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二葉のインディーゲーム宣伝奮闘記

"I don't like being persistent...! Here's why I decided to promote it repeatedly - Futaba's Indie Game Promotion Struggles #1"

by SKOOTA 2025.04.28

Hello! I'm Futaba Tsukimori from the SKOOTA editorial team!

Actually, in addition to writing articles for SKOOTA, I will be in charge of promoting and releasing indie games at SKOOTA GAMES starting in April! I'm still new to this role and currently feel a bit lost, but I'm studying every day about how to get more people to know about our games and about indie games in general!

I believe many of you reading this are probably game developers or well-versed in indie games. As a gamer myself, I often engage with various games, and there's something I've been thinking about for a long time.

It's way too hard to find good games!

Don't you think so? In this information-saturated age, finding a game that perfectly matches your taste can be quite challenging... Of course, there are times when the search itself is enjoyable.

This is a significant challenge for us on the game release side as well, if not a bigger one. Among so many games and information, how can we ensure our game doesn't get buried and catches the attention of players? This is a pressing issue that we grapple with daily, and I’m sure many developers are facing the same dilemma.

When I tried to tackle this question, I found that the first step is “getting seen by many people”, and for that, basic strategies like “how to present the store page” and “how to create an engaging trailer” are crucial! This is often emphasized in various resources. Of course, that’s absolutely true! ...but such information is already available in many places, and you all are likely aware of it.

On the other hand, when you actually think about putting it into practice, you might find yourself wondering, “I understand the basics! But, what should I do next, in what order, and what should I be careful about?!” It’s easy to get lost in the specifics and details or feel like there’s not enough information (at least for a beginner like me, I often find myself going “hmm!” at that point!).

So, in this series, I want to set aside discussions about “improving the appearance of the store page!” and “creating an amazing trailer!” and instead focus on those “points where you get stuck when you’re ready to go!” and “perspectives that you might overlook but are indeed valid!” I’ll share what I’ve researched and found insightful, as well as how those who have created popular works have innovated!

The theme of this inaugural article might relate to the core of information dissemination: “the ‘repetition’ of promotion”. I’ll discuss this point that I initially found perplexing, like “Will it be annoying if I say the same thing multiple times?” and share what I’ve learned and what I plan to do based on that!

If this article can provide hints for getting your games to more people or inspire you to think, “Alright, let’s try this!”, I would be thrilled! Since I’m learning too, let’s think through this together!

Is it enough to say it once?

Now, the theme of this article is “the repetition of promotion.”

When developing a game, there’s really a lot of information to share. Of course, there are big news items like the release of a highly anticipated trailer or the announcement of a release date, but also daily development updates, little game tips, event participation announcements, and so much more.

Information dissemination is essential in game development. We want as many people as possible to see and enjoy any announcement!

So, when you share such information on social media, for example, you might feel like, “Alright, I posted it!” and think, “Yes, mission accomplished!” (I certainly did).

But isn’t it quite unsettling to think that it was “communicated” just once? There are often few reactions, and you might wonder, “Did it really reach anyone? Did they see it?” leaving you with some anxiety. That’s why you might think, “Should I say it again?” but when it comes to “repeating the same story,” hesitation arises... Have you ever experienced that?

That’s exactly how I felt, thinking, “It should be understood if I say it once,” and “Saying it multiple times feels a bit rude or annoying,” I unconsciously had the notion that “repetition = bad” (How about you all?).

But what if you become the “receiver”?

At one point, while struggling with this, I suddenly thought, “What if it’s information about content I love?” I considered games I’m eagerly awaiting, my favorite anime or manga, and the activities of creators I support...

Looking back, I realized that news that is “important” to me, like “The release date of the long-awaited game has been decided!” or “The production of the sequel to my favorite anime has been confirmed!” is something I’m happy to see multiple times, not just right after the announcement, especially as the release date approaches or new information is gradually revealed.

"Oh, it's almost out! I have to pre-order!" or "By the way, what was the bonus information again?" or "That PV I missed the other day is just the best!" — by repeatedly engaging with information, excitement builds, details can be filled in, and enthusiasm can be reaffirmed. I felt like there were many positive experiences like this.

Is it possible that important announcements make you happy no matter how many times you see them?

