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Game Marketing featured

Game Marketing Guide: How to Market a Game in a Noisy World

A definitive guide on the building blocks and strategies to market games.
Picture of Justin La Torre
Justin La Torre

Justin is a video game marketing specialist with 6+ years of experience at publishers such as NIS America where he drove visibility for 16 different game titles including The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie and Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless. In his spare time, he cosplays and contributes to fandoms. You can follow him on X, Instagram, BlueSky, and LinkedIn.

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What is game marketing?

Game marketing refers to all activities and efforts used to attract, acquire and retain players to a game product, device, or service.

Even if you’re not familiar with the business side of any industry, you’ve very likely been exposed to marketing in some form, whether it was billboards along the roadside, unskippable YouTube ads, or random brands popping up on your Instagram feed.

And if you’re thinking, “Can’t I just make a great game, and word will get out on its own?”—no; the market is growing too quickly to rely solely on word of mouth:

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So, marketing for video games has 3 main goals:

  1. Increase visibility
  2. Drive sales
  3. Create a loyal customer base

There are a multitude of ways you can build awareness and appeal to consumers, and you’re only limited by your vision (well, and your budget)!

The marketing mindset

When deciding how to market your game, it’s important to note that video games, as well as the players and the methods through which they receive information, are constantly evolving.

There are many proven methods available; the challenge is figuring out which ones best fit your goals and needs, and when it’s appropriate to break away from them versus following them.

Layers of game lifetime value (LTV)

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According to Anton Slashcev’s LTV method, there are 4 main questions to keep in mind when forming the core of your strategies and approaches:

  1. Marketing: Who is your audience, and how do you bring them into the game?
  2. Engagement: How do you keep players coming back?
  3. Progression: How do you guide players through the game?
  4. Monetization: How do you turn engagement into revenue?

Flexibility

“Even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

– Stephen King, (2000) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

The game industry practically demands you to be adaptable on the fly, which often means leaning on what you know and being able to toss it aside to learn something new.

During my time at NIS America, we had to market games from licensing partners as well as our own in-house titles.

I had a hand in marketing 16 titles, and no two were approached the same way. Even our flagship series, DISGAEA, had 7 installments plus remasters, and they all needed their own individualized marketing strategies—especially these cross-platform releases:

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Broadly speaking, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to marketing. Everything you do should be catered to the specific needs of your game, and it needs to be done with intention.

Doing what worked before

Learning from past success is a good starting point for any marketing effort, especially when it’s in respect to an established brand or fanbase. Having proven methods backed by measurable, empirical data is a go-to approach for many developers and publishers.

For instance, NIS America had licensed an excerpt of “The Invasion From Within” by punk band Tsunami Bomb to pair with the original demo trailer for Disgaea 1 in 2008, which garnered a lot of attention for the demo:

15 years later, we would harken back to this piece of Disgaea history by renewing the same music license for the Disgaea 7 demo trailer. This also aligned with our overarching plan to frame this title as a “return to form” for the series:

The throwback ended up being pretty successful, as it built off of the press-focused priming we had done in the months prior and drew a lot of interest in Disgaea 7 leading up to the release.

Trying different things

On the other side of the spectrum, keeping up with changing times and changing audiences sometimes means stepping out of what’s familiar and doing something unexpected and new.

One of my favorite projects to cite is the “headpat trailer” for The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, which I led creative direction on. I made a serious pitch to produce this trailer and it ended up being a big hit with Noisy Pixel, Reddit, and T-Mobile!

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The joke of the “headpat trailer” had been floating around the Trails community long before NIS America acquired the license rights to the series. Since Reverie is regarded as the “Avengers: Endgame of Trails,” this was a timely and unexpected surprise for longtime fans.

In short, being flexible and adaptable with the times is helpful, and I daresay vital, to setting yourself up for success, both in and out of the industry.

How to learn game marketing

Like any other discipline, acquiring a basic level of marketing knowledge and skills will set you up for success.

While there is a significant degree of learning on the fly and adaptation involved when working in the game industry, having a solid foundation to build off of will make it easier to shift with those unpredictable factors.

Education

You may be pleased to know that you don’t need to be in school to learn marketing!

Many free courses and resources are now online, so you can teach yourself the basics of ecommerce, social media, project management, and more at your own pace. Courses on game design are also available, offering industry-specific skills and knowledge.

Here are some examples of free online learning courses:

If you’re looking for a more formal education, colleges also offer courses focusing on marketing and game design, so it’s never too late to learn. Many campuses also offer scholarships for game design and esports, adding an additional level of accessibility within the industry.

Examples of video game/esports programs include:

Transferable skills

It may be common knowledge, but marketing, social media, management, and design skills also apply to many other fields and industries.

Most companies with an online presence are always seeking ways to increase visibility and grow their customer base. Working within other industries can help develop your skills and knowledge while strengthening your future applications.

For example, Syloft presents 6 different industries that utilize general marketing skills:

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Personal projects

Practice makes perfect, and learning how to use social media and marketing methods to promote your own hobbies and projects is a good way to gain and exercise new skills.

You can build familiarity with platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok while also training yourself to pay attention to what’s currently popular and how trends change.

