Indie Game Movement - The podcast about the business and marketing of indie games.
156 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsAndrew Pappas, founder of RenGen Marketing helps take indie devs and their games to a whole new level by discussing business best practices and sharing marketing strategies and tips to better navigate the world of indie game marketing.
Regardless if you’re an indie dev starting out or a veteran small team, the topic discussions apply to anyone wanting to better understand the online environment and stand out in a saturated market. A marketer since 2011, Andrew has found a passion for applying his knowledge by empowering and educating the indie dev community.
Between the years of his experience and interviews with respected industry veterans, you’ll learn about online marketing, email marketing, crowdfunding, paid advertising, community development, social media, community outreach, project management, and much more.
All episodes are packed with helpful information and actionable steps that can give you the confidence you need when it comes to your business and indie game marketing. Hit subscribe and get ready to become part of the indie game movement.
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Episodes
Ep 345 - Using Fulfilling Strategies to Create Long-Term Sustainability with Helen Carmichael
April 23, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBAcheiving commercial success from an initial release is always a challenge for small indie studios, but developing lasting sustainability in a constantly changing landscape is an entirely different feat. So today, we're going to explore strategies that promote sustainability by identifying key elements that can contribute to sustainability and how to strike a balance between creativity and commercial viability, so we can discover fulfilling ways that help us reach sustainability. Episode Sho...
Ep 344 - Creating Impact Using a Diversified Approach with Anisa Sanusi
April 16, 2024 04:00 - 53 minutes - 122 MBWithin the game industry, underrepresented voices face formidable obstacles, hindering their progress and potential. Amidst these challenges, fostering empathy and embracing diversified approaches offer transformative solutions. Explore the power of mentorship, the impact of empathy, and the role of diversity in shaping a vibrant, inclusive gaming community. Episode Shownotes Link:
Ep 343 - Strategies for Success in Studio Operations with Heidy Motta
April 09, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 148 MBIn any game studio, managing the day-to-day and long term operations efficiently can be a challenge. And finding a balance that promotes flow and sustainability sometimes may feel out of reach. Today, we're going to discuss everything from techniques that cover the day-to-day tasks to overarching visions and goals, and how to strike that balance so your studio can be a fine-tuned optimized machine. Episode Shownotes Link:
Ep 342 - Connecting with Players Through Meaningful Narrative Experiences with Aureus Gaj
April 02, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 139 MBIn any narrative-driven game, finding the delicate balance between a captivating story and engaging gameplay is essential. If either element falls short, players may struggle to connect with the game on a meaningful level, potentially providing an unfulfilling experience. Today, we’re going to understand the complexities of narrative design, ways to incorporate storytelling in more impactful ways that further engage players, all while learning how to create experiences that truly connect wi...
Ep 341 - Building Better Game Companies with Martijn van Zwieten
March 19, 2024 04:00 - 43 minutes - 99.9 MBMany game studio leaders aspire to build better companies, but navigating the complexities of vision, focus, and adaptability can pose significant challenges. In this episode, we explore practical strategies for overcoming these hurdles and achieving clarity and growth in a competitive landscape. From maintaining focus amidst competing priorities to mitigating potential problems, we’re going to be sharing actionable insights aimed at empowering developers and studio leaders to build stronge...
