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WHO I AM

2014

2015

2017

#1

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WHO I AM

Not a marketer!

professional games marketer

me

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HOW DID CS DO?

  • nearly 300% funded�
  • #1!!!!1!!�
  • mth 1 = $500k�
  • now = $2 mil / 100k+ copies / 300-500k players�
  • 2 x BAFTA nominations, won/nominated for bunch of other awards�
  • marketing = £23k / £142k budget

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WTF IS CULTIST SIMULATOR

  • ‘Lovecraftian card game’�
  • experimental narrative + looks like card game + plays like roguelike text-based RPG�
  • ‘apocalypse and yearning’�
  • mechanics x narrative�
  • DIVISIVE + WEIRD

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CS MARKETING IN A NUTSHELL

  • Kickstarter�
  • social�
  • open production�
  • roadmap�
  • ‘Itchy access’�
  • Humble publishing�
  • trailer/streaming
  • paid social ads�
  • social countdown�
  • time-limited launch offer�
  • burst campaign�
  • merch competitions�
  • DLC�
  • DIVISIVE + WEIRD

DURING DEVELOPMENT

AFTER

LAUNCH

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CS MARKETING IN A SMALLER NUTSHELL

“An army, great in space, may offer opposition in a brief span of time. ��One man, brief in space, must spread his opposition across a period of many years if he is to have a chance of succeeding.”

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CS MARKETING IN A SMALLER NUTSHELL

“An army, great in space, may offer opposition in a brief span of time. ��One feminist, brief in space, must spread her opposition across a period of many years if she is to have a chance of succeeding.”

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bring community to boiling point

community (feedback, word of mouth, QA, buzz)

​

make people buy NOW

growing/exciting audience

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new rev streams + growing audience

WORD OF MOUTH

marketing beats + wishlist conversions

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WHAT WERE THE BEST BITS

Impossible to say without...

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GOALS!

​

you need ’em

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GOALS!

​

you need ’em

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GOALS

DURING DEVELOPMENT

  • press�
  • social follows / community�
  • KS pledges�
  • wishlists�
  • MAILING LISTS

AFTER LAUNCH

  • wishlist conversion�
  • new sales�
  • growing audience�
  • ‘keep the balloon up’

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MOST USEFUL...

DURING DEVELOPMENT

  • press�
  • social follows / community�
  • KS pledges�
  • wishlists�
  • MAILING LISTS

MMR

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MOST USEFUL...

AFTER LAUNCH

  • wishlist conversion�
  • new sales�
  • growing audience�
  • ‘keep the balloon up’

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • indie marketing ≠ expertise�
  • indie marketing = grind�
  • set clear goals�
  • try a bunch of different stuff�
  • work towards a launch explosion�
  • plan beats to keep the balloon up after launch

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