The state of indie game marketing in 2026, according to an indie developer

As the clone of Mahatma Gandhi once eloquently stated, “Marketing brings the coin.” For indie game developers, this has never been more true. A good marketing strategy can turn any indie game from a nighttime side project to a life-changing cash cow. Recent titles like Lethal Company, Balatro, Schedule I, R.V. There Yet, and plenty of others have shown that solo projects, or projects from very small teams like Hollow Knight, have unprecedented viral potential. But where does that virality come from? Here's a hint: not the press.

The state of games journalism in 2026, at least for indie games, is troubling. Major news outlets are wary of covering indie games, usually focusing on those that are already extremely popular. When there are sixty games released every day, presumably each one with an accompanying press release, that is overwhelming. It is far easier for the press to focus on AAA news, strategy guides, and the game industry equivalent of “if it bleeds, it leads” (ie layoffs). 

Don't get me started on Kickstarter campaigns either, which, despite the platform making a steady comeback in terms of successful campaigns, are rarely covered by the media at all. For all intents and purposes, it doesn’t feel worth the sweat and stress for indie developers to send out press releases to major outlets anymore. Oh sure, feel free to write one up and send it to inbox at gamespress dot com so it gets reposted as-written, at a dozen or so sites you've never heard of that don’t get enough views to move the proverbial needle. But when it comes to your actual marketing plans, your energy is better focused elsewhere.

Creators

Creators provide an authentic experience with a game, closer to actually playing it than any magazine or blog ever could. The issue is that, much like mainstream games media, creators need to make money, but any game they play is a risk. They can lose subscribers, lose money, and lose sponsorships for playing the “wrong” games. This means developers need to do a bit of homework on which creators are best suited to their games before sending out keys. As a developer, creators who only play one game, or play games dissimilar to yours, will likely not be interested in playing your game.

If you have never seen this Twitch Talent Scouting spreadsheet, I highly recommend bookmarking it and making a copy of it any time you have a new game. You'll then want to add in some competitive titles on the Competitor Analysis page. Then visit Sullygnome for Twitch and Playboard for YouTube, where you can find creators who have covered your competition (check the Most Watched and Peak Viewers tabs). Add them to the Shortlist page. After whittling down to the best matches, dig up everyone's contact info, and that's the start of your new press list.

Services like Keymailer are important for launch day, but require an investment to get real reach. A free campaign on Keymailer only allows for 25 keys to be sent on the first day, and 10 keys a day after. This may be enough for you, but you'll need to be very selective. My recommendation is to keep keys for anyone in your press list off of Keymailer. Send those directly, and establish a rapport a week or two ahead of time so they'll know keys are on the way.

Finally, don't forget that there are a LOT of video platforms now. Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Rumble, TikTok, Instagram, Bilibili, the choices are endless. Be ready to cover all your bases, and do a lot of homework to find the right creators to play your game. Remember: you want to cast a wide but manageable net. It's very likely that these creators will not only make content about your game, but they will also post said content on...

Social Media

Growing your own social media following is as important as ever, but the results are minuscule compared to your game being shared by popular accounts. People like @IndieGameJoe and the wonderful @PaulaVaynshteyn share games across their various channels every day. In fact, the number of accounts sharing indie games only seems to be growing, and becoming an effective organic hub for projects gaining traction. 

This holds especially true when developers drop a new trailer, put their Steam page online, launch their Kickstarter, or even when the game itself goes live. Getting a bump from the right account can easily be worth the price of admission (which, in many cases, is free). As long as you have a good trailer or an exciting GIF, and a catchy elevator pitch, somebody is bound to repost what you're doing.

The great news is it's easy for you to become one of these accounts as well. Just start sharing games! If you don't know where to start, head on over to Steam's demo section and check out some of the latest uploads. You're bound to find something worth sharing. In turn, this can help grow your own popularity for when the time comes to share your own work. You don't even necessarily have to make a video for every game you share; just a text post can do wonders. Even better, quote-tweet the developer's post, as this gives the biggest algorithmic bump, even bigger than a normal retweet.

There are two groups to be wary of, however. 

The first are the ones posting gigantic “Wishlist Wednesday” or “Screenshot Saturday” threads. These won't do you any good. The accounts themselves may have a big following, but since they don't share anything in the thread, your posts underneath will most likely get ignored and instead only go to feed their own numbers. These posts are primarily, for lack of a better term, engagement bait. Users may go digging through them for gems, but generally speaking, there are far better discovery tools out there.

The second are accounts that appear to promote other indies, but they only do it for a cost. These costs can be exorbitant too, and your budget is much better spent on the game itself or more creative marketing endeavors. Stick to accounts that post for the love of the game - YOUR game. Hopefully you'll also stumble into somebody willing to write about your game in the...

New Media

In the wake of classic magazines like Computer Gaming World, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and Nintendo Power shutting down, and of course the struggles of mainstream games journalism, some new media is springing up to fill the void. Magazines like Indie Corner and Cartridge Culture are currently digital-only, but hopefully someday they'll come to print. Of course, we can't ignore gaming news sites The Nerdy Type and podcasts like F13 or Thomas Brush. 

The difference between smaller mags, blogs, and podcasts compared to their mainstream counterparts is that they will, in fact, cover your games, your Kickstarters, and your wishlist campaigns. They care about indies because the big sites don't, and many of them have been or are indies. You won't find many of these smaller sites on big industry press lists, but you will find them on social media and at industry events like PAX. More are springing up, so don't be afraid to follow their work and send your announcements along when you've got them.