I’ve managed my own cosplay project pages for over 10 years, and I’ve also assisted my friends with managing their Twitch and TikTok livestreams. My personal projects have also created opportunities such as being invited as a creator to Riot Games’ Cosplay Day at LCS:

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Starting a career in game marketing

When you’re ready to dive into the world of marketing and unveil your game creations to the world, there are plenty of ways to get your career started.

Networking

Engaging with developers and communities is absolutely critical for making real connections and getting your foot in the door. Having presence and building meaningful relationships often leads to new opportunities that you wouldn’t have normally.

game dev drink up

Community meetups hosted by publishers, local tournaments, and conventions are types of events that are publicly accessible and often draw game devs together. I’ve personally attended Game Dev Drink Up in Burbank, CA, which acts as both a networking and socializing opportunity.

The barrier to entry for the game industry can be daunting, but sometimes the first step is literally taking the first step into your local game community and making connections.

Agencies

To help focus your job search, you can look into agencies focused exclusively on tech and creative roles.

I’ve used all of the agencies listed below in the past to find roles that are related to my skills and interests, and I’ve found that it helped cut through the fluff of scouring more generic job boards like Indeed and ZipRecruiter.

Here are some agencies I’ve used in the past:

Playtesting

An easy way to get a glimpse into the game development process is to participate in public playtests from publishers and developers.

Many developers and publishers offer contract and temp work for playtesting, which can be used to build experience while putting you in direct contact with company staff. These can be in person or remote, depending on availability in your area.

In fact, my first official gig was as a QA tester for Idea Factory International, which put me right in the middle of the action and even afforded me a chance to volunteer at the company booth during their attendance at Anime Expo 2017:

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Some publishers also offer public beta testing opportunities that don’t require formal experience. I’ve participated in closed one-day playtests for Netmarble, Riot Games, and VG Market simply by applying to their public sign-up forms via their official sites and social media.

Community resources

Public resources and references for working in games are widely available online.

The game developer community is often collaborative and inclusive, and getting a resume review, referral, or links to potential roles is often as easy as reaching out for help.

Among the more popular community resources is Amir Satvat’s Jobseeker Resources, which includes job postings, portfolios, upcoming community events, and everything else to do with each of these six categories:

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Following community voices such as Caitlin Cooke and Richard Hernandez on LinkedIn is also a great way to catch job roundup posts and other updates.

Other resources include JD’s Game Job Resources and Support Buff, both of which are managed by game industry veterans and volunteer contributors.

Many more support groups and information sources for game industry careers are out there, so it pays to do a bit of research and see which ones work best for your goals and needs.

Ways to market your game

There are many methods that can be used to give your game visibility. You may not need to use all of the ones listed here, and some may serve you better than others over time.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Maximizing visibility on your game is key to drawing in customers and fans. According to game dev community discussions on LinkedIn, popular SEO strategies include:

Websites

These function as the official information and update hub for your games and services.

Players should be able to learn about your game, including how to play and how to purchase, by visiting your website.

Marketplace page optimization

As the most accessible way to sell and distribute games, getting the maximum out of digital storefronts will allow customers to quickly locate and purchase your game.

In addition to making your game available for purchase, you can also host sales or participate in in-store sales.

First-party storefronts (Console)

Console games are commonly sold on the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Live.

playstation store

Online storefronts (PC)

PC games are typically available for purchase on Steam and Epic Games Store.

GOG and Humble are also useful options, especially for indie games.

steam storefront

App stores (Mobile)

Games created for smartphones and other mobile devices are usually found on the Apple Store (for iPhones) or Google Play (for Androids and other mobile devices).

apple arcade

Independent storefronts

Decentralized marketplaces like itch.io are great for sharing and selling games from smaller publishers, as well as unique creations that don’t normally fit in common storefronts.

Game creation tools such as Roblox and RPG Maker even have their own built-in storefronts and sharing hubs: Roblox Creator Hub and RPG Maker Forums.

rpg maker forums

Community building

Maintaining presence and connections with your fans builds brand recognition and loyalty, resulting in sustained support and sales of your game.

This often involves engaging directly with players and creating spaces where they can gather to share common interests.

Livestreams

Streaming has been a growing force in the gaming and entertainment sphere over the past few years, and is often seen as the best way to connect and communicate with fans in an accessible and authentic way while also entertaining them.

For instance, the NIS 30th anniversary stream was both a celebration and a chance for fans to connect with the developers behind some of their favorite games:

Twitch, YouTube, and Kick are the most commonly used streaming sites, although Facebook Live, Twitter Spaces, Instagram Live, and TikTok Live offer other avenues to livestream.

The culture and content trends of these platforms can shift over time, but historically, Twitch and YouTube have had the largest gaming-focused audiences.

Online community spaces

Digital communities serve as hubs for connection and conversation.

Discord and Reddit are the go-to platforms for players to converse and build camaraderie. Discord is a series of live IM chat threads, while Reddit works more like an old-school forum, with posts sorted by upvotes and downvotes.

The two can also be also utilized by developers and companies to share updates and information quickly and en masse.

Playtests

Offering fans a chance to take part in alpha/beta playtesting is an effective way of growing familiarity with your game and building trust with players.

The benefits are twofold: you receive direct feedback you can implement, and players feel included in the creative process.

Guerilla marketing

A more traditional approach is getting right on the ground and reaching out to players and fans directly.

