This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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What's the business process for releasing an indie game? Like an indie video game on Steam. Steam is one of the biggest game distribution platforms. It's actually very simple, at least in a technical sense, to upload a game and release it to market for a solo developer, a small team, to put their creations in front of millions of players. Of course, it's also a competitive environment, just 'cause it's simple to do it.
Doesn't mean it's going to be simple to make it a big success. There are over 12,000 games released on Steam each year. So standing out and making money is a whole different challenge, but let's talk about it. We got a question from a listener in Salt Lake City. He's working on a solo game.
He dreams of publishing it on Steam. So what's the actual business process there? Like how much does it cost? What marketing does he need? Can a one-person game really make money?
Let's break it down. Detailed question in my answer coming right up. [Music]
Hi, Chris. This is Evan from Salt Lake City. I've been working on a small, indie video game project in my spare time.
It's something I've wanted to do for years, and I'm finally making progress. My dream is to publish it on Steam, the big digital platform where tons of video games find an audience. But here's where I'm stuck. I know how to build games itself, but I have no idea how the business side works. What does it actually take to get a game on a Steam?
How much does it cost? What kind of marketing do I need to do? And is there any realistic way to make money with a one-person game project? [Music]
I've been playing games on Nintendo Switch and PS5, but I actually had a Steam Deck for a while where you can play games on Steam. It is a pretty cool platform that allows both big studios and indie developers to publish their work.
And some indie games have gone on to sell millions of copies, like millions. So just imagine if you're an indie game publisher, you're receiving a good bit of the average purchase price. Your game sells for $10, $20, it could be more, and you're selling millions of copies, it's huge. Even if you don't sell millions of copies, you could do well. But as you've guessed, the business side is a whole separate game that you need to play.
So for Evan and anybody else out there, getting your game onto Steam, the self-publishing process goes through something called Steam Direct. You need a Steam account developer set up. You need to pay $100 submission fee per game, which is actually refundable once you earn over $1,000 in sales. So it's essentially free. You need to have some marketing assets.
You need to have descriptions, tagging. You need to pass Steam's review process. They're mostly checking for functionality here. They're not actually reviewing your game. They're just like, does it work?
Does it not have any malware or viruses on it? And once you're approved, you get access to Steam's publishing tools, their update system, their storefront set up. Naturally, they're gonna take their cut. They're taking 30% of your sales revenue, which is on the one hand a lot. On the other hand, they have millions of users.
So 70% is not bad. If you think about, again, what games can cost. So 30% cut, now comes the real work, which is marketing your indie game. And that's where most indie developers struggle. They're good at building games.
They're not so good at marketing. And it's also just a crowded market, as noted. So a couple of things you can do, build a Steam Wishlist audience before launch. Steam's discovery algorithm favors games with high Wishlist counts. In fact, it's one of the biggest predictors of success.
So you wanna start talking about your game and showing screenshots, maybe showing a trailer well in advance of release date. Reach out to small YouTubers, Twitch streamers who cover indie titles. There's a lot of people doing that. It's actually a very big space. And these micro influencers often love showcasing unique games.
Big media like IGN or GameSpot, they're not gonna write about small solo projects, but these smaller influencers often do. And that can be really effective. If possible, run a play test demo. Steam offers tools for this. It can help generate early reviews and buzz.
Most solo developers are not gonna get rich, but if you treat it like a learning experience, aim for a small, engaged audience, you can definitely cover costs and hopefully create a long-term brand. Only about 10% of games make over $10,000. But to me, that doesn't sound like bad odds. I'm like 10%. Okay, well, if you imagine that some of these games that get uploaded are not actually ready, there is no marketing plan.
Some people are just trying things. To me, it almost sounds like you have a 50% chance of success if you cross some initial barriers and then 50% is really not bad. So focus on gathering those wish lists, engaging a niche audience, set some clear financial goals for your first launch, and see how it goes. Steam Direct is the tool, again, no affiliation, but I am a gamer, so I'd love to see new games out there. Listeners, let me know if you have a question or comment, sidehustleschool.com.
We'll continue to feature them along with updates from other listeners as they launch and grow their projects. I'm so glad you're out there. Thanks for listening. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School.
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From the Onward Project.
