My hot take is that game devs aren't as bad at marketing as they think they are. Most indie games have reasonable descriptions and professional-looking graphic designs. There's just a lot more competition in 2025 than there was in 1995. If your product is a pill that cures cancer, then it's easy to get a lot of attention. If your product is an indie video game, then there's an abundance of content and not enough spots anywhere near the top. I agree with you that Steam / social media impressions are gamed.