This type of marketing can take many forms, including pop-up shops, exhibiting at trade shows and conventions, and community meetups.

The In-person marketing section has more information and examples to help you form an effective guerilla marketing strategy.

Influencer marketing

Working with trusted voices and personalities in the gaming community can build legitimacy and player trust, especially if your game aligns with their brands, interests, or favorite genres.

Sponsored content

One simple activation you can do is to have a creator or influencer play your game and let it speak for itself.

Giving hands-on time with your games will provide unbiased testimonials that can prime audiences prior to launch and set expectations for what players will experience.

This type of content usually takes the form of social media or creative platform posts, including short-form posts on TikTok and Reels, live previews on Twitch, social media content providing quick insights, and full impressions videos on YouTube—like this one:

Unique activations

Beyond the conventional types of content, collaborating with other creative minds allows you to think outside the box and make a bigger impact on the audiences you’re trying to reach.

One of my favorite “out there” projects was the Disgaea 6 Complete Musical, which was a collaboration between NIS America and Random Encounters that resulted in an epic medley of original songs (as well as some janky-looking zombie makeup on my part):

Paid ads

Promoting your game on commonly used websites and public spaces increases visibility and generates interest from prospective players, especially when your ad content is exciting and engaging.

Social media

Paid ads on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram allow you to appear on the users’ feeds as they’re scrolling.

Content for these ads can be static or animated, and links can be incorporated to direct users to your website or storefront. These sites also have built-in tools to help you target specific audiences, as well as analytics and performance tracking.

YouTube ads

Advertising on YouTube takes the form of short or long videos that appear either before or after a user views a video. However, standalone videos can also act as ads:

Links and calls to action can be incorporated to direct viewers to your website or storefront. YouTube ads are set up and run through Google Ads, which has its own audience targeting and analytics/performance tools.

Reddit ads

Ads on Reddit function very similarly to social media ads, consisting of static or animated content that appears on users’ feeds while they scroll through different subreddits:

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For business accounts, Reddit can even assign you a partner manager who can report on your ads’ performance and offer advice and information on how to optimize your ad spends.

In-game ads

Inserting ads into your actual game is a way to inform players about products and services as they’re playing.

These normally appear in live service and gacha games, to promote on-the-fly deals and microtransactions, and the market for in-game ads is still growing:

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Product placement

A more subtle and less disruptive form of advertising is product placement, in which the actual product or service is shown as part of the game world.

While this appears less often in games, notable examples include billboards for ESP in Yakuza and the Cup Noodle food truck in Final Fantasy XV:

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Social media marketing

Public online spaces have risen to prominence over the years. Appealing to players on social media has become a standard practice for companies with an online presence.

While many different social media platforms exist with new ones constantly being made, for the sake of brevity, we will cover five of the most commonly used platforms at the time of writing:

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Facebook

The most widely-used social media site in the world. While it isn’t the fastest option for sharing information, it is one of the most user-friendly platforms, and has an enormous user base.

Twitter/X

A text-centric platform that allows interactions and conversations to play out in real time.

Information spreads faster here than on most other social media sites, and it’s often used by large brands, influencers, and celebrities.

Instagram

Instagram’s primary focus is visual content. Unlike Facebook and Twitter/X, text is secondary here.

While features such as Stories and Reels allow the sharing of short-form content, Instagram’s strength lies in its media-centric feed where photos and videos are easily viewed.

TikTok

An app focused on short-form videos, popular for its focus on current cultural trends.

While brands and celebrities have started to use TikTok more, it’s most popular with creatives, small businesses, and younger demographics.

SnapChat

A multimedia messaging app where images and videos can be quickly shared.

Posts made here only stay up for a short amount of time, adding a sense of urgency to how media is consumed through this app.

First-party support

A first-party developer is a company that makes a video game console and develops exclusive games for it.

For the purposes of this section, “first-party” will categorically refer to Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft.

YouTube & social media support

Securing promotional support for your game from a first-party allows you to reach larger audiences through their high profile channels.

This is normally facilitated via their respective partner support platforms:

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Connecting with an account manager and learning the content guidelines for these partner platforms allows you to request features on their global YouTube and social media channels.

Written features

Another option is to submit a request for written support and coverage via first-party official news hubs:

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Dedicated pages like these allow publishers to share exclusive news and updates on a permanent, focused site that avoids the traffic of social media.

Storefront support

Publishers are also able to request sales page and front page support for their titles on first-party storefronts:

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These requests are typically tied to existing sales, but it’s also possible to request support for your own publisher-exclusive sales.

As an added note, while not related to first-party, PC storefronts like Steam and Epic Games Store also offer sales and front page support via their own partner support platforms:

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Content marketing

Mailchimp defines content marketing as “the development and distribution of relevant, useful content…to current and potential customers,” and includes blogs, newsletters, emails, social media posts, and videos.

Developer blogs

These are blogs that contain updates, news, and announcements relating to the development and release of your game.

Developer blogs can be in either written or video format and are typically hosted on your game’s official website.

Newsletters & emails

Newsletters are broadly distributed communication materials that highlight specific news, updates, and announcements for wider public viewing.

These materials typically contain links to other sites, including the game’s official website and publisher/developer’s online store.

Though less formal, emails function similarly to newsletters, delivering news and information directly to players. Unlike newsletters, you may be limited by the formatting options of the particular email service you use.