Podcasts are becoming an especially important avenue for games marketing. When your game launches, get ready to go on a press tour of sorts and go on practically any gaming or game development podcast that will have you. Be ready to talk about your game, the victories and struggles of development, the lessons you've learned, and what your next plans are. Letting players hear your voice and talk about the development of your game adds a human element to the experience that they otherwise might not get. Speaking of which, don't forget to bring your game to some...

Events

I've always found that bringing my games to events, and getting them directly into players' hands, has been the best marketing I can pay for. However, big events are ridiculously expensive. If you have tens of thousands of dollars to drop on a booth for GDC, be my guest. But if not, might I suggest the Boston Festival of Indie Games, Southeast Game Exchange, or any of the other, smaller events listed at Game Conference Guide? Also keep an eye out for local opportunities like demo nights or smaller expos at schools. There is always something going on!

When in doubt, there are also livestream showcases and Steam events. From the Triple-i Initiative to Wholesome Direct; platform showcases from XBOX, PlayStation, and Nintendo; itch.io's upcoming showcase, and other independent efforts, there are many chances to get your game in front of a lot of eyes. 

They're not always cheap, but they can be effective if your trailer stands out. Steam Events, both official and third-party, are big collections of games that fit into a specific category or genre. For instance, my own game, Mondrian - Plastic Reality, was recently featured in Steam's own “Pins & Pegs” Festival, dedicated to pachinko, pinball, and brickbreaker games; and a new publisher, Blue Ridge Games, hosted their own “Prismatic Games Showcase” for self-published titles. 

These festivals are happening practically weekly on Steam now. It's worth keeping an eye on Steam's official developer channels for events into which your game might fit, while keeping an ear open for murmurs of third-party events you can join. Some of these may come out of left field, but honestly, left field is where some of the biggest opportunities are.

Left Field Marketing

This is the secret X-factor of games marketing, and it's entirely yours, because it's all dependent on your game. What I like to call “left field marketing” is avenues that only appeal to your niche. For instance, if you're making a fishing game, maybe you send copies to YouTube channels focused on hunting and fishing, rather than video games. If you're making a game about a stray cat, maybe you team up with your local ASPCA to build awareness of your game by getting included in their weekly newsletter. There are an infinite number of possibilities here. The only limit is the size of your audience's core niche (and, of course, your budget).

This is an avenue nobody in the media, new or old, is going to be able to help you with. You're on your own, because only you know your game and the target audience to whom you are trying to appeal. This is the “go where your audience is” marketing, and it's the kind of marketing that is going to have less competition from other games. Find that thing your game is about, and ask yourself where people with that interest specifically convene. That's where you'll find your niche audience, and very likely, the biggest supporters of what you're doing.

Discoverability

Before you start spreading the news about your game, you will absolutely need to make sure you have all your discoverability ducks in a row. First and foremost, build your Steam, itch.io/GameJolt, and homepage (like, at your website... I assume you have a website; otherwise, please at least go build one at Neocities). Create a submission for your game at IGDB, which is where Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms get their game data. 

If you’re missing this, creators will likely have to use the generic “Indie Games” or “Gaming” labels, which will make finding streams or videos of your game more difficult. Once everything else is up, submit the game to third-party discoverability pages like indieDB, Fake Portal, and the Giant Bomb Wiki to improve your reach. If your game supports user-generated content, I also recommend building pages at modDB, mod.io, or NexusMods to give your community a trustworthy home for their creations.

Yes, this is a lot, but each of these pages will reduce marketing friction. That means nobody will ever have to go very far to find information or content about your game, which is exactly what you want. The easier it is to find, the more likely you are to get a player.

Tying it All Together

The state of indie game marketing in 2026 is rough, but not insurmountable. There are simply lots of potholes to dodge around. The media seems to be ignoring everything but the biggest indie hits, so your press list is better off consisting of a small, targeted group of writers, streamers, and podcasters who actually care about what small artists are making. 

Creators have dozens of platforms to pick from, and key distribution services will limit you if you can't pay a subscription fee. Build relationships ahead of time to send them keys directly, rather than through an intermediary. Your own social following is far less important than being amplified by others, so create something that impresses visually and has a killer synopsis. Consider sharing some games yourself, and in turn, maybe they'll share your game too. Don't be afraid to personally reach out to writers at smaller sites. Even if the reach isn't great, it's far better than the no-name Games Press aggregators. 

There's the added benefit too that maybe the article on your game will be what makes them popular enough to get a media badge at events you're attending. Speaking of which, pay attention to both upcoming real-world events, as well as Steam events/digital showcases where you can run your trailer, share your demo, and gather wishlists. Finally, know your niche, and cater to their spaces, rather than just game-related avenues for your marketing.

Now that I have let all the secrets of modern-day indie game marketing out of the bag, I should get back to making my own games. Speaking of which, I would be honored if you checked them all out at lantanagames.com, including the award-winning Mondrian series of orbital brickbreakers, both of which are now available in physical format on CD! There are also t-shirts, hoodies, socks, mugs, and posters if you feel so inclined. Every dollar helps and goes right back into development! 

You can follow me on Twitter, @shadesofsilver, and for strictly game updates, follow @lantanagames everywhere.

Thanks for reading!

About the author: Danny Silvers
	Danny Silvers is an award-winning independent game developer hailing from Boston, MA. He is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, holding a BFA in Interactive Design and Game Development. He is a solo developer at Lantana Games, having previously worked on titles such as Mondrian - Abstraction in Beauty and Plastic Reality; and Children of Liberty. He was also a co-founder of BostonFIG Fest, an annual, day-long expo celebrating indie games from the New England area. He is currently building Lantana’s next big project in the Godot game engine while helping to test any indie game he can get his hands on.
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