Chris Zukowski: How To Make Your First Game Blow Up On Steam (With No Following) | Ep. #045
1,275I chat with the top game dev marketing guru, Chris Zukowski, about how to make your first game blow
► Check out Sentry: https://dub.sh/kytgl8u
► Follow Chris Zukowksi: https://howtomarketagame.com/
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction: Meet Chris Zakowski and Wishlist Strategies
1:05 - Ad Read: Sentry - Streamline Your Game Development
2:04 - Chapter 1: Can You Succeed Without a Following?
3:44 - Chapter 2: Why 30,000 Wishlists Might Be Enough
5:56 - Chapter 3: Steam vs. YouTube: Algorithm Differences
7:47 - Chapter 4: Avoiding the Lukewarm Trap
9:39 - Chapter 5: The Popup Threshold - Unlocking Steam’s Front Page
12:41 - Chapter 6: Three Practical Tips to Avoid Mediocrity
15:38 - Chapter 7: The Danger of Overpolished Graphics
19:54 - Chapter 8: Demos as Honest Marketing
21:53 - Chapter 9: When to Pivot - Knowing If Your Game Has “It”
24:18 - Chapter 10: Bioshock’s Turnaround - An Outlier Case
26:25 - Chapter 11: Setting Realistic Wishlist Goals
29:31 - Chapter 12: How Steam’s Discovery Queue Drives Sales
32:06 - Chapter 13: Getting to 30,000 Wishlists - Strategy for “Nobody” Developers
38:02 - Chapter 14: Festivals and Streamers - Riding the Big Moments
42:14 - Chapter 15: Demo Reviews - A Roadmap for Improvement
50:24 - Chapter 16: The Demo Launch Strategy
1:01:26 - Chapter 17: Steam’s Infinite Audience and Avoiding Overexposure Fears
1:25:20 - Outro: Final Thoughts and Resources