You can utilize online tools and services such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot to streamline communications via digital newsletters and email templates.

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Social media posts

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are seen as the fastest and most accessible ways to share information and content with fans.

Understanding the audiences and optimal content for each individual platform is key to maximizing reach.

You can refer to the Social media marketing section for more detailed information.

Video content

Aside from actually playing your game, giving a strong visual and audio presentation for your game is one of the best ways to interest players.

Your video demonstration can be broadcast in real time with a livestream, or you can show off specific aspects of it in trailers.

In-person marketing

Even with the advances in information technology, nothing quite compares to the energy and excitement of engaging players in person.

While online efforts are important to the sustained momentum of your game, never neglect the power of face-to-face interactions.

Conventions & trade shows

In-person conventions and trade shows are where consumers and developers can meet on common ground.

Conventions and trade shows take place all over the world. One very well-known games-focused event is Penny Arcade Expo East in Boston, MA, which I frequented almost annually during my time with NIS America (that’s me in the red jacket):

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Community & local events

Homegrown shows and gatherings provide opportunities to meet with players in a less formal, more authentic setting, and are valuable for getting insights and checking the pulse of your game communities.

You can check out events hosted by college clubs, brick and mortar game stores, and watch parties for professional esports events at your local bars and event spaces.

Cross-promotions & brand collaborations

Collaborations between publishers and stores offer an opportunity to work with recognized brands to promote your game, typically with exclusive promotional items.

In the recent years, companies such as Team Liquid have partnered with brands within anime, comics, and beyond to create memorable experiences for fans:

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Installations & exhibits

Sometimes, the best way to draw attention is to make a big splash in a public space. Having a presence that’s tasteful and exciting can bring new audiences you wouldn’t normally reach.

Recent examples include major showings from globally-recognized IPs, such as Game of Thrones:

Fundraising & community-funded projects

Crowdfunding through sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo is a great way to both market your game and gain support for upcoming projects.

This is especially popular among smaller developers who can receive direct feedback from players while offering rewards and engaging interactions.

For instance, Nochi Studio’s dating sim Sweetcore Brews was fully funded through Kickstarter, and included physical rewards and playable AR scenarios:

Marketing agencies

Working with agencies allows you to cover your marketing needs or help bolster your existing efforts.

This is especially helpful for developers who may not have the staffing to handle marketing internally, or for teams looking to build upon their skills and knowledge base.

Agencies such as Evolve PR and Fearless Media offer different services and tools, so it pays to do a bit of research and ask questions to determine what best fits your needs.

Components of marketing

Now that you have the knowledge, the opportunity, and the methods to start marketing, it’s time to go over the tools you’ll need to make it happen.

Materials & assets

A wide variety of materials can help you communicate important information about your game to players, press, and general audiences.

Press releases & press blasts

These are exclusive communication materials shared with press and influencers for coverage. These can include assets and links to other sites, and are typically under embargo ahead of public announcement.

Press releases and press blasts often cover important news and updates, such as the announcement of Disgaea®3 for the PlayStation®3:

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Interviews

These cover spoken or conversational information with a game’s developer, publisher, or other individual involved with the game’s development.

Interviews can be written or recorded and offer direct insight from the game’s creators.

Aside from being informative, they can also be entertaining and provide a unique experience for both the audience and the interviewees. One such example is a Q&A I hosted for the English voice cast behind CRYSTAR:

Guides & info primers

Guides and primers are reference materials that quickly inform or educate players about your game.

They can be as detailed or simple as the game requires, and should sufficiently prepare the player to pick up and play your game.

Product assets

These visual items relate to the game as it would appear on storefronts, websites, and in physical form. Examples include key art, box art, logos, and product shots.

Screenshots & footage

Also referred to as “capture assets,” these are recorded images (screenshots) or video (footage/b-roll) taken directly from the game.

Production teams, press/media, and design teams typically make use of these materials to create assets such as gameplay trailers:

Demos

Demos are short segments of a game used to show off gameplay, graphics, and other key aspects of the game.

These are typically playable segments with a predetermined length, and often allow for certain items or abilities to be toggled on or off.

Demos are a common method of giving the press and customers hands-on time with your game before they commit to reviewing or purchasing it.

Review codes

These codes provide a digital copy of your game to the person that redeems it.

These are used by press for reviews, influencers for marketing activations, and by internal teams for QA testing.

All first-party and sales platforms are able to provide codes for games you’re distributing, so be sure to check how to request codes for your respective distributor.

Press sites

Press sites function as distribution hubs for game review codes. They are effective in streamlining the distribution of review codes, assets, and information to press and partners.

Examples of commonly-used press sites include PXN and Keymailer:

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Press kits

These physical bundles contain merch, themed goods, informational material, codes, and other items relating to your game.

They’re given exclusively to press and influencers as a way to share your game with particular individuals and entice them to play it.

Embargo info sheets

Communication materials that contain the date(s) and time(s) during which a game announcement, update, or other piece of confidential information cannot be publicly shared.

These typically accompany materials and marketing efforts as a way to control and coordinate when information about your game goes public.

Physical handouts

Printed and otherwise non-digital materials that contain information on upcoming games, sales, contests, and released products.

While these normally take the form of a simple flyer or pamphlet, you can also get creative with the theming.