IGM UPDATE - Back on Track, News and the Thumbs Up Challenge
March 18, 2024 19:21 - 13 minutes - 11.1 MBA bit off the cuff, but got some great updates, news and a fun little challenge as a means to appreciate...you! Want your free market analysis report? Then visit
Ep 340 - Jump Starting Your Game Business with Matteo Uguzzoni
March 05, 2024 05:00 - 52 minutes - 121 MBIn the current indie game landscape, studios and developers often grapple with limited resources, and are always looking for ways they can stand out. But standing out isn’t always associated with creating awareness. Today, we’re going to explore what it takes to really jump start your business, from how to acquire valuable resources to avoiding costly pitfalls, so you don’t just know how to survive, but can thrive in a competitive landscape. Ep 340 Shownotes:
Ep 339 - Leveraging a Video Content Strategy with Matt Tompkins
February 20, 2024 05:00 - 57 minutes - 133 MBGame studios heavily rely on video content to raise awareness about their games. However, there’s a good chance that most game creators are not tapping their full potential in this medium, limiting the extent of their game’s visibility or other goals. In this episode, we'll delve into how other video content beyond gameplay clips and trailers can be an integral part of a game’s marketing strategy, maximizing its potential for creating awareness, player engagement and results. Ep 339 Shownotes:
Ep 338 - How to Nail Publisher Negotiations with Tim Bender (147 Revisited)
February 06, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour - 157 MBNow, depending on your goals and resources, sometimes your best bet is getting a publisher. And after initial talks, once you receive an offer it can be really exciting. However, there can be a lot of unknowns, especially when it comes to fully understanding how certain agreements can dictate your future. That's why today we’re revisiting our conversation with Tim Bender of Hooded Horse Games to know what to look out for and how to approach negotiations so you can be prepared and get the mo...
Ep 337 - Unleashing Creative Synergy in Video PR with Emily Kolm
January 23, 2024 05:00 - 50 minutes - 116 MBIn the realm of PR in games, navigating remote collaboration for tasks like trailer production can present a labyrinth of challenges. Maintaining creative cohesion and project vision with a remote team can be a daunting puzzle to solve, but it doesn’t have to be. Today we’ll explore how one PR video lead tackles their team’s remote collaboration challenges by discussing adaptive strategies for creative flow and how they find balance between autonomy and collaboration, offering real-world insi...
Ep 336 - Creating Sustainability in Game Niches with Hannah Flynn
January 09, 2024 05:00 - 58 minutes - 134 MBWhen people think about serving a particular audience or niche, it can be easy to focus only on the market demand and opportunities it may present. However not properly executing on that demand may result in obstacles that can make it a challenge to achieve sustainability. Today, we’re going to view a different perspective of what it means to niche down and how to serve an audience in a sustainable way, and believe it or not, it doesn’t start with knowing your audience. Ep 336 Shownotes:
Ep 335 - An Important IGM Update and Getting Retrospective
December 26, 2023 05:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBWith the year ending, we’ll be getting a little retrospective and reflecting on the past, however before that happens, we have some important updates and an announcement we’d like to share with our listeners. Ep 335 Shownotes:
Ep 334 - Emerging Market Challenges and Triumphs with Sarah Johana
December 19, 2023 05:00 - 54 minutes - 125 MBWith any emerging global market, the transition always starts with hurdles and challenges. In a lot of cases, it can be even more frustrating for indie developers and studios. Fortunately, these can be overcome with determination and creativity. Today we’re going to explore indie games from Southeast Asia that are breaking barriers and standing out in the global market and how they’re using creative solutions and leveraging new found market recognition to make an impact on the industry, and ...
Ep 333 - Mastering Your TikTok Strategy and Flow with Larissa Wild
December 12, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 151 MBUsing TikTok to help create additional awareness for your game or studio isn’t anything new, but creating a sustainable growth strategy on this platform may be, and can definitely be a challenge. While that may be so, it doesn’t have to overwhelm you and can be fairly simple too. Our conversation today discusses some valuable insights about how one studio effectively executes their TikTok strategy using processes that promote flow, community growth and results, all while accommodating a part...
Ep 332 - Adapting to Game Market Trends and Topics with Michael Wagner
December 12, 2023 01:44 - 1 hour - 148 MBAdapting to any kind of trend can be very challenging and sometimes impossible. But sometimes, having the right mindset, information and creative approach can go a long way in finding all sorts of opportunities in the constantly shifting games market. In today’s discussion, we’re going to explore a few current game market trends and topics and dig as deep as we can to reveal a ton of opportunities and how indie studios and developers can capitalize on them. Ep 332 Shownotes:
Ep 331 - Maximizing Influencer Campaigns through Effective Collaboration with Axel Danielsson
November 28, 2023 05:00 - 58 minutes - 133 MBWhenever we consider collaborating with influencers, usually top of mind is the bottom line. In other words, what kind of awareness and results can they get. More often than not though, this “transactional” way of thinking doesn’t lead to collaborations that deliver the results we’re looking for. In todays episode, we explore exactly what makes an effective collaboration, discussing everything from mindset, creative freedom and how to avoid costly decisions while building mutually beneficial...
