Should I think about ways to advertise my first game before release?

[Ash Hammadai]

I've been working on a VN for a couple of month and I focused on technical and creative side of development but the closer I am to initial release the more I think about reaching out to people I am creating the game for. I am not very social person myself and I very rarely engage into discussions or join some game community discord server or anything like this. Bu I feel that, as a developer, I will have to do it, so I am in a need of your advice.
Should I think about ways to advertise my game before release? And what are good ways to do it - dev thread, discord server, social networks? Or should I just focus on developing the game untill I have some substantial amount of content?
Any general tips for a noob game developer are wellcome.

 

[FapYeah]

I think it doesn't hurt to set up a page where people can find your game while you work on completing it. Like a Steam store or Itch if you're planning on releasing there

 

[Tar77]

I don't personally think marketing from an unknown dev is going to help you much. People on here are too used to devs abandoning games. You have to build trust before the vast majority of people will consider giving you money.

Instead I would focus on making the first release big enough people will want to play it. I hate short launches. If you can provide quality content and give a sizeable first release I believe people will find it. They almost always do. If you can also give decent sized updates within a decent timeframe after that you'll be able to build a lot of trust with your potential donators.

 

[NeonSelf]

For me ads before release have an opposite effect. It goes like this: I want to play it, but its not released yet so I have to find something else, similar to this game to release my desire. And when the game I wanted is actually released - I'm not interested in it anymore, I've already played something with similar gameplay or graphic style so I'm looking for something different.

Also, as an indie dev, your first release will have some critical bugs or UI\compatibility problems. Its better when your game is tested by a few players first, and then you have time to fix most issues before it affects your ratings.

 

[♍VoidTraveler]

A better question would be whether or not your game is even worth the effort.
I'd not waste my time trying to advertise some slacker-hobbyist level project.

 

[woody554]

building trust is the most important thing as a new dev. nobody is getting fooled by your marketing schemes, it'll just make you look like you care more about scamming than working on your game.

after you complete your first game, and get into that highly exclusive club of super humans who completed a game, then you can maybe do SOME light advertising like teasers for your upcoming game. just so the people who found your first game can see something is happening and you didn't just disappear.

but even then I wouldn't use almost any time to that. the best marketing for these games is delivering updates in a timely manner, not disappearing for years, and of course not scamming your fans.

 

[Noah Neim]

Do you even know how to do that? Marketing can sometimes ruin a game instead, if you really wanna do it you better be ready properly.
That kind of stuff is done with a budget in mine, and by teams of people or already existing popularity, which you dont have (im assuming).
You just being one dude on discord servers saying 'hey check out my game' or posting on twitter 'game release!' to a sad audience of very little people will lead to very little effect, unless you can cause some sort of snowball effect.
There's also the consideration of the market you're in, since you're asking us it's likely a porn game, you already cut alot of your potential audience (it's not that people dont play them, but porn games are really acquired niche).

So you're really just better of releasing it eventually here... people here are always in need of new stimulation so they'll be willing to take the fall and try the game out if you manage to present it properly, and if its good, the thread will be active, more people who arent as active will eventually see it, it might get recommended, and you'll have a decent success assuming everything goes well.
Of course, other forums like should also be in your consideration.

 

[Gunjira]

Nothing wrong with creating interest in your product, the bar is actually so low with all the current productions that you can't really fuck it up and betray anyone's trust, in all honesty.

 

[Cartman-Brah]

there is no better promotion than a good first episode. no matter what kind of advertising you do, people don't know you so they will think "another game that will probably be abandoned". you have to make a good first episode to get people interested.