For instance, this Disgaea 7 cardboard fan that was handed out during Anime Expo 2023 served as both a promotional piece and a tracker for the on-site stamp rally:

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Game copywriting

Game copywriting covers any text written for use in promoting and informing players about a game.

This includes almost everything under Materials & assets that utilizes text, including social media copy, website text, game packaging information, newsletters, and blogs.

Game trailers

Trailers are informative and entertaining videos that show off appealing aspects of your game using footage taken from the game or made using the game’s engine, ultimately aiming to drive sales.

There are several different types of trailers that each focus on a particular marketing beat or aspect of your game:

  • Announcement trailer: Reveals the upcoming development or publishing of your game.
  • Demo trailer: Promotes an upcoming or available playable demo for your game.
  • Launch trailer: Promotes the release of your game.
  • Accolades trailer: Highlights critical reviews and positive praise for your game.

Other key beats include:

  • Character showcases
  • Gameplay showcases
  • Synopsis/story overviews
  • DLC items

Retail & distribution

The “old-fashioned way” of owning games in physical form still holds a special place in many people’s hearts, and the ongoing growth of digital-exclusive media has only increased the importance of making physical games available to the public.

Publisher storefronts

Utilizing your own in-house online store allows you to focus customers’ attention exclusively on your games and provide a direct pipeline from product to player.

Publisher stores like the NISA Online Store and IFI’s Online Store also offer exclusive items, such as collector’s editions and merchandise that aren’t normally available in public retailers.

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Brick & mortar stores

Physical stores are often the most accessible way for players to discover and purchase games.

Many “general” chain stores have a games section, while other smaller businesses focus exclusively on selling games and game-adjacent products.

Chain retailers such as GameStop, Best Buy, and Walmart usually have a dedicated games section, while smaller local businesses like Video Game World, Limited Run Games (below), and Game Realms focus exclusively on selling games and game-adjacent products.

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Online retailers

Those who are unable to travel to their local stores can also order physical games online.

Most chain retailers and small businesses have their own websites where you can order from the comfort of your own home.

Critical reviews

Game development and marketing both ultimately culminate in creating positive and memorable experiences for your players.

Critical reviews and player impressions provide valuable insight into exactly where you succeeded and where you can improve for future efforts.

Game news sites

These are independent direct-to-consumer information hubs that report on the latest games news and provide objective analyses and critical reviews of released games.

Review sites contribute to customer perceptions and are key to swaying opinions and earning customer trust, with well-known outlets like IGN and Game Informer often being featured in accolade trailers and ads.

YouTube & content creators

Games-focused creators and influencers typically provide subjective impressions and unbiased opinions about games. They’re sometimes seen as more authentic voices.

The content varies between each creator, with informative voices like Trisha Hershberger covering the latest tech and games news, while specialists like Super Derek RPGs focus on particular series and genres:

Metacritic & OpenCritic

Both Metacritic and OpenCritic aggregate critical reviews into central places, making them useful for quickly sourcing critical reviews from reliable and active news sites.

Magazines & printed media

Though less common now with the ever-growing advent of digital media, print media continues to provide game news and reviews in a nostalgic, tangible form that appeals to long-time gaming fans.

Online forums

Often seen as the “voice of the people,” public forums such as Discord, Reddit, GameFAQs, and Steam Community provide online spaces for fans to share their thoughts and experiences about games.

These communal spaces also give game makers a chance to speak directly to fans through activities such as Reddit AMAs and Discord chats.

One memorable Reddit AMA I had a hand in organizing featured the creators for World’s End Club and brought together new fans as well as fans of the creators’ previous works.

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Types of game marketing

Just as each genre has its own features and nuances, they also require an individualized marketing approach.

Understanding what your audience looks for in a game is the most important first step, and will help guide you to the ideal strategies and methods.

Action & adventure games

Action games

These emphasize challenges and trials, offering gameplay that tests players’ reaction time and hand-eye coordination in unique and memorable ways.

Examples:

  • Super Mario
  • Devil May Cry
  • LA-MULANA

Adventure games

Adventure games focus on interactive stories, exploration, puzzle-solving, and linear gameplay driven by strong narrative design.

Examples:

  • Curse of Monkey Island
  • Myst
  • The Stanley Parable

Action-adventure games

These demonstrate how elements of both action and adventure games can work together to enhance each other (for instance, with story-driven gameplay that incorporates reaction and themed coordination-based challenges).

Examples:

  • Tomb Raider
  • God of War
  • The Legend of Zelda

Artistic games

Some games function more like the masterpiece of a game artist, focusing primarily on their sound design, visual design, and novel interactive elements to create a unique experience or elicit a strong emotional reaction from the player.

Examples:

  • killer7
  • Flower
  • Outer Wilds

Board games

These simulate traditional, tabletop board games in digital form, with an emphasis on multiple players and maintaining an accessible learning curve.

Examples:

  • Mario Party
  • Monopoly
  • Tabletop Simulator

Card games

Likewise, these aim to replicate the physical card game experience using digital cards and play areas/boards that can be interacted with by players.

Collectible card games

These highlight cards and rules that encourage strategic play and deck construction, typically in a competitive PvP context.

Expansion sets offer blind boosters/boxes that change which cards and strategies are available.

