A Twisted Tale ➡️ Steam

As a solo indie dev, I can tell you: reviews mean the world. They boost visibility, morale and sometimes even motivation.

So if you loved a game: say it loud, say it with a (Steam) review.

#SupportIndieDevs #SteamReviews #IndieGameDev #solodev #indiedev #indiegame #gamedev

Nov 17 at 7:59pmWeb
Show threadAshton3d ago
@taletwisted where do you look for them? The Steam store, even if you sell elsewhere? Open or metacritic that EGS (sometimes) pulls from? Backloggd?
Show threadA Twisted Tale ➡️ Steam3d ago

@theashtonstarr

For me personally, Steam reviews are the most important. I also have the game on Itch, but I hardly sell any copies there. So for me, the Steam platform is the most important. Metacritics doesn't do much for me if I don't have visibility on Steam. But I think that varies depending on the developer and the game.

Show threadAshton3d ago
@taletwisted thanks for that. I've moved away from Steam store features and just treat it like a launcher, including moving reviews to Backloggd to review all my games. It'll be hard to provide a Steam review something I own on Itch/Epic/GOG or even retail (but activated on Steam) without buying it, reviewing it, then refunding it.
I'll keep this in mind for games I own on Steam and to cross-post reviews.
Your work is appreciated!
Show threadMidnight Spire Games3d ago
@theashtonstarr @taletwisted The key issue and frustration is that Steam limits your visibility on their store until you have at least ten reviews. For a small indie, it's hard to get that many when you don't have visibility in the first place.
Show threadA Twisted Tale ➡️ Steam2d ago

@midnightspire @theashtonstarr

Yes, that is certainly one of the most important points. Then there is also the question of how quickly you get reviews.

Without reviews on Steam, it is almost impossible to be visible. All that remains then is social media, and even here, unfortunately, the reach is very limited.

Show threadA Twisted Tale ➡️ Steam2d ago

@theashtonstarr

Thank you for your input. I find it very interesting to read about how you use the different platforms (and give reviews).
As a gamer myself, I actually only use Steam as a launcher, so I can understand how you use it.

I haven't been able to get access to the game on GOG; it's difficult to get a spot there. I haven't looked into Epic yet, but I don't think point-and-click adventures are necessarily the most suitable genre for it. 😅

Show threadMidnight Spire Games2d ago

@taletwisted @theashtonstarr Epic has a better revenue share than Steam, but I feel like I would be very unlikely to even recoup the submission fee there, let alone make up for the time spent implementing their achievements API and such.

GOG of course as you say is well-known for its gatekeeping. I haven't even tried there.

Show threadbeem3d ago
@taletwisted Its always hard to start with a 0 following
Show threadA Twisted Tale ➡️ Steam3d ago

@beemdvp

You're absolutely right.