Game Jams are a big deal for indie developers like us. They sharpen our design and coding skills and boost our creativity. But there’s more to game jams than just building games. They also offer a perfect chance to polish our marketing skills. Good ratings and reviews can set our game jam games apart from the crowd. They increase visibility and provide crucial feedback. Today, let’s explore how to get ratings & reviews on game jam games – using the same tricks and techniques I’ve used over the years.
Make Some Basic Marketing Assets
After you submit your game for the jam, you need to create some basic marketing assets to make it stand out from the crowd. These are not just fancy extras—they are essential. Start with a clear, engaging game description. Mention your game’s story, how to play it, who made it, and some cool features.
Next, create eye-catching visuals. Include screenshots of key moments in your game. Design a vibrant thumbnail or cover art – this is the first thing anyone will see. Game entries are very much judged by their cover.
Finally, put together a gameplay trailer. Keep it short and sweet. Focus on the most thrilling parts of your game. This trailer should make viewers eager to play. To make it happen, grab some free screen recodring software such as OBS, then record yourself playing.
Engage With The Game Jam Community
Start by playing and rating other developers’ games. Leave helpful, positive comments. Leave constructive criticism – talk about what excites you and what could be even better. This kind of support builds connections. Most developers are cool and will return the favour by checking out your game and leave feedback, too.
The second way to enguage in the community is to join game development Discords before the jam kicks off. Be active. Share tips, ask questions, and help others. When it’s time to promote your game, you’ll find many willing to support you because they know you. This personal connection drives attention and ratings to your game. Most game dev discords have channels for self promotion where you can share your work. If you’re looking for Discords to join, check out our article 20 Must Join Discords For Indie Game Dev Success.
Utilize Social Media & Forums
Social media is a powerful tool for getting the word out. If you’re active on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, post updates about your game. Use hashtags to increase your post’s reach. Engage with your followers by asking questions and responding to comments.
Reddit offers a special opportunity. Subreddits like r/gamedev are perfect for connecting with fellow developers and gamers. Share your game, gather feedback, and participate in discussions. Be sure to do youre research before posting your game in a subreddit, each sub has their own rules and may remove your post or ban you for arbitrary reasons.
Collaboration With Content Creators On EZ Mode
Getting contnet creators to play your game is hard, usually. But, there are many Twitch streamers and YouTubers who showcase game jam games. If they play your game, their followers might become your players. This exposure can lead to a surge in ratings and reviews.
Here’s how I’ve done it in the past. Tons of contnet creators play jam games, especially during bigger jams such as LudumDare or GMTK. First step is to enter one of these. Next go to Twitch and search for the name of the jam you entered. Chose a streamer with a fair number of viewers, between 20 and 2,000 should be fine – any larger and you won’t stand much of a chance. Next enter their stream and participate in the chat, find out how you can submit your game. Most streamers will have a Google Form or Discord channel where you can submit your game to their queue. Once submitted comes the bit where you need patients, you need to watch the stream, be active in chat, and wait your place in the queue, eventually it will be your turn.
Do A Little Post-Jam Promotion
The game jam may end, but your journey shouldn’t. Create a YouTube devlog, or write a blog. Share what you learned and achieved. This content engages people who are curious about game development. Although this won’t get you ratings as the jam will be closed, you will reach an audience of more people who will be interested in your game. Use your intuition and see if it’s worthwhile fixing the bugs and polishing your game into a formal release or even spending more time developing it, adding content, and doing a full launch.
Next Steps and More Marketing
Are you ready to think bigger? If you believe your game has potential, it’s time to shift from a jam project to a full product. Use your intuition and see if it’s worthwhile fixing the bugs and polishing your game into a formal release or even spending more time developing it and adding content.
With a completed game, you’ll need to do a full launch. That means more marketing and promotion. You’ll want to look at marketing strategy, and promotion activities. To learn more, check out our article on How to Promote Your Indie Game.
Final Thoughts
Game jams are more than just a challenge to make a game. They are a golden opportunity to test and refine your marketing abilities. Effective marketing can significantly boost your jam game’s visibility through ratings and reviews – but more importantly gather feedback and guage interest.
Use the strategies discussed to make your game stand out. Engage actively with the community, harness the power of social media, and collaborate with influencers. Remember, every interaction counts. It’s about building relationships that extend beyond the game jam itself.