide to building an accolades trailer for your indie game. Covers when to make one, gathering press quotes and review scores, template structure,...
14 min read
Game Key Art on a Budget: Tools and Techniques
How to create professional key art for your indie game without a AAA budget. Covers in-engine rendering, commissioning artists, briefing techniques, designing...
15 min read
GIFs for Game Marketing
A practical guide to creating GIFs and short video clips for indie game marketing. Covers tools like ffmpeg, ScreenToGif, and Gifski, optimal dimensions per...
16 min read
Game Trailer Editing
A step-by-step guide to editing your first indie game trailer. Covers DaVinci Resolve basics, OBS capture settings, royalty-free music sources, pacing...
14 min read
How to Take Better Screenshots of Your Indie Game
A practical guide to capturing game screenshots that actually sell your indie game. Covers composition, lighting, free camera setups, post-processing, and the...
Steam Page Optimization(5)
13 min read
Steam Discounting Strategy
A practical guide to Steam discount types, cooldown rules, the wishlist notification threshold, the discount staircase strategy, and seasonal sale timing for...
12 min read
Steam Page Localization Guide
A practical guide to localizing your Steam store page for non-English audiences. Which languages matter most, store page vs game localization, cost estimates,...
12 min read
Steam Tags Strategy Guide
How Steam tags drive Discovery Queue placement, recommendations, and 'More Like This' visibility. A practical strategy for researching, applying, and...
11 min read
How to Write a Steam Description That Converts
A practical guide to writing Steam short and long descriptions that turn browsers into wishlists and buyers.
![Steam Capsule Art Guide [2026]](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ffield-guides%2Fsteam-capsule-art-guide-hero.jpg&w=1200&q=75&dpl=dpl_7bmcrrFQnfXLyik1jnrrRA5YVvgy)
12 min read
Steam Capsule Art Guide [2026]
Every Steam capsule art size with exact pixel dimensions, design rules, and practical tips. The complete reference for header, small, main, vertical, and...
Other(8)
21 min read
Building an Indie Game Brand from Scratch
A practical guide to building a recognizable indie game studio brand on zero budget. Covers naming, visual identity, websites, social media, devlogs, press...
![Steam Next Fest Complete Guide [2026]](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ffield-guides%2Fsteam-next-fest-guide-hero.jpg&w=1200&q=75&dpl=dpl_7bmcrrFQnfXLyik1jnrrRA5YVvgy)
22 min read
Steam Next Fest Complete Guide [2026]
The definitive preparation guide for Steam Next Fest. Week-by-week timeline, demo strategy, store page optimization, content creator outreach, livestream tips,...
20 min read
Self-Hosted vs Hosted Marketing Tools
An honest comparison of self-hosted and hosted marketing tools for indie game developers. Press kits, analytics, email, key distribution, websites, and more,...
28 min read
Game Trailers and Screenshots Guide
A practical, opinionated guide to creating trailers and screenshots that actually convert viewers into wishlists.
23 min read
How to Build a Steam Wishlist Before Your Game
Data-driven strategies for building Steam wishlists before launch, with real benchmarks, conversion rates, and case studies from games that broke through.
![Steam Page Optimization Guide [2026]](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ffield-guides%2Fsteam-page-optimization-guide-hero.jpg&w=1200&q=75&dpl=dpl_7bmcrrFQnfXLyik1jnrrRA5YVvgy)
22 min read
Steam Page Optimization Guide [2026]
Everything you need to know about optimizing your Steam store page to convert browsers into wishlists and buyers.
22 min read
Indie Game Marketing Timeline
A phase-by-phase marketing playbook for indie game developers, from your first Steam page to a year after launch. Real data, real timelines, no fluff.
20 min read
How to Get Press Coverage for Your Indie Game
A practical, dev-tested guide to pitching journalists, building press lists, working with content creators, and actually getting your indie game covered.
Stay in the loop
Get notified when we ship new tools, guides, and features for indie devs.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.