Let’s look at this endless stream of steam releases
Tell me stop when you find something that strikes you. Let’s talk about it.
Let’s look at the Steam frontpage, itchio, or the app store.
Marketing “Research”
Find a couple of successful projects (feel free to define your own notion of success) of the same scale/tone/genre as yours.
-Look at how it’s presented on its official website or store listing.
-Look at how outlets covered it and how people on social media described it.
Identify 6 games that can be considered similar in theme, audience, attitude, style, vibe (imagine the typical algo recommendation “if you liked this, you may liked that”).
Deliverables:
Title of the project
Is there already a game or thing with that name? (search steam, itchio, app stores)
How searchable is it? What’s the google page ranking of the search? (can you potentially land in the first page)
Is it referencing a game genre or a type of software that already exists? Does it need to? (eg. simulator, the use of terms like “super” to denote a retro arcade tie)
Is the domain and social media handle available?
Can you do something interesting visually with the logo? (eg. the A in Fall Guys’ logo references the iconic character)
Tagline
Can you intrigue the viewer with it?
Does it describe the unique selling point?
Logo
When you found a title design a logo for the game. It may seem premature but it will force you to consider some aspects of tone, color and style you may have not encountered in the prototypes.
How is it visually related to the game?
Is it readable even in a small size?
Can it be rendered black and white?
Can it be overlaid on a screenshot?
Key art / icon
Screenshots are not always the best way to present a game on a distribution channel.
Sketch out an image that can function as key art or cover art.
What are the iconic, immediately recognizable elements of your game?
What’s the key art?
What would you put on a tiny app icon?
What would you put on a t-shirt?
Can you make toys of your characters or game elements?
Description
What’s the one-paragraph description of the game you would put on the store page?
How could people describe the project in a tweet or headline?