Post by The_Funky_Forest in How to get featured?

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Thanks for replay! I check a lot of previous featured games. Seems that my game would fit perfectly into this. I want to make sure if I'm gonna even be consider of beeing featured. As far as I understood it all depends on itch staff. Just want to make sure at least the game get in their eyes. I guess the best way is just to send email to them.
I'm not in fear of negative reviews, actually. I'm in fear not to get attention and any feedback. Screem into the void would be the worst scenario, not knowing should I proceed working on the game further or just cancel its development. Since a gameplay is experimental a bit. It can be worth of tens of k sales (not on itch: ) ), but it could be a flop too. From what I see, there are just a few games in stye of 'Papers, Please' or 'Death and Taxes', but they all performed very well, considering sales. Problem that my game idea is similar, but game mechanics are different. And I can not judge this game looking at those best sellers mentioned earlier. So, my goal at first is to take all possible actions to get seen/featured here. This is the perfect place to get feedback for the start as many of users here are developers themselves. Their feedback is very constructive. So far the feedback from other platforms is very possitive, just its not enough of it to make any conclusions.

How can I link itch to my steam page? Just put a link in the description 'go to steam and wishlist' or there another more fancy way to make it? : )

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redonihunter2 years ago

Just put a link in the description

Basically. But there is also dedicated places you can put links. Just look at some game descriptions. And open the info box of the game. You might find a steam, patreon and other links there. And maybe a wishlist us on steam appeal in the description.

Also many have links to their discord to chat with players.

The thing is, itch is a platform where you can put your unfinished game and even sell it. Players will of course expect you to release the game here, if you sell early access here. That is one of those promise one thing, deliver another. Some games that sell here even give out a steam key.

For pricing just look at other games. There are several options to put out a free demo with a purchaseable version together.

What worries me, is that you are not even sure if you want to finish the game and would want to base the decision on player feedback. Your feedback is gonna be biased heavily. People hating it and people loving it will be more inclined to express their feelings. But even if you get more hate than love, it does not say much about future number of sales, as most people will just not comment or even rate the game.

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The_Funky_Forest2 years ago

Thanks for info. I actually been making games since 2009 totally not a newbie. And sometimes it is better just to cancel the project. And I have one game already here too, which is selling in my opinion not so bad. But at this time things are different, as the game need A LOT of graphics/animations and it 'burns' during the game very fast. Believe me, here, on this platform feedback is very possitive compared to another platforms. +game is very suitable for streamers. If I got no featuring (which I feel deserved at this time, especially with this game), not many wishlist will come, no attention from streamers - it is better to leave than put another 1+ year on it. And its not actually a playable demo, its more like a completed prequel. With the beginning and ending, you can feel what the full version would look like very well. Full version would be just with 'middle' game content x4-6 more compared to demo.

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redonihunter2 years ago

Even if you get featured, how big and how long of a boost would that be? The games on page one change regularly. You can release an unfinished project and let it simmer here and collect followers and the much wanted feedback. You can also set the status to prototype or even canceled if you decide otherwise.

I had a quick look at your released game. You better be using a second account for publishing that new project here, if you decide to do so and want to get featured. Your account is marked as adult and thus is only searchable for logged in accounts that have this enabled. The only games from adult creators that get featured are some horror games. I do not know if they generally exclude the other kind of adult creators, but would guess so. If they link to a game from a non searchable creator, that creator and their adult games suddenly get revealed to people not looking for adult games, if they visit the creator's profile.

And if you think about doing another project instead and want to continue adult games, consider opening a patreon and starting the development process here as soon as you have a few minutes of gameplay, instead of trying to release an almost finished project without a demo version. I would like to direct you to the top on the list of adult+pixel art in the top rated browse category as an example of what I talk about. Of course that game is "in development" since 2018 and had a lot of time to simmer.

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The_Funky_Forest2 years ago (1 edit)

Strange, because I get featured suggested same games over and over. Seems they are not rotating too much, or it could be based on my prefered genres, not sure.

Very good point about the new account. I had that idea, and you just confirmed. I'm not planning to release new nsfw games in the near future, and I have 2 finshed and 1 in development (this one I'm trying to get featured, so yeah, looks like separate account will be a good solution for this.

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redonihunter2 years ago

Where do you get suggested featured games?

There is one featured list and that is the same for everyone. It is a tag like quality. And they include it on the homepage.

https://itch.io/games/new-and-popular/featured

That list should have the same ups and downs and instability like all the other browse lists.

Your game will appear on the suggestions after like 3 months, when the algorithm has analyzed the relevance of your tags in relation to peoples tastes. There is this button related games, that appears roughly after 3 months. Or so I assume.

The game, after being indexed, will appear in the most recent list (sadly with publishing date and not with indexing date) and again after some major updates are released (no guarantee). This might give a small boost, but ultimately, as itch has pointed out repeatedly, do not rely on itch for promotion.

I am not even sure how much the featured list is used, but that is based on my bias, since I do not use it at all. Mostly because I do not land on itch homepage, where the featured liste is ... featured. If you click browse, you start with popular list. And that are games that are popular. You do not need to get featured to be popular (might of course help).

To activate featured games on browse, you have to click a not easily reachable button.

Popular New & Popular Top sellers Top rated Most Recent

No "featured".

It is hidden here under Misc

With Steam keys

In game jams

Not in game jams

With demos

Featured

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