Indie developers spend hours building press kits. Screenshots get curated, descriptions get polished, logos get exported in six different formats. Then the press kit goes live and... silence. No analytics dashboard shows who visited. No confirmation that a single journalist ever clicked the link. The nagging question creeps in: does anyone actually use these things?
TL;DR: Yes, journalists use press kits consistently and actively. Screenshots are the most-downloaded asset (60-70% of downloads), followed by logos and trailers. Average time on page is 2-4 minutes, meaning journalists scan fast and grab what they need. Design your press kit for speed, not beauty.
Key Takeaways
- Screenshots are downloaded far more than any other asset because every piece of coverage needs at least one image
- Journalists look at screenshots first, then the fact sheet/description, then the trailer, and finally key art and logos
- Content creators use press kits differently, caring more about video assets and b-roll than written descriptions
- The minimum viable press kit (6-8 screenshots, one trailer, logo, one-paragraph description) is enough for an announcement
- Press kits that require login, registration, or "request access" permission lose visitors immediately
The short answer is yes. Emphatically yes. The longer answer involves how they use them, what they look at, and why a surprising number of developers build press kits that miss what journalists actually need. If you're working on your press coverage strategy, understanding the journalist's perspective on press kits changes how you build yours.
What Journalists Have Said Publicly
Game journalists don't talk about press kits often because, for them, it's like talking about email. It's infrastructure. It's expected. But when they do comment, the picture is consistent.
Kirk McKeand, who wrote for VG247 and TheGamer, has described his typical workflow when a pitch email arrives: he reads the hook, clicks the trailer link, and if interested, goes to the press kit for screenshots and details. The press kit is step three, not step one. But without step three, there's no article. He's noted that missing or low-quality screenshots are a dealbreaker. If the screenshots in the press kit don't look good enough to run as article images, he moves on.
Liam Dawe, who runs GamingOnLinux, has been vocal about press kit quality specifically for smaller outlets. His site doesn't have a team of graphic designers. If your press kit doesn't include high-resolution images that work as article headers, the article either looks bad or doesn't get written. He's noted that having a properly formatted presskit() or equivalent page is one of the signals that tells him a developer is serious.
Tom Sykes, who covered indie games as a freelancer for PC Gamer and other outlets, has mentioned that the ideal press kit lets him write a news item without sending a single follow-up email. If he needs to email you asking for your game's platforms, price, or a high-res version of that screenshot, you've added friction to the process. Some journalists push through the friction. Many don't.
Ana Diaz at Polygon has spoken about the volume problem: 100+ pitches per day during busy periods. In that environment, every extra click or missing asset is a reason to move to the next email. A press kit that loads fast, has clear navigation, and puts the most important information at the top gets used. One that requires downloading a 2GB ZIP file and extracting it to find a folder structure that makes no sense gets closed.
What They Look at First
Based on publicly available journalist accounts, conference talks, and the analytics data developers have shared, the order of attention is remarkably consistent.
1. Screenshots
Screenshots are the first thing journalists look at in a press kit, and they're the most frequently downloaded asset. This makes sense. A news article needs images. A tweet about your game needs an image. A YouTube thumbnail needs an image. Screenshots are the universal press asset.
What they need:
- High resolution (minimum 1920x1080, preferably higher)
- PNG format for lossless quality
- Variety (different locations, mechanics, and moods)
- No HUD clutter unless the UI itself is notable
- At least 8-12 options so they can pick what fits their article
What kills them:
- Low resolution (anything under 1280x720 is unusable for modern outlets)
- Only 2-3 images to choose from
- Watermarked screenshots (never watermark press kit assets)
- Screenshots that all look the same (five shots of the same biome tell one story)
Developers at larger studios have shared analytics from their press kit pages. Screenshots account for 60-70% of all asset downloads. Logos are around 15-20%. Trailers and other assets make up the rest. The pattern we see most often is that journalists grab screenshots first, then come back for logos and key art only when they're actively writing the article. Screenshots dominate because every piece of coverage, from a 200-word news blurb to a long-form review, needs at least one image.
2. The Game Description and Fact Sheet
After screenshots, journalists scan the game description for the core facts: genre, platforms, release date, price, player count, and the hook. They're looking for information they can slot directly into an article.
The fact sheet format (a one-page summary with key details in a structured list) is popular because it's scannable. A journalist covering 15 games for a roundup article needs to grab your details fast. A well-structured fact sheet lets them do that in 30 seconds.
3. Trailer
Journalists watch trailers to understand the game's feel and quality level. They'll embed the trailer in their article if it's hosted on YouTube (which it should be). Some outlets require a YouTube embed for their CMS.
A downloadable trailer file is valuable for outlets that create their own video content. They'll pull clips from your trailer for compilation videos or use it as B-roll.
4. Key Art and Logos
These get used for article headers, social media cards, and newsletter features. Key art with transparent background PNGs of your logo gives outlets flexibility in how they present your game.
Include both horizontal and vertical versions. Different placements need different ratios.
Analytics Data: What Developers Have Seen
Developers who host their press kits on platforms with analytics (like presskit.gg or custom-built pages with tracking) have shared patterns that line up with the journalist accounts above.
Traffic spikes correlate with outreach. Press kit visits spike within 24-48 hours of sending pitch emails. A secondary, smaller spike often occurs when articles publish (as other journalists or creators see the coverage and visit your kit).
Screenshot ZIP downloads are the most common action. When developers offer a "download all screenshots" button, it's the most-clicked element on the page. Individual screenshot downloads are second.
Average time on page is 2-4 minutes. Journalists aren't lingering. They're grabbing what they need and leaving. What developers who track press kit analytics consistently find is that the "Download All" button is clicked more than any individual asset—speed matters more than perfect organization. This means your kit needs to be organized for fast scanning, not designed for leisurely reading.