Ep 330 - Strategic Team and Community Management with Astrid Rosemarin
November 21, 2023 05:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBManaging any game community entails a lot of work and focus, but managing a team of managers across multiple communities, each one vastly different from each other can be outright overwhelming, especially when thinking about how to be strategic and hit certain goals. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be. In today’s discussion, we approach how to be strategic across multiple communities from a simple perspective, that not only caters to each community, but how that helps carry out objectiv...
Ep 329 - Mastering Your Studio's Growth with Nicholas McDonnell
November 14, 2023 05:00 - 49 minutes - 114 MBStarting an indie game studio can be difficult but growing a sustainable one can be a challenging experience faced with a variety of unknown obstacles where every decision can impact your growth. Today, we’re going to explore the indie side of business development by breaking things down into simple concepts that can make all the difference in how you establish relationship, discover opportunities, and even avoid some potential hazards along the way, keeping you on a path to mastering your s...
Ep 328 - Leveling Up Your Game Studios Brand with Charis Reid
November 07, 2023 05:00 - 46 minutes - 107 MBCreating a brand is one of those things that we sometimes don’t put much stake in, and understandably so. Logos and sleek websites are nice to have, but they don’t necessarily contribute to goals and objectives…or do they? Well, today we’re going to dive deep into that concept and others, discovering how building a strong brand foundation doesn’t only provide clarity for your studio, but how it can influence your culture, attract the right audiences and partners, and whole lot of other things...
Ep 327 - Making Horror Games Scary with Justin Stoddard
October 31, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 185 MBWhen it comes to creating horror games, it can become quite a challenge to effectively deliver scares while keeping players fully immersed in the experience In this special Halloween episode we dive into the horror genre, comparing effective (and not effective) ways both games and films have leveraged scares, pacing and a whole lot of other areas, unearthing and resurrecting creative ways to make horror games more immersive and frightening, while even sharing how some of these concepts can b...
Ep 326 - Increasing Your Game’s Odds of Success with Caitlin Lafreniere
October 24, 2023 04:00 - 47 minutes - 108 MBIf there’s one thing indie studios and developers are always looking to do, it’s to increase the odds of their game’s success. However, trying to pinpoint exactly what that is, will always be a challenge to figure out. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore different concepts that can guide developers and studios to find their own solutions to this universal problem. By sharing objective-based processes and other approaches, we’ll reveal valuable insights and opportunities that can be lev...
Ep 325 - Mastering Your Game's Key Art with William Perkins
October 17, 2023 04:00 - 55 minutes - 127 MBWe all know that key art for our games plays a critical role in setting expectations for players, but sometimes despite the best intentions, it can still fall flat, causing confusion and even friction for players. Today we’re going to dig deep into what key art should consist of, the importance of knowing the market, and explore everything from concept, design, and distribution so you can get closer to mastering your game’s key art. Ep 325 Shownotes:
Ep 324 - Everything you do is Marketing with Ryan Sno-wood
October 09, 2023 04:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBWhether we want to admit or not, everything we do during the development to the release of games involves some level of marketing. From communicating and sharing information to making claims that “no marketing” was done, marketing is an intrinsic component of development and carries well beyond awareness and promotion. In this episode, we’re going to uncover some of the general misconceptions people have about marketing, how positioning and representation are just as important as creating aw...
Ep 323 - Navigating Development in a Changing Market with Richard Ogden
October 03, 2023 04:00 - 49 minutes - 45.9 MBLearning how to adapt to the ever-changing game industry is a challenge that all studios and developers face. From understanding evolving market conditions to determining how to align projects with those demands, it can be a tough climate to navigate. Today we’ll explore strategies that help set and maintain your project's course while learning how to adapt to market and other conditions, so your project and studio can sustain it’s course. Ep 323 Shownotes:
Ep 322 - Finding Balance Between Passion and Marketability with Chris Guin
September 26, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 31 MBIf there’s one thing developers generally have a strong supply of, it’s passion. While this is a great driving force that sparks motivation and creativity, it doesn’t always lend itself well when looking at projects from a marketing and business perspective, but it is possible. So today we’re going to explore how one developer made some interesting revelations over the course of a couple of projects that allowed them to focus on their passion while taking a more pragmatic approach to the mar...
