How I dropped the ball on Steam Next Fest

Steam Next Fest for June 2024 is over and I can say I learned a lot. I registered my game Super Space Arcade for Next Fest in June after having failed to make it into the February one. Back then I just couldn't finish the demo on time and also forgot a family vacation taking place the same week.

But June was supposed to be entirely different, at least that was the plan.
I would rather not bore you with the details, but it includes me forgetting the business-trip of my wife that week and one of my kids getting a fever the evening before Next Fest.

The first one totally being on me (and arguably just "being me") and the second one was just a random life event.

Things I learned:

Get the demo ready a week before Steam Next Fest starts

I didn't know that Valve sends out a list of all Next Fest participants to their press contacts a week before it starts. That means it's crucial to have a store page clean and tidy by then. It also means it's an opportunity to give the press a chance to play the demo before Next Fest and getting better coverage in return. I have no data on this, but I think some early article on a demo could potentially snow-ball into a bunch more attention by press and influencers.

Reach out to press

I'm really stumbling through this experience, I know, but getting a list of press contacts ready and sending out a press briefing should be absolutely part of the Next Fest routine. I didn't do that, as I haven't even started getting a list of contacts together.

It's one of those things you just can't fix in an all-nighter a couple of days before an event. I know it's important, I just wasn't able to do it in time and I want to do better next time.

Get the streaming setup ready and schedule a live stream

I don't know if live streams make a big difference to the bottom line in terms of wishlists and press coverage, but it certainly feels like a significant differentiator between gamedev hobbyists and people who mean business.

But it also requires preparation. I'll have to practice live-streaming some development and gaming before my next event, I wouldn't want that to be my first stream and stumble through it, both content wise and technically.

Streaming and making videos is a skill, one which I have absolutely zero experience in and one that I always avoided, mostly out of fear. I'm trying for years to invest resources specifically into areas of fear in my life, as I feel those are the ones to provide the highest returns.

Because if I dread making videos, others also dread making videos. The easiest way to leave some competition behind is then to make some damn videos.

Make myself available

Next time, my schedule needs to be rock solid. I want to be around for players, ask for live feedback, and react to everyone giving some. Any type of game fest is like an invitation to players to come into your store. It doesn't matter how beautiful the store is or how awesome the product — if the store is abandoned, it creates a weird atmosphere, one of not caring. The messaging has to encourage feedback on all channels: Social Media, store page, newsletter, website.

I think I saw an estimate on wishlists gained on Next Fest somewhere, maybe one of Chris Zukowski's videos, and it said that Next Fest will about double your wishlists, doesn't matter whether you have 10k or 10. This assessment has been remarkably close, I think I had about 180 wishlists before Next Fest, and I'm sitting at around 330 right now. Nothing to cry about for a first game, but there is definitely some room to grow.

I aim to release Super Space Arcade in the coming weeks. I'm still working on fine-tuning some core mechanics and polishing the experience with things like controller glyphs, etc. but I feel it's time to put a stake in the ground and make that initial release. Because finishing is a skill too.