Examples:

  • Magic the Gathering Arena
  • Hearthstone
  • Marvel Snap

Living card games

Living card games have a self-contained gameplay loop that rewards mastery of the core rules and doesn’t require you to continuously collect cards or relearn ever-evolving rules to play.

Expansions often build upon the existing rules and cards without drastically changing the core gameplay.

Examples:

  • Arkham Horror
  • Legend of the Five Rings
  • Call of Cthulhu

Casual/”cozy” games

These appeal to more general audiences with simple, yet satisfying gameplay that isn’t challenging or skill-intensive. They’re often quite relaxing.

Examples:

  • Animal Crossing
  • Stardew Valley
  • The Sims

Game show & gambling simulators

These translate the experience of playing traditional gambling or chance games into digital form.

Examples:

  • Video Poker
  • Slots
  • Wheel of Fortune

Fighting games

Fighting games hype up PvP combat, often emphasizing visually appealing characters and skill-based mechanical gameplay.

Examples:

  • Street Fighter
  • Super Smash Bros.
  • Soul Calibur

Fitness games (“exergames”)

Fitness games offer players engaging ways to incorporate physical activity into gaming, adding an element of fun and enjoyment to the process of building healthy habits.

Examples:

  • WiiSports
  • Just Dance
  • Ring Fit Adventure

Game creators

Game creation software is usually presented as an all-in-one toolset that allows players to create their own games.

These typically highlight their ease of use, availability of assets and functions, and ability to share creations with other players.

Roblox

Roblox is positioned as an accessible, decentralized, user-friendly platform for game creation and sharing that even children can learn to use and explore their creativity.

Examples:

  • Brookhaven RP
  • Adopt Me!
  • Blox Fruits

RPG Maker

One of the pioneers of user-created game software, this series of programs offers a wealth of customizable assets, programmable event scripts, and the ability to import your own custom graphics.

Its retro RPG-style presentation makes it popular among classic game fans.

Examples:

  • To The Moon
  • OMORI
  • OneShot

Idle & incremental (“clicker”) games

Incremental games emphasize non-disruptive gameplay that’s quick to learn, requires minimal attention and input, and offers satisfying results.

Examples:

  • Cookie Clicker
  • AFK Arena
  • Egg, Inc.

Matching games

These feature easy-to-learn symbol matching gameplay with flashy visuals, and are typically aimed at general audiences and casual players.

Examples:

  • Candy Crush
  • Puzzle & Dragons
  • Pokemon Shuffle

Mobile games

Mobile games focus on offering engaging “full-game” experiences from a player’s mobile device.

They’re often combined with other genres (mobile puzzle games, mobile RPGs, etc.)—and since we already know that different genres benefit from different marketing strategies, it’s critical to consider your game’s genre affiliations when choosing how to market it.

Examples:

  • Clash Royale
  • League of Legends: Wild Rift
  • Temple Run

Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)

MOBAs are team-based online multiplayer games with a wide variety of playable characters and game mechanics that offer deep, strategic gameplay that test players’ reflexes as well as their assessment skills.

They usually prioritize character design, aiming to give each playable character unique gameplay options and a clear visual appeal that’s still adjustable with cosmetic enhancements.

Examples:

  • League of Legends
  • Dota 2
  • SMITE

Platformers

Similarly to action games, platformers test players’ reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

Both genres emphasize movement, level design, and mastering their mechanics, but many platformers are presented in their traditional 2D format—a more constrained visual perspective that can help game designers carefully fine-tune the experience.

Examples:

  • Super Mario
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Crash Bandicoot

Puzzle games

Puzzle games challenge players to exercise their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Elements such as visual design, characters, and a background narrative can be used to augment the experience.

Examples:

  • Portal
  • Tetris
  • Peggle

Racing games

These focus on the competitive multiplayer experience, typically including a wide variety of racing vehicles, tracks and modes.

Examples:

  • Grand Turismo
  • Mario Kart
  • Forza

Rhythm games

Rhythm games appeal to specific niche audiences through their unique input methods and/or visual design. They test players’ hand-eye coordination and ability to follow a beat.

Examples:

  • Dance Dance Revolution
  • Beat Saber
  • Osu!

Band games

While not strictly rhythm games, these games do follow the music convention of playing to a beat or rhythm.

However, their marketing instead tends to highlight the selection of available music, how the game simulates performing on instruments, and its accessibility to players of all skill levels.

Examples:

  • Guitar Hero
  • Rock Band
  • Taiko no Tatsujin

Role-playing games (RPGs)

Strong storytelling, character progression, and engaging gameplay are the main features of these games, and the focus should be placed on the unique ways in which these elements are represented.

Traditional RPGs

For most players, the “standard” RPG consists of memorable characters, combat system design that rewards growth and strategy, and an appealing (usually fantasy-based) game world design.

Examples:

  • Baldur’s Gate
  • Fallout
  • Pokemon

Action RPGs

In these games, players will look at how the challenges and character growth interplay to give a sense of game progression and improvement.

“Soulslike” games also fall into this category, emphasizing detailed game worlds and extremely challenging gameplay.

Examples:

  • Dark Souls
  • Monster Hunter
  • Tomb Raider

Japanese RPGs

While containing the elements of traditional and action RPGs, so-called “anime” RPGs also focus on appealing character designs, flashy combat, and emotionally-charged storytelling.