Ep 321 - Improving and Maximizing your Wishlist Quality with Andrew Pappas
September 19, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 164 MBGetting wishlists is probably one of the main goals, bottom-line result we strive to acquire when getting games ready for release, and understandably so. But often, we get so caught up in this key metric that we don’t stop to think about the importance quality plays in our wishlist acquisition, and just focus on hitting a total number before release. So today, we’re going to look at wishlists in general from the “bottom-up”, reviewing and thinking about the processes involved in acquiring wi...
Ep 320 - Creating Shareworthy Game Moments with Neil Edwards
September 12, 2023 04:00 - 50 minutes - 117 MBIf there is one thing most of us strive to do as game creators, it’s to stand out. And standing out doesn’t get much better when people talk about your game and share it with others. But understanding exactly what the reasons or moments are that compel players to share games with their community can be a mystery. So in today’s conversation, we’re going to explore what “share-worthy” really means and break that down into specific categories so you can better identify your games’ share-worthy m...
Ep 319 - Mastering Your Game’s Market Positioning with Yannick Elahee
September 05, 2023 04:00 - 57 minutes - 132 MBFully understanding the market demand for a commercial game is essential. Leading with a genre that is in high demand is a great start, but many don’t think to dig deeper and find the gold nuggets that additional market research can reveal. In today’s episode, we’ll discuss where most people go wrong with their research, how to further validate your game, and identify tips and tricks that will give your game an edge over the competition. Ep 319 Shownotes:
Ep 318 - Unveiling the Benefits of Diversity in the Games Industry with Jakin Vela
August 29, 2023 04:00 - 49 minutes - 113 MBDiversity takes many shapes. In addition to differences in identity, diversity should encompass a difference in thought, background, experiences, skills. The games industry is experiencing a movement toward expanding and deepening our understanding of diversity and it’s an important conversation we need to have. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing the value of diversity, how to avoid making mistakes with the best intentions, the benefits it has for all devs and studios, and how having an ...
Ep 317 - Unlocking Your Indie Studio Advantage over AAA Giants with Konstantin Suvorov: Part 2
August 22, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 73.1 MBThis is Part 2 of the interview with Konstantin Suvorov. As an indie studio, comparing and despairing can be demoralizing, especially when comparing yourself to a AAA studio. However, changing your mindset can make all the difference in how your game studio can outplay and one-up even the biggest AAA brands. Today we’re going to uncover huge advantages indies have over AAA studios, valuable lessons each side can learn from the other, and unveil how you can combine these strategies and proc...
Ep 316 - Unlocking Your Indie Studio Advantage over AAA Giants with Konstantin Suvorov
August 15, 2023 04:00 - 51 minutes - 117 MBAs an indie studio, comparing and despairing can be demoralizing, especially when comparing yourself to a AAA studio. However, changing your mindset can make all the difference in how your game studio can outplay and one-up even the biggest AAA brands. Today we’re going to uncover huge advantages indies have over AAA studios, valuable lessons each side can learn from the other, and unveil how you can combine these strategies and processes, turning your studio into an indie game powerhouse. E...