"Important information" might only reach you through repetition

This "sensation as a receiver" was quite a significant discovery.
Of course, I don't think that any information is good to repeat endlessly. For those who aren't interested, it can become noise, and there's no doubt that creativity in how and how often it's conveyed is necessary.

However, at least for those who might think our games are "interesting" or "look fun," delivering important information repeatedly in an appropriate manner is not necessarily "bad", and rather, for the intended audience, it might even be aspects of "kindness" or "responsibility"... I've started to think this way little by little.

In fact, there are stories where, on a certain anime account, "the second announcement generated nearly double the buzz compared to the first."

This is really interesting! Why did the second announcement on that account become so much more talked about? Perhaps, between the first post and the second, people who missed the first or weren't quite interested at the time saw other news and thought, "Oh, this might be interesting!" and their feelings gradually warmed up... Could there be reasons like that related to the receiver's readiness? In any case, the way information resonates really changes depending on timing and context.

Posts from the official account of "I Want to Love You Until You Die." Compared to the post on the day of the anime adaptation announcement, the post about four weeks later (left) received double the impressions and six times the likes. I want to aim for posts that can get this many people excited too...!

Perhaps the worry of "Is this too persistent...?" comes from the feeling of being shown "information that has nothing to do with me, repeatedly without creativity." Conversely, it might feel quite nice when "important information for me is delivered several times so I can remember it properly!" I've started to think that there are quite a few cases like that.

Challenging "Repetition"! Tokyo Game Dungeon 8 Announcement Plan!

So, right now, I'm thinking, "Maybe repetition is important depending on how you do it? Maybe we shouldn't give up on finding ways to properly deliver to the people we want to reach!" and I'm feeling motivated to try it out first!

I'm not sure if this idea is correct yet, but I thought I would give it a try, so I've decided to challenge myself with "repetition" in our announcement for exhibiting at "Tokyo Game Dungeon 8" (held on May 4, 2025)!

While my anxiety about being seen as "annoying" hasn't completely disappeared, my desire to "properly deliver information to those who might be looking forward to our exhibit!" has grown stronger.

Specifically, I plan to proceed with the following strategy!

  • Not just the initial announcement, but reminders as the event date approaches.
  • Changing the posting times and being creative with hashtags.
  • Gradually changing and repeating the information.
  • To avoid being seen as "bothersome," I intend to maintain a certain level of variation in duration and frequency (…I hope!).

Now, honestly, I don't know if this "repetitive announcement" will work out… but I would be happy if we could all watch the results together!

Announcement for our participation in "Tokyo Game Dungeon 8," where we challenge "repetition."

The results that you're curious about will be revealed in the next article! Be sure to follow the SKOOTA editorial team and the SKOOTA GAMES account to check it out.

Summary of This Time

So, in the first installment of this series, I talked about the theme "Is repetition important in promotion?" including the anxieties I had, the discoveries that came from changing my perspective, and the plans I have moving forward!

Of course, I believe that the most important thing to get many people to play the game is to "create an interesting game," but just as important is figuring out how to deliver that game to players and pique their interest. I have come to feel this even more strongly as I began this series.

As an indie game developer, I am truly just at the starting point. I want to work hard with my team to apply what I've learned this time to the games we will create in the future.

I hope this article and series can serve as hints for developers who, like me, are working hard towards releasing their games on Steam, as well as for those who are considering taking on the challenge! If you have any tips or concerns about your promotions, please let me know on social media (@shiohoshi326)!

Next Time Preview

Next time, we will finally have the practical edition! I will report on how the "Tokyo Game Dungeon 8 announcement repetition strategy" that we planned actually went, along with the results and new learnings! Did it have an effect…? Stay tuned for the exciting results report by following the SKOOTA editorial team and the SKOOTA GAMES account!

Here is the SKOOTA editorial team's X account!

Here is the SKOOTA GAMES X account!

Here’s a promotion

We at SKOOTA GAMES are currently in the process of creating a super chat command action game titled "Thigh Rabbit's Super Chat or Charge!!" aimed at streamers! Please add us to your wish list and share on social media. Also, we will be exhibiting at the Tokyo Game Dungeon 8 on May 4, 2025, so please come and play! We’ll be waiting for you at the venue!

Written by: Tsukimori Futaba

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