Examples:

  • The Legend of Heroes
  • Shin Megami Tensei
  • Final Fantasy VI

Massive multiplayer online RPGs (MMORPGs)

Highlighting the depth of character creation, large scale of the game environments, and cooperative gameplay features will appeal most to fans of this genre subset.

Examples:

  • World of Warcraft
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Guild Wars 2

Strategy RPGs (SRPGs) & tactical SRPG (tactics)

The core gameplay loop takes center stage here, emphasizing critical thinking, power progression, and extensive preparation—with rewarding payoffs for each.

Examples:

  • DISGAEA
  • Final Fantasy Tactics
  • Worms

Sandbox games

The freedom to explore, interact, and modify the game world is the main appeal of these games.

Showcasing the unique ways players can perform these three actions in game is the key to differentiating any sandbox game from its peers.

Examples:

  • Minecraft
  • Grand Theft Auto
  • The Sims

First-person shooters (FPS)

Players typically look for an immersive experience that seamlessly weaves weapon variety, skill-based gameplay, and detailed environments together.

Examples:

  • Team Fortress 2
  • Halo
  • Overwatch

Shoot-’em-ups (SHMUPs)

Fans of this genre look for intense challenges that test their reaction times amidst large numbers of threats.

Bullet Hell, Run ‘n Gun, and Rail Shooter games also fall under this category.

Examples:

  • Space Invaders
  • Metal Slug
  • Touhou Project

Simulation games

Whether fictional or realistic, players look for as immersive an experience as possible in these games.

Focus on highlighting your game’s attention to detail in emulating the experience as it would appear in real life.

Examples:

  • PowerWash Simulator
  • Truck Simulator
  • Cities: Skylines

Augmented reality (AR) & virtual reality (VR)

Additional peripherals, software, and other tools can further enhance the immersive experiences offered by simulation games.

Examples:

  • Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery
  • Pokemon GO
  • Ingress

Social network games

While opportunities may be limited due to the constraints of social media sites, the best approach is to offer an experience that’s rewarding, low-effort, and easy to play with others.

Examples:

  • Mafia Wars
  • FarmVille
  • LifeSocialGame

Sports games

Showing how your game emulates the competitive experience while incorporating real-world elements (ie. locations, teams, rules, etc.) is the best way to reach sports game players.

Examples:

  • Madden
  • WWE
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Stealth games

Your focus should be placed on the unique challenges facing players and the tools the game offers to outsmart and maneuver around these challenges.

Examples:

  • Metal Gear Solid
  • Hitman
  • Assassin’s Creed

Strategy games

Player agency governs this genre, so be sure to highlight the ways in which the players’ freedom of choice leads to a variety of gameplay possibilities.

4X games

This subset of strategy games is built upon the four gameplay pillars of exploration, expansion, exploitation, and elimination.

Examples:

  • Civilization
  • Trade Wars
  • Stellaris

Grand strategy

These asymmetrical strategy games give players free reign to accomplish larger goals without set conditions and rules, and often involve large-scale strategies played out across wide play areas.

Examples:

  • Crusader Kings
  • Risk
  • Hearts of Iron

Real-time strategy (RTS)

These games reward players for being able to manage resources and large-scale strategies in real time, typically against active opponents.

Examples:

  • StarCraft
  • Age of Empires
  • XCOM

Horror games

Horror games emphasize the thrill of experience with frightening, supernatural, and disturbing elements. They aim to unsettle the player, startle them, or both.

Examples:

  • Outlast
  • Fatal Frame
  • Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Survival games

Fans of these games seek a realistic survival experience in which the thrill of facing the unknown unites with gameplay that rewards resourcefulness and quick thinking.

Examples:

  • Subnautica
  • Don’t Starve
  • ARK

Survival horror

This subset of survival games adds supernatural and otherworldly elements to the already daunting task of surviving unknown circumstances.

Examples:

  • Five Nights at Freddy’s
  • Resident Evil
  • Silent Hill

Text-based games

As part of a genre that’s fairly simple in concept and design, it’s important to be able to show players how your text-based game creates a compelling story that engages them in emotional or memorable ways.

Dating simulators

These are interactive games that simulate the social experience of meeting and dating someone. They often contain characters with varying personalities and multiple outcomes.

Examples:

  • Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
  • Date Everything!
  • Hatoful Boyfriend

Visual novels

Broadly speaking, these games encompass any form of interactive written storytelling with appealing visual design, and can cover different genres like romance, mystery, and comedy.

Examples:

  • Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms
  • Sifting Thyme
  • Doki Doki Literature Club!

Wargames

These games typically take features of other genres, such as RPGs, RTSs, FPSs, and strategy games, and set them within their own game world and central conflict.

Understanding how game marketing functions for each of these genres can help you form your own marketing strategies for your game.

Examples:

  • Call of Duty
  • World of Tanks
  • Ghost Recon

Miscellaneous

Battle pass, rewards track, & tier rewards

Offering players incentives for hitting prolonged playtime milestones in your game is an effective way of keeping them engaged.

Setting specific goals can also help focus their attention on particular features of your game.