Ep 315 - From Indie Dev Underdog to Prominent Publisher with Andrius Mackevicius
August 08, 2023 04:00 - 46 minutes - 105 MBThe journey to success is different for all of us, regardless of our beginnings. Overcoming challenges, and learning how to pivot are all valuable experiences, but sometimes it’s the humble beginnings that can really pave the way to reaching your destination. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing one company’s rise to prominence and how their evolution, resourcefulness, and the lessons they learned helped them go from an indie dev underdog to a prominent publisher. Ep 315 Shownotes:
Ep 314 - Turbo Charge your Remote Studio's Productivity with Masao Kobayashi
August 01, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 140 MBMaintaining productivity for any indie studio is absolutely essential, but studios that transitioned over to a remote setup over the past few years now face new challenges in keeping teams productive and healthy. In today’s episode, we discuss some of these challenges, interesting benefits that come from a remote setup and how the core solution to addressing growing pains of going-full remote is closer than you think. Ep 314 Shownotes:
Ep 313 - Building a Killer Creator Program with Ruth Dominguez
July 25, 2023 16:00 - 59 minutes - 136 MBCollaborating with content creators is one of the most impactful ways to amplify awareness and grow your game’s community. However, structuring programs sometimes can be a struggle when ensuring they support and benefit content creators too. Today we explore practical strategies your studio can use to amplify your marketing, engage your community and hit goals while simultaneously supporting creators. From discussing crucial aspects of the program’s design to empowering and nurturing creator...
Ep 312 - Creating Marketable Prototypes and Crushing Your Scope with Jeroen Janssen
July 18, 2023 04:00 - 42 minutes - 97.6 MBExploring ideas and concepts for a new project is always fun, especially when you’re ready to develop a prototype. But sometimes passion, drive, and even opportunity can be a distraction that could easily send you off course. Today we’re going to dive deep with our guest and discuss their process of exploring concepts, implementing prototypes, and how to keep things on track, even if it means completely trashing some of your work. Ep 312 Shownotes:
Ep 311 - Unleashing Your IP's Revenue Potential with Steve Duran
July 11, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes - 135 MBWe all understand the importance and value an IP has and rightfully so. However, sometimes studios don’t see beyond this, finding it difficult to visualize and unlock their IPs true potential. Today we’re going to explore creative approaches, simple yet powerful mindsets and other monetization strategies that can unleash your IPs full revenue potential while working towards sustainability. Ep 311 Shownotes:
Ep 310 - How to Crush Playtesting Your Games with Agne Vitkute
July 04, 2023 04:00 - 56 minutes - 129 MBWe all have a tendency to get close to our projects and sometimes miss the forest for the trees, especially when it comes to player feedback. But even if we don’t, the playtesting process can be cumbersome and even overwhelming, making it a challenge to navigate and understand what actions need to be prioritized to improve the quality of your game. In this episode, we’ll be discussing how you can crush your playtesting with a ton of valuable insights that not only provide you with clarity b...
Ep 309 - Validating Ideas and Using Roguelike Marketing with Dylan Gedig
June 27, 2023 04:00 - 57 minutes - 131 MBValidating any game concept can be a huge challenge for game creators. And if you’re not hitting the target dead on, it can cost valuable time and resources. But just validating a product in a demanding market doesn’t mean it’s enough to stand out. Usually, this comes down to looking at the whole picture from a different lens. Sometimes, that means distancing yourself from the crowd and taking a roguelike approach to really differentiate yourself. Ep 309 Shownotes:
Ep 308 - The Future of Advertising Games and Creating Micro Content with Roberto Pisati
June 20, 2023 04:00 - 50 minutes - 116 MBThe world of game marketing is a shifting landscape. Recent years have shown a trend toward short-form content for advertising, communicating and selling video games. Today we’ll be discussing some of those trends, effective ways to employ them in your projects and other concepts to keep in mind when tackling your marketing. Ep 308 Shownotes:
Ep 307 - Maximizing PR Campaigns Using Data Insights with Ga-Yi Ng
June 13, 2023 04:00 - 51 minutes - 118 MBCreating effective PR campaigns is a very tedious process. On top of that, executing campaigns doesn’t guarantee results. However, developing a better understanding and streamlining the process can create lots of opportunities to communicate your story and maximize your game’s awareness. We’ll be discussing how using data insights can help make decisions on how and when to execute effective PR campaigns. But also how this information can be leveraged to support all marketing efforts, giving y...
Ep 306 - Leveling Up Your Studio While Being Empathetic with Tina Merry
June 06, 2023 04:00 - 46 minutes - 107 MBBy now, most of you should know that this podcast is about the marketing and business of indie games. But another core theme carried throughout the show is empathy. We’ve talked about this in numerous ways in how it pertains to your audience, but never really defined the different types of empathy and explore the impact it can have across the industry. That’s why I’m really excited about this episode because our guest gives us a full breakdown of what empathy is, how it relates to different ...
