4d (edited) • General discussion
How to Prepare for Steam Next Fest
I'm often asked how to prepare for Steam Next Fest and so I've put together tips from my experience working on dozens of games over the last few years. Read the full blog post.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions I receive when I hold regular 1:1 calls with Indies about Steam Next Fest. If you have a question to ask, I only have one request - be specific with your question, and share the link to my community so others can benefit from the knowledge.
⭐How do I know if I’m ready for Next Fest?⭐
If your core gameplay loop is solid, your Steam page is fully optimised with Trailers, Screenshots, Tags, GIFs, and you have a bug-free 20-30 minute demo, you’re ready. Ask yourself: Would I be comfortable sending this to creators or the press right now? If the answer is no, you’re not ready yet. If you’re still fixing things a week before, wait for the next one.
⭐What is the "Rule of 7"?⭐
It’s the idea that a player needs to see your game multiple times across different platforms before they finally hit that “Wishlist” button. Repurposing one piece of content into seven posts across different platforms is the easiest way to hit this number without burning out trying to create entirely new content.
⭐Should I use Discord or Steam Forums?⭐
Both are useful, but prioritise Steam. You want the activity to be visible on Steam to help your organic reach. Discord is great for community building, but during the fest, keep the conversation where the algorithm can see it. Respond on Steam first, always.
⭐How long should my demo be?⭐
Typically depending on the length of your game you want to aim for 20 to 30 minutes. If you have a shorter game length, then you need to be tactical using visuals. Ideally you want to showcase the core mechanics and leave the player wanting the full game, not give them the whole experience for free. If people are spending more time playing your demo than they will on the full game, your demo is too long. It should be just enough to give them a taste of the core gameplay.
⭐How long should I start preparing?⭐
If you haven’t started, and you're reading this blog post at the end of January then start now. Ideally, you would have started preparing by the time you submitted your game for the fest. Even 3-4 weeks of focused preparation is better than last-minute scrambling, though it can be tighter.
⭐What should be my goals for Steam Next Fest?⭐
Your goals should be measurable and specific to your current situation, not based on what other games are doing or what gurus tell you. Set realistic targets based on your own baseline. Maybe you want to increase daily wishlists by 50%, reach 3x your current monthly impressions, or get 5 content creators to cover your demo. Focus on: did my preparation work? Did more people see my game? Did they engage with it? Use those answers to improve future marketing efforts.
⭐Should I collect feedback during Steam Next Fest?⭐
Absolutely. Set up your Steam community forum for this purpose and monitor it daily. Ask for specific feedback: What worked? What confused you? What would make you wishlist this? Read it, don’t argue with it, and take notes. Some feedback is invaluable; some is noise. That’s fine. Look for the signals and implement the feedback - this can also give you content ideas for a future Steam post e.g. “We took onboard XX feedback from Steam Next Fest, and implemented it into the game - this is how we are improving the experience based on your feedback”. You can also set-up in-game feedback forms or links to Google Forms, just make it simple - don’t feature it more than once, but make it accessible.
⭐Should I do a livestream?⭐
Only if you’re comfortable doing it and have an audience to watch. You can also pre-record and stream via various tools. One of the services I provide is to help devs to stream their game and take the burden off and help reduce costs. If you feel like streaming is forced marketing - then the documentation from Next Fest says that streaming is now optional so you don’t feel like you need to do it. Instead, I would still focus on the “Rule of 7” content repurposing strategy. If you did prepare an hour stream, perhaps there are content moments that could be clipped and shared. If you have an engaged community that wants to see you play and chat, a casual Q&A can build connections - you ultimately need to make that call based on what fits your audience and bandwidth.
⭐Should I engage with the community before, during, and after?⭐
Yes, but prioritise focus over presence everywhere. Beforehand, post on Steam that you’re participating. There are a few resources that can help in the official documentation. During the event, be active, answer questions, acknowledge feedback, and thank people for playing. You don’t need to be on every platform, pick a couple where you can focus on. Consistency matters more than sporadic posts everywhere - and always prioritise Steam forums over others like Discord.
⭐I followed all the advice, and Steam Next Fest wasn’t a success - what did I do wrong?⭐
First, define "unsuccessful". I’ve seen plenty of games that didn’t hit massive wishlist numbers but still learned invaluable things about their audience. That’s not failure; that’s data.
Did people download your demo but not play it? That’s a positioning issue, not a demo issue Your Steam page didn’t set the right expectations. Did they play it but not wishlist it? That happens. Not everyone who plays will wishlist, and that’s completely fine. Some won’t like your demo, and that’s okay. You can’t win over everyone.
Did you reach creators and press but they didn’t reply or passed? That could be a fit issue. Maybe your game doesn’t align with their usual content, or the timing was off. That’s not a failure on your part.
Here’s what I do after every Next Fest: I look at the data, identify what actually happened (not what I thought would happen), and adjust. If engagement is low, I optimise the Steam page. If creators or media pass, I re-evaluate positioning or reach out to different outlets next time. If the demo had low retention, I work with the team to iterate on the gameplay, pacing and tutorial.
The games I’ve worked on that didn’t win often still sold well after launch because we learned from the data. Marketing doesn’t stop after one festival. It continues, and each time you get better. The difference between a game that gains traction and one that stalls isn’t always the first event. It’s how you use the feedback to revise your plans for the next opportunity.
0
0 comments
How to Prepare for Steam Next Fest
skool.com/videogamemarketing
Learn video game marketing with Dan Sheridan. 20-year veteran (EA, SEGA, Techland) teaching you how to market everything from Indie gems to AAA hits.
Powered by