How can you build a loyal fan base and market your game through word-of-mouth?

Right after your initial release, you need to get in touch with your users. Understand what more do they want in the game. You can create polls on public platforms or even inside the game. And then eventually add some of those features (if they aligin with game's concept) in the upcoming releases.

Making a remarkable game doesn't just mean making the best or most original game. Sometimes you just have to put some silliness, maybe leave some funny bugs that doesn't affect the gameplay and is loved by players to the point they can make content out of it. Or get inspired from what you find good in other games and make it better. As long as you do your best to keep the interest of your player base either with silliness, unique ideas, references, replayability and more like QoL, you will create a remarkable game in the eyes of your players. Combine that with the influence they will have on their friends, relatives, social media, you will soon grow a community for your remarkable game too. +Feedback and interactions are really important.

I agree. In my experience, I get involved in a lot of games with a social impact in them. Ensuring that the experience is relatable, it will be sharable in peers conversations and spread itself. Games comes with a great storyline and cultural connection that it makes others, not from that culture, to go and experience it based on how it is spoken about.

It requires a combination of creating a high-quality product, fostering a strong community and leveraging various strategies to encourage organic sharing. In that regards companies like Riot Games & Blizzard Entertainment are best in class. recently we had the example of Baldur's Gate3

Although I agree with this in general, In reality it is becoming harder and harder to have a completely original and unique game that stands out in a particular way. The most important element for a good game is still a fun gameplay. Attracting players alone is not enough by itself. Once a fun and engaging gameplay is in place, then a targeted advertising campaign can show off the game's USP (unique selling proposition), whether be it story, graphics, art style and aesthetics, or clever mechanics. This can be achieved by studying the genre of the game that is being developed, and mixing/matching different ideas, even if they're from other genres or other art forms or mediums. Then the final product is a unique game that is fun to play.

The hardest part is actually to find your audience, which is easier said than done: look for the genre experts, the niche evangelists and game dev enthusiasts in general. Then go where they are - their favorite communication channels, forums, social platforms or IRL places of aggregation - rather than losing time and resources trying to attract them onto your own channels and platforms. How do you engage them effectively and consistently, though? Make them part of the development process, share your own love for the game and the genre you picked, show your work behind the scenes. Learn from the best in community management, such as Larian Studios or Mediatonic, but keep true to yourself all the time.

Actions speak louder than words in this step. Communities for games know fairly quickly if a Discord server or Reddit was created simply to let community members speak into the void and “check the box” or if there is a two-way street and their voices are being heard. Are valid and great ideas/input being heard and implemented in your game? Grinding Gear Games (Path of Exile) does a great job of this by actively interacting and publicly addressing consumer concerns. Making the community feel as though they are legitimately part of the growth of the game can provide incredible dividends long-term.

Building a network of those in your target audience is one thing that you can do to start a community. LinkedIn has been a great way for me to get connected with those in my target audience and get feedback through posts. It's a great way to engage and interact and understand those in your market.

Creating a vibrant community entails connecting with your target audience across platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and gaming communities. Additionally, employing A/B testing can help refine your engagement strategies and gather feedback more effectively through posts. These platforms, combined with testing, offer valuable opportunities to interact, learn, and grow within your market.

Probably one of the most recent and successful examples is the Baldurs Gate 3. Even with such a niche genre, they managed to captivate players from day 1. Regular updates, engaging with the community, and motivating the community to create fan content let them spread almost everywhere in the world.

Drawing from my own experience, I've found that fostering word-of-mouth buzz becomes remarkably effective when you incentivize player referrals and reviews, all while expressing sincere gratitude.

Encouraging referrals and reviews not only builds a loyal fan base but also markets your game through powerful word-of-mouth, leveraging satisfied players to spread positive experiences and attract new users.

Referrals is one of the preferred tool used in the mobile games F2P industry. It still lacks traction on console and PC, referrals being more a way to structure a community but depends highly on the good will of people.

Digital transformation is ramping up how fast people consume content, making it a challenge for game studios to keep up with both the quality and quantity of content. Gone are the days when you could just hire a bunch of in-house talent and meet player demands. 🔴 The new trend? Get your most dedicated fans involved and give them a way to make a living from it.

Collaborating with influencers is a potent strategy. From my experience, partnering with streamers, YouTubers, and bloggers who align with your game's genre can spark significant word-of-mouth. Offering free access and engagement opportunities amplifies your game's reach and credibility.

Working with influencers has some pros and cons. Based on my experience you need to assure that the partnerships with influencers is genuine. What players want is their favourite studio, game publisher or game IP to stay true to itself. Staying authentic with an Influencers really invested into the game will pay off big time. Genuine interaction from influencers with players is key so it is not considered as a marketing scam. Otherwise it would damage the brand name and community trust

Monitoring and measuring the impact of your word-of-mouth strategy is the compass that guides its success. In my experience, using analytical tools to track player conversations, share locations, and their influence on others has been enlightening. Additionally, collecting feedback and testimonials not only helps improve the game but also provides valuable social proof for future marketing efforts.

Understanding where players are coming from and if they are in line with the expected audience. If they are not it would mean there will be a need to correct the production process in the future. If the players fit the expected audience and target, then the game will need to be iterated based on collected data. For future DLC, updates, upgrades, it is important, even though keeping the roadmap plan, to have an open mind and stay flexible to listen to what players like and want

Build a loyal fan base and market your game through word-of-mouth by engaging players, offering rewards for referrals, encouraging user-generated content, providing outstanding support, requesting reviews, collaborating with influencers, and maintaining high game quality.

A Testament to Perseverance and Community Engagement. Early in 2023, I collaborated with Inworld.ai to create a innovative AI-to-AI chat demo using their beta technology. But amidst a flurry of AI breakthroughs, the project was overshadowed and sidelined. Instead of moving on, I remained active in Inworld.ai's Discord. Six months later, the tide changed. The community began to appreciate the demo, and the company just decided to release its source code, showcasing the quality of my work and potential of the implementation. This experience underscored the power of patience and the importance of nurturing long-term relationships with both companies and their communities. You can experience the AI<>AI Chat demo on Inworld.ai Discord.

Remember that what you put out in the world has a life of its own. The more you embrace that and the audience that finds your creation, the better it will be received and grow. Engaging your community and embracing this only helps grow your audience and impact from your title.

Share your game with family and friends; you don't know who they might tell about your game. Well, if it's adorable. Also, share the gameplay on social media; this form of marketing matters a lot. It can generate buzz through word of mouth.