Indie Game Joe

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps. I always say marketing isn’t about selling something, it’s about making people feel something. That’s at the heart of how you communicate your game.

So, if your trailer or clip works in silence, it’ll be brilliant with sound.

Design for silence first.
Clarity - curiosity - click - wishlist.

Good trailers speak. Great trailers sing :) (9/9)

And to be clear, sound is of course hugely important. It builds atmosphere and emotion. Make it work in silence first so the audio becomes a powerful bonus, not the only thing carrying the message. (8/9)

Tips that help:
- Short captions or on-screen text
- Clear cause-and-effect moments
- Framing that guides the eye
- End with a payoff, scare, reveal, or joke

Then layer music and SFX for extra punch. (7/9)

How to test it:

- Mute your trailer or clip
- Watch with no context

If a stranger can’t tell what your game is in 3–5 seconds, the issue isn’t sound, it’s clarity and structure. (6/9)

When you design for sound-off first, sound becomes a bonus emotion, not a crutch.

It enhances what’s already clear.

Teach yourself to communicate the idea visually first, then let sound amplify it. (5/9)

Think about it: when a clip catches your eye but the sound is low or off, what do you do?

You turn the volume up. You unmute.

That’s the goal: visuals strong enough to earn the sound. (4/9)

Your trailer or clip should speak visually.

A viewer should grasp what your game is within three seconds of silence.

Show a moment, emotion, or reaction that makes them think, “I get it.”

That clarity stops the scroll/swipe. (3/9)

Many players watch videos with the sound off; some studies say up to ~85% on Facebook.

People scroll in public, at work, or on breaks. Creating trailers and clips “sound-off first” can teach you how to communicate your game visually and more clearly. (2/9)

Game devs, if your trailer or gameplay clip relies on sound to make sense, it’s already losing most viewers.

Most people scroll with their phones muted.

If it can’t show what the game is in three seconds of silence, they won’t stick around for the sound.

Let’s talk 👇🧵 (1/9)

Game Devs! Wider store pages + MP4/WEBM support in descriptions.

☑ 1200px-wide store pages (main col 780px)
☑ MP4/WEBM now supported in descriptions
☑ GIFs auto-converted for smaller file sizes
☑ New image/video alignment tools

Opt-in via Steam client beta to see changes

#gamedev #indiegamedev

Steamworks Development - Steam Trailer Player Upgrades - Steam News Today’s Steam update introduces a new video player for trailers on store pages

Steam is really smashing it out of the park with updates recently. I love to see it! store.steampowered.com/news/group/4...

🚨 Game devs! BREAKING!

Steam just upgraded the Trailer Player

- Better quality & playback
- Most trailers auto-upgraded
- Pre-2020 uploads? Re-upload for best quality
- 4:3 & vertical now fully supported
- Missing source files now flagged in Steamworks

Full changelog 👇

#gamedev #indiedev

Going viral is the exception, not the rule. Most games grow step by step, not overnight. The goal isn’t one big moment. It’s to get better each time you post, to see what connects, to keep going, and to know when to pivot or try something new.

If you are an indie dev posting about your game, here is something nobody tells you.

It is not the algorithm’s job to make people care. It is your job.

The algorithm only reflects what resonates with people. If your content is not clear or interesting, they will scroll.

#gamedev #indiedev

Game devs: You don’t have to post daily.

- But you do have to post consistently.
- Pick a pace you can sustain.

One post a week beats disappearing for months. Your future players can’t support a project they never see.

#gamedev #indiedev

Game devs, here's a little tip. Marketing does not have to feel gross or scary.

- Think of it as sharing your excitement.
- If you’re genuinely proud of what you made, talk about it like it matters, because it does!

Someone out there wants exactly what you are building!

#gamedev #indiedev

Indie game devs, nobody wakes up hoping to find your game.

Your job is to make them care by showing them something they did not know they needed.

Consistency beats perfection. Marketing isn’t magic. It’s showing up. Repeatedly.

#gamedev #indiegamedev

If you’d like more free marketing advice like this, feel free to subscribe to my blog:
👉 indiegamejoe.com/blog/ (7/7)

This is a common one that I notice a lot.
Don’t fade to black between clips.
Hard cuts keep momentum.
Every fade is a chance to lose attention. (6/7)

Don’t stick on one angle or one scene too long.
Quick cuts between different mechanics keep curiosity high. (5/7)

Always test your trailer on someone who’s never seen your game. If they can’t describe what it is after watching it once, you’re not clear enough. (4/7)

Remember, most people watch with the sound off.
If your video doesn’t make sense on its own, they might keep scrolling.

Captions can help, but the gameplay has to do most of the work. (3/7)

Cut everything that doesn’t grab attention.
No 30-second intros. No lore dumps.
You have one chance to hook curiosity. Make it count. (2/7)

Lead with your weirdest mechanic.
If your game does something nobody else does, show that first. Not the logo. Not the menu. The moment that makes people say “Wait, what?” (1/7)

Game devs, I know this may sound harsh, but players don't care that your game took 5 years to make.

They care if it looks fun in 5 seconds.

Your job isn’t to tell your whole story upfront. It’s to show the one thing that stops them from scrolling. The rest comes later. 🧵

#gamedev #indiegamedev

Game dev isn’t just “make a game.”It’s:

- Doubt
- Learning 12 jobs
- Sleepless nights
- Testing something 50 times just to break it again
- And still choosing to do it the next day.

That’s love. We make games because it's what we love to do. Keep going, keep learning!

#gamedev #indiegamedev

‪If you’d like to see more game dev marketing tips, feel free to follow me bsky.app/profile/indi...

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your game and your journey. You’ve got this!

Remember, the real goal is to learn what makes you stop and engage, then apply that to your own content.

The more aware you are as a viewer, the better you’ll be as a creator.

Hope this helped, devs. Thanks for reading! (9/9)

So, start a note on your phone or computer.

And every time you stop scrolling for a video, write down why. Do this for a week. You’ll start building your own content playbook. (8/9)