Examples:

  • Nameless Honor (Honkai Star Rail)
  • Survivor Pass (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds)
  • Compendium (Dota 2):
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Free-to-play (”freemium”) games

Live service games offer an engaging and addictive base game with the option of paying for cosmetics, in-game currency, and other features to enhance the experience.

Examples:

  • Genshin Impact
  • League of Legends
  • Hearthstone

Subscription-based games

Since players are investing continuously into your game, it’s important to highlight the quality gameplay experiences that they can expect.

Ensure that updates and communications are delivered clearly and consistently in order to maintain their trust and loyalty.

Examples:

  • World of Warcraft
  • Final Fantasy XIV
  • Elder Scrolls Online

In summary

Marketing has 3 main goals:

  • Increase visibility
  • Drive sales
  • Retain loyal customers

To get start in marketing, consider looking into:

  • Education
  • Networking
  • Free online resources
  • Opportunities to practice

When considering your marketing strategy, remember:

  • Know your audience
  • Pick the right tools and methods
  • Have clear goals
  • Learn from your results
  • Above all, be flexible and adaptable!

Finally, I want to leave you with some words of wisdom from Travis Shrodes, my former manager and mentor from my early days in the industry:

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

The Funsmith Tavern

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EXPERIENCE & BACKGROUND:

[STUDIO] Blizzard Entertainment: Content, mechanics, and systems designer

(Creator of Apex Legends & former Creative Director at Respawn)

[GAME] World of Warcraft: MMORPG with 8.5 million average monthly players, won Gamer’s Choice Award – Fan Favorite MMORPG, VGX Award for Best PC Game, Best RPG, and Most Addictive Video Game.

  • Classic:
    • Designed Cosmos UI
    • Designed part of Raid Team for Naxxramas
  • Burning Crusade:
    • Designed the raid bosses Karazhan, Black Temple, Zul’Aman
    • Designed the Outlands content
    • Designed The Underbog including bosses:
      • Hungarfen, Ghaz’an, Swamplord Musel’ik, and The Black Stalker
    • Designed the Hellfire Ramparts final bosses Nazan & Vazruden
    • Designed the Return to Karazhan bosses: Attumen the Huntsman, Big Bad Wolf, Shades of Aran, Netherspite, Nightbane
  • Wrath of the Lich King:
    • Designed quest content, events and PvP areas of Wintergrasp
    • Designed Vehicle system
    • Designed the Death Knight talent trees
    • Designed the Lord Marrowgar raid
  • Cataclysm:
    • Designed quest content
    • Designed Deathwing Overworld encounters
    • Designed Morchok and Rhyolith raid fights
  • Mists of Pandaria: 
    • Overhauled the entire Warlock class – Best player rated version through all expansion packs
    • Designed pet battle combat engine and scripted client scene

[GAME] StarCraft 2: Playtested and provided design feedback during prototyping and development

[GAME] Diablo 3: Playtested and provided design feedback during prototyping and development

[GAME] Overwatch: Playtested and provided design feedback during prototyping and development

[GAME] Hearthstone: Playtested and provided design feedback during prototyping and development

[STUDIO] Riot Games: Systems designer, in-studio game design instructor

(Former Global Communications Lead for League of Legends)
(Former Technical Game Designer at Riot Games)

[GAME] League of Legends: Team-based strategy MOBA with 152 million average active monthly players, won The Game Award for Best Esports Game and BAFTA Best Persistent Game Award.

  • Redesigned Xerath Champion by interfacing with community
  • Reworked the support income system for season 4
  • Redesigned the Ward system
  • Assisted in development of new trinket system
  • Heavily expanded internal tools and features for design team
  • Improved UI indicators to improve clarity of allied behaviour

[OTHER GAMES] Under NDA: Developed multiple unreleased projects in R&D

Game Design Instructor: Coached and mentored associate designers on gameplay and mechanics

[STUDIO] Moon Studios: Senior game designer

(Former Lead Game Designer at Moon Studios)

[GAME] Ori & The Will of The Wisps: 2m total players (423k people finished it) with average 92.8/100 ratings by 23 top game rating sites (including Steam and Nintendo Switch).

  • Designed the weapon and Shard systems
  • Worked on combat balance
  • Designed most of the User Interface

[GAME] Unreleased RPG project

  • Designed core combat
  • High-level design content planning
  • Game systems design
  • Game design documentation
  • Gameplay systems engineering
  • Tools design
  • Photon Quantum implementation of gameplay

[VC FUNDED STARTUP] SnackPass: Social food ordering platform with 500k active users $400m+ valuation

[PROJECT] Tochi: Creative director (hybrid of game design, production and leading the product team)

  • Lead artists, engineers, and animators on the release the gamification system to incentivize long-term customers with social bonds and a shared experience through the app

[CONSULTING] Atomech: Founder / Game Design Consultant

[STUDIOS] Studio Pixanoh + 13 other indie game studios (under NDA):

  • Helped build, train and establish the design teams
  • Established unique combat niche and overall design philosophy
  • Tracked quality, consistency and feedback methods
  • Established company meeting structure and culture

Game Design Keynotes:

(Former Global Head of HR for Wargaming and Riot Games)
  • Tencent Studio
  • Wargaming
  • USC (University of Southern California)
  • RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology)
  • US AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association)
  • UFIEA (University of Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy)
  • West Gaming Foundation
  • Kyoto Computer Gakuin – Kyoto, Japan