In the modern gaming industry, launching an indie game on Steam without a pre-existing audience is a guarantee of zero sales. The 'build it and they will come' mentality does not work when thousands of games are released every week. For an indie game developer, marketing must begin the day you write your first line of code or design your first sprite. This makes the 'build in public' strategy—often executed via a devlog—the single most important marketing effort you will undertake. When you build your game in public, you aren't just selling a final product; you are inviting players on an epic creative journey. You share the messy reality of game dev: the hilarious physics bugs, the grueling process of optimizing shaders, and the triumph of finally nailing the core gameplay loop. By documenting this journey on platforms like BuildInProcess and cross-posting to Twitter (#gamedev), you cultivate a community deeply invested in your success. This audience provides crucial early playtesting feedback, boosts your visibility on 'Screenshot Saturday', and most importantly, translates directly into Day-1 Steam wishlists, which are the lifeblood of any indie game launch.
Steam's algorithm heavily favors games with high initial wishlist velocity. By sharing compelling GIFs, concept art, and gameplay loops months before launch, you build a massive list of eager players who will buy the game on release day, triggering further algorithmic promotion.
Game balance is incredibly hard to achieve alone. By sharing early alpha builds or specific mechanic prototypes publicly, you attract dedicated players who will happily find edge cases, break your physics engine, and provide feedback that ensures a polished final release.
Game development is a marathon that often takes years. Sharing your progress publicly and receiving positive reinforcement for a new animation or a clever lighting effect provides the psychological fuel necessary to survive the grueling middle stages of development.
Many indie publishers scout Twitter and Reddit for promising games with established traction. A highly engaged public devlog serves as undeniable proof of market demand, making your pitch to publishers or Kickstarter backers infinitely stronger.
We built the exact tools you need to share your journey without wasting hours on marketing.
Specific, concrete updates that actually drive engagement in this niche.
Gaming is a visual medium. Consistently share high-quality, short GIFs of your game's most visually appealing or mechanically satisfying moments. Participate heavily in weekly community events like #ScreenshotSaturday.
Gamers love behind-the-scenes chaos. Share a video of an NPC flying into space because of a math error or a boss model stretching uncontrollably. It humanizes you and is highly shareable content.
Other developers are a huge part of your audience. Write detailed posts about how you achieved a specific stylized look using custom shaders in Unity or Godot, or how you programmed complex enemy behavior.
Show the evolution of your game. Post a side-by-side comparison of your 'programmer art' from month 1 versus the polished assets of month 12. People love seeing the 'glow-up'.
Be transparent about your metrics. Share when you hit 1,000, 5,000, or 10,000 wishlists. Discuss what specific Reddit post or TikTok video caused the biggest spike in traffic.
Don't hide the burnout. Share your struggles with scope creep, imposter syndrome, and balancing development with a day job. Authenticity builds the strongest, most supportive communities.
The perfect platform to host your long-form devlogs, organize your technical deep dives, and schedule your crucial visual updates across Twitter and other networks.
The absolute epicenter of the indie dev community. Engaging here daily is mandatory for building a baseline audience.
Massive platforms for driving wishlist spikes. Documenting your strategy for making successful Reddit posts is highly valuable meta-content.
The engines of creation. Tagging your technical posts with your specific engine guarantees engagement from that massive, dedicated sub-community.
While he built it before 'build in public' was a buzzword, Eric maintained a dedicated developer blog for years, sharing every agonizing detail of recreating Harvest Moon alone. This transparency built a rabid fanbase that made the game a massive hit on day one.
Thomas is incredibly vocal on Twitter about the realities of solo game development, marketing, and dealing with platform holders. His transparency has built massive respect and continuous attention for his unique, stylized games.
In 2024/2025, numerous indie devs leverage TikTok to build in public, sharing daily 'Look at what I coded today' videos. This direct, raw connection with players frequently results in games amassing hundreds of thousands of wishlists before launch.
Create your BuildInProcess profile. Your first post should outline the core 'hook' of your game. What makes it unique? Why are you dedicating years of your life to it?
Do not wait until the game is finished. The moment you have one decent piece of key art and a 30-second gameplay loop, put the Steam page live so your public updates have a 'Call to Action' (Wishlist now!).
Make it a weekly ritual. Every Saturday, share the best visual progress you made that week on social media, using BuildInProcess to manage the cross-posting.
Write a detailed article explaining how you solved a complex problem (like custom pathfinding). This establishes your credibility and brings other developers to your page.
Share your analytics. What is working? What isn't? If a specific trailer generated 500 wishlists, break down why you think it succeeded.
Execution in game development is incredibly difficult. No one is going to steal a half-finished idea and execute it better and faster than the passionate creator. The risk of obscurity is 1000x greater than the risk of theft.
Gamers understand 'programmer art' and work-in-progress footage. In fact, showing the 'ugly' early stages makes the final polished version look even more impressive. Label it clearly as WIP.
Aim for one substantial update (a blog post or video) every two weeks, and smaller visual updates (GIFs or screenshots) 2-3 times a week on social platforms.
Both, but they serve different purposes. Twitter is great for networking with other devs and publishers. TikTok/Shorts are currently the best platforms for reaching actual players and generating massive wishlist spikes.
It provides a structured home for your devlog that isn't dependent on volatile social algorithms, while simultaneously providing the tools to push your content directly into those social feeds seamlessly.