Ep 305 - Understanding and Applying Audience Needs to Your Product Design with Alexandre Mandryka
May 30, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 144 MBAnytime you’re looking for opportunities in the game market, understanding your game’s audience is a great place to start. Unfortunately, the process isn’t usually defined well, making it hard to understand audiences, let alone how to apply their needs to your product design. Today we’re taking a deeper dive with our guest into exploring this concept of “knowing your audience” further, discovering key ingredients that you can use to create the right product design.
Ep 304 - Creating Impact Using Animated Trailers for Games with Carlos Gaxiola
May 23, 2023 04:00 - 50 minutes - 115 MBAnimation has been connecting people to characters across the world for generations. With animated game trailers rising to prevalence in the indie game community, we’re taking a look at the role they play, as well as some of the outcomes they encourage.
Ep 303 - Facing Challenges and Creating Opportunities for the Game Dev Community with Marcelo Rigon
May 16, 2023 04:00 - 55 minutes - 126 MBThe gaming industry is a global industry that continues to grow at a rapid rate and being interconnected virtually is a main contributor to this. Despite being connected, there are still segregated areas and communities that face multiple challenges when creating a presence and establishing recognition in the industry. Thankfully, our guest today shares how to overcome these challenges, question limiting beliefs and implement strategies that empower game dev communities and promote growth for...
Ep 302 - Finding Your Game’s Fit While Leveraging an Insight Mindset with Chris Bain
May 09, 2023 04:00 - 53 minutes - 123 MBWhen it comes to finding your game’s fit, identifying opportunities and creating value for players is something we all like to lead with. While important, there are a lot of other essential and core concepts that usually go unchecked, making it a challenge to stand out even if there is market demand. Thankfully our guest today shares how implementing these concepts can better define your path while learning from insights along the way, helping ensure your game’s fit is in line with the marke...
Ep 301 - Maintaining Your Wellbeing in the Games Industry with Kevin Scheepers
May 02, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 125 MBWith the stigma around mental health discussion slowly starting to go away, more and more industries are being tasked with examining their own mental health implications and ways to overcome these challenges. With games being a high stress environment, we’re taking a look at some ways to manage mental health while working in the industry.
Ep 300 - How Your Process is in Your Product with Xalavier Nelson Jr.
April 25, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 145 MBYour systems and processes as a developer or studio can dictate everything about your project. From how you source your funding to implementing your game’s vision and communicating that to players through marketing, it’s all done by having systems in place. The challenge with this is we may not always be aware of how each of these areas can be more defined in terms of how it relates to time, resources, quality and even communication. Today our guest shares his insights on how clearl...
Ep 299 - Aligning Your Marketing and Game's UX with Neil Edwards
April 18, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 156 MBWhenever we think about what makes a great game, generally speaking it boils down to the positive experience players have. However, when making games, the focus shouldn’t be making a great game, but making the right game for a particular audience and delivering more value than what’s currently available. But even with this shift in mindset, studios and developers can still struggle with how to communicate their game’s experience to prospective players. Thankfully, our guest shares UX design c...
Ep 298 - Leveraging Market Research and Reddit for Niche Games with Alice Ruppert
April 11, 2023 04:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBMaking any game has its challenges, but making one that caters to a niche audience can be an extremely daunting task. Between discovering a limited market and having few games to compare yours to, what you thought was an opportunity could quickly look like a big risk. Thankfully our guest today shares how a little market research and an understanding of your audience allows you to be more authentic with players while tackling other challenges around awareness efforts on platforms like Reddit ...
Ep 297 - How to Provide and Receive Information Using Proper Context
April 04, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes - 58.6 MBInformation can be a valuable and powerful tool for anyone. Whether you’re providing or receiving information, it can make all the difference in helping others reach their goals and your own. However, the context and intent of how information is created and received can impact our decisions, and direction and influence others. That’s why we’ll be discussing the importance of how to navigate and use information with proper context so we’re being mindful and efficient in how we apply it to our...