Mobile traffic is minimal. Under 5% of press kit visits come from mobile devices. Journalists access press kits from desktop computers where they're writing their articles. This doesn't mean mobile optimization doesn't matter, but it means desktop experience should be the priority.
Return visits happen. Some journalists visit a press kit multiple times: once when they receive the pitch, once when they start writing, and sometimes a third time when the article is in editing and they need one more asset. This reinforces why press kits need to stay up and stay current.
How Content Creators Use Press Kits Differently
YouTubers, streamers, and TikTok creators interact with press kits in noticeably different ways than traditional press.
They care more about video assets. Creators making video content want gameplay footage, B-roll clips, and trailers they can use in their productions. Screenshots matter less because their content format is video, not text-with-images. If your press kit includes downloadable video clips (gameplay footage without UI overlay, cinematic clips, or even raw capture footage), content creators will use it.
They often skip the written description. Many creators prefer to discover the game by playing it. Detailed written descriptions of every feature can actually work against you with creators who want their genuine reaction on camera. Some creators have specifically asked developers not to over-explain the game so they can have authentic first impressions.
They need less but need it faster. A content creator's minimum viable press kit interaction is: watch the trailer, request a key, start recording. If your kit makes this flow fast and frictionless, you've served their needs.
B-roll is gold for creators. B-roll footage (high-quality gameplay clips without HUD, recorded at high resolution) saves creators hours of editing. They can overlay B-roll while talking, use it for intros, or splice it between reaction shots. Surprisingly few indie developers include B-roll in their press kits, and creators notice when you do.
Free Tool: Fact Sheet Generator — Generate a professional game fact sheet ready to paste into your press kit. Runs in your browser, no signup required.
Minimum Viable vs. Complete Press Kit
Not every game needs a 30-asset press kit with B-roll, three trailers, and a 10-page brand guide. The minimum viable press kit (MVPK) is what you need when you're just announcing and don't have everything ready yet.
Minimum Viable Press Kit
- Game title and one-paragraph description with the core hook
- Genre, platforms, tentative release window
- 6-8 screenshots (the absolute minimum for article coverage)
- One trailer (hosted on YouTube)
- Logo (PNG with transparency)
- One piece of key art
- Studio name and contact email
This is enough for a journalist to write a news blurb about your announcement. It's not enough for a review or a feature article, but those come later anyway.
Complete Press Kit (for launch)
Everything in the MVPK, plus:
- 12-16 screenshots spanning different aspects of the game
- Key art in multiple orientations (horizontal, vertical, square)
- Logo in multiple formats (color, white, black, with/without text)
- 2-3 GIF captures of gameplay
- B-roll video package (1-2 minutes of clean gameplay footage)
- Downloadable trailer file
- Detailed fact sheet (one page PDF)
- Pricing and store links
- Team bios with photos (optional but helpful for features)
- Accolades and press quotes (if available)
- Review key request mechanism (via Keymailer, form, or email)
For a deep walkthrough of building your complete kit, see our press kit guide.
When Press Kits Don't Get Used
There are situations where press kits see low engagement. Understanding these helps you diagnose problems.
The pitch email was bad. If the email doesn't get opened or doesn't hook the journalist, they never reach the press kit. The kit itself might be perfect, but it never gets seen. Fix the email first. Our press email guide covers this.
The trailer didn't hook them. Many journalists watch the trailer before visiting the press kit. If the trailer doesn't grab them in the first five seconds, the press kit link goes unclicked.
The kit is behind a wall. Any press kit that requires registration, login, or approval to access is a press kit that loses visitors. Google Drive folders that require "request access" permission are a common version of this problem. Make your press kit publicly accessible. No gates.
The game doesn't look interesting. This is the hardest one. If your screenshots show a generic-looking game in a crowded genre, the press kit can be perfectly built and still get ignored. The press kit presents your game. If the game doesn't stand out, the kit can't fix that.
The Verdict
Journalists use press kits. Consistently. Actively. The data is clear on this. What they don't do is spend a lot of time on them. The average interaction is short, focused, and driven by specific needs: screenshots for an article, facts for a news blurb, a trailer to embed.
Build your press kit for that reality. Make the most-needed assets (screenshots, trailer, basic facts) immediately accessible. Don't bury them under navigation menus or creative layouts that prioritize aesthetics over function. A beautiful press kit that takes 30 seconds to find the download button loses to an ugly one with a "Download All" button at the top. Function over form. The original NES wasn't pretty either, but it worked.
Your press kit is a tool for journalists, not a marketing page for players. Design it for the person who needs to grab your assets in under three minutes and move on. That's how it gets used. That's how it generates coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What resolution should my press kit screenshots be?
Minimum 1920x1080, but 4K (3840x2160) is better if you can provide it. Higher resolution gives journalists flexibility for thumbnails, article headers, and video overlays. In practice, we've found that outlets increasingly need high-res images for retina displays and social media cards.
Do journalists prefer PNG or JPEG for screenshots?
JPEG is the preferred format for press distribution according to multiple outlet editors. PNGs work fine but create larger file sizes. Either way, never watermark your screenshots since watermarked images are "typically unusable" for press coverage.
How can I tell if anyone is actually visiting my press kit?
If you're hosting on your own domain (WordPress with presskit.gg, for example), standard analytics tools like Plausible or Google Analytics will show visits. Traffic typically spikes within 24-48 hours of sending pitch emails, with a secondary spike when articles publish.
Should I include a "Download All" button for screenshots?
Absolutely. When developers offer a "download all screenshots" button, it's consistently the most-clicked element on the page. Journalists want efficiency. Make it easy for them to grab everything at once.
Related Guides
This article is part of our series on press coverage. Start with the complete guide:
Also in this series: