Everyone keeps telling you to market your game early, build a community, make more hashtag content, blah blah blah. They’re not wrong, but you’re already pressed for time and resources, so what will get you the best return for least effort... TikTok. TikTok is an incredible marketing tool for games that very few are using effectively. This talk is a no-nonsense, practical guide, on how to create attention grabbing videos by just being yourself. I’ll show you how other studios are using this space for gameplay reveals, dev diaries, and generally winning over their audience one post at a time. Whether you’re a solo dev or a small team, if you’re up for some experimentation then the sky's the limit. TikTok is a fertile platform for growing a fan-base, extending your game’s narrative, and selling more copies.

Takeaway:

• Why TikTok is your best marketing bet as an indie devs and publishers
• Practical tips on WHAT to make and HOW to make it
• Leave with a huge list of FREE RESOURCES to use, from editing software to social media management tools
• Discover real-world examples of how other devs and publishers have found success

You have a great game idea but does that necessarily mean you have what it takes to run a successful business? Most game developers wanting to start their own studio haven't been to business school or don't have a perfect business plan. But is passion enough to get a small company off the ground? In this talk, we will explore topics related to start-up formation and some tips and tricks to assist any aspiring game dev entrepreneurs.

Takeaway:

• Realities of starting up a business from scratch with no money, industry connections, or AAA experience
• How to mitigate risk when starting up a small business
• Responsibility and fiduciary duty in being a founder

Figuring out what to charge for your indie game can be a daunting proposition, especially if you’ve never released a commercial game before. In this session, Lewis presents a data-driven methodology for perfecting your price point - using publicly available information to predict the sales and revenue potential of different price brackets, based on the genre and quality of your game.

Takeaway: 

• Why setting the right price is so important
• How to use publicly available data to predict your game's revenue potential
• A working model for helping you to perfect your price point

As an indie, one of the most stressful parts of development is finding funding. If you want to go down the publisher route, you must convince them to back your game, negotiate the deal, then actually make the game in a partnership. In this talk, Nina will talk through tips and advice Auroch Digital has learned over more than 10 years of signing and developing games with various publishers. Nina will use her experience of working on multiple projects (with some war stories!) and of taking Auroch Digital’s latest exciting announcement from pitching all the way through to partnership relations during development. Using this example, Nina will highlight areas you can improve your pitching and classic things to look for to avoid getting into a bad deal that could put your project, or even your studio, at risk.

Takeaway:

• Practical tips on what to add to your pitch deck to help your project stand out.
• Advice for during pitching meetings, and what to do after.
• Ways to protect your project and your company during contract negotiations.

For every successful game that has been able to draw in millions of users (and make them stay) there are literally hundreds that have failed to reach that critical sticking point where they can go the distance. There are plenty of examples in gaming history of titles that have continued to go from strength to strength for 5, 10 or even 20 years. Focusing on the importance of evergreen and evolving design, meaningful social interaction, player empowerment, and long-term commercial viability - these games should be held up as examples of exactly how to launch a new title, or even franchise, in a way that will keep it sustainable long past what chasing trends can accomplish. About Melvor Idle: The brainchild of Australian solo developer Brendan Malcolm, Melvor Idle was created to reimagine the core components of the RuneScape franchise in a way that they could be enjoyed casually, fitting around the busy schedule of adult life - distilling the core components down into an idle game in the same vein as games such as Clicker Heroes and Egg Inc. About JXP: Jagex first became aware of Melvor Idle in early 2020, and was hugely impressed with the game, realizing there was a significant opportunity to help support the game’s future development, and to reward a fan-made passion project and bring it to the attention of RuneScape players around the world.

Takeaway:

• How, where and when you should engage with your community in the development cycle.
• Balancing community demands with the vision of your game.
• The advantages of engaging with a publishing partner to boost reach and incorporate a new audience