Beyond Wishlists: Building a True Indie Game Community

February 24, 2025

Indie developer X spent months building hype, amassing 50,000 wishlists… then launch day arrived. Only 5% converted to sales, and the game quickly faded into obscurity. The problem? The developer focused solely on marketing tactics to inflate wishlist numbers, without building genuine player interest or community. Wishlists alone don’t guarantee player engagement. Indie devs are pouring marketing dollars into Steam wishlists, hoping for that golden ticket to success. Forget chasing fleeting wishlists. The future of indie game success lies in building a passionate community from day one. Embrace community-driven game development by building games with players through iterative feedback, not just for them.

A frustrated indie game developer staring blankly at a spreadsheet filled with wishlist data

The Wishlist Mirage

Wishlists are easy to track, which makes them attractive to developers who are short on time and resources. This ease, however, is deceptive, as the raw number provides little actionable insight. A high wishlist count might feel good, but it doesn’t guarantee sales or long-term player retention. One developer I spoke with launched their Steam page after a successful Kickstarter, boasting over 10,000 wishlists. The result? A disappointing launch week and a game that quickly faded into obscurity. Wishlists don’t reveal why someone wishlisted your game. A user might wishlist a game based on a single captivating screenshot, only to forget about it. Launching without a core community is like building a house on sand. All it takes is one strong wave (a competing title, a negative review) to wash it all away.

Pre-Steam Community: The KPIs That Matter

Indie developers need to prioritize qualitative engagement before a Steam page even exists. This means actively building a community and creating a game with them through iterative feedback, not for them.

There are many examples of indie developers involving their community in the development process. Darkest Dungeon allowed its community to vote on new classes and enemies. Moon Hunters involved their Kickstarter backers in designing in-game lore and character backstories. In both cases, player feedback directly impacted the final product.

Here are some alternative KPIs that provide deeper insights into player interest and potential for long-term success:

Discord Server Activity: A vibrant Discord server is a crucial hub. Let your Discord choose the name of the protagonist by submitting ideas and voting for their favorites. Track the number of player-generated suggestions directly implemented in the game. A thriving community should see at least one player-suggested element integrated every two weeks, such as a player-designed weapon skin or a questline inspired by a player’s backstory. Implementing player ideas gives players a sense of ownership, and builds hype for when their contribution comes to fruition, driving potential players to wishlist the game to stay informed.
Demo Completion Rates: A well-crafted demo can generate genuine excitement. Track completion rates using in-game analytics. Aim for 30-40% completion for a polished demo. If below 20%, analyze drop-off points using heatmaps to identify frustrating sections. Common fixes include simplifying a confusing puzzle, rebalancing difficulty spikes, or clarifying unclear tutorial elements. Players who complete a demo are invested in the game, so push them to wishlist at the end of the demo.
Social Media Engagement: Shares, comments, and likes are valuable. Track engagement rate (likes, shares, comments divided by impressions). Aim for a rate of 3-5%. Use social listening tools to monitor brand mentions and sentiment. Run regular contests and polls to encourage interaction. Ask questions related to the game’s lore or mechanics. Share behind-the-scenes content and respond to comments promptly. Engaging content encourages players to wishlist the game so they do not miss future announcements and updates.
Email List Growth: An email list allows you to communicate directly with your most engaged fans. Offer a serialized dev diary delivered weekly, detailing the struggles and triumphs of development. Sending out emails provides a direct way to ask fans to wishlist the game on Steam.
In-Game Metrics: Track average playtime to identify addictive loops and drop-off points. Low playtime may indicate a need to re-evaluate difficulty, while high playtime signals strong engagement. Use this info to poll fans for feedback.

A vibrant and bustling Discord server screenshot featuring numerous avatars actively chatting

Engagement Drives Wishlists

Engagement drives wishlists, not the other way around. Stop focusing on superficial tactics and start creating authentic experiences that naturally lead to wishlist additions.

Run “Secret” Beta Tests: Select a small group of highly engaged community members for exclusive, pre-alpha builds. The winning player gets their likeness and personality coded as a unique NPC in the game. Ask beta testers specific questions about game balance, map layout, and boss design.

Rather than focusing on cosmetics, reward them with tangible impacts on gameplay: a player suggestion makes it into the final build, or a player suggestion re-shapes game progression. Seeing community-designed changes will incentivize players to wishlist, so they don’t miss out.
Share “Honest” Dev Updates: Detail a scenario where early feedback from playtesters misled the development team into heavily investing into procedural generation for world-building, resulting in a significant course correction that delayed the game’s release by six months. Honest updates build trust and a sense of investment; players will wishlist to follow the journey, even through the tough times.
Create Compelling Content (That Isn’t Just Marketing): Produce high-quality trailers, gameplay videos, and blog posts. Create short, engaging videos that delve into the lore of your game’s world. Write blog posts detailing the technical challenges you’ve overcome during development. Host regular Q&A sessions on Twitch or YouTube. Use tools like Nextframe to rapidly generate diverse visual assets for your social media campaigns, testing different styles with your community to see what resonates most. Quality content will entice players to stay informed by wishlisting the game.
Engage on Social Media (Like a Real Person): Actively participate in relevant communities and conversations. Share your work, ask for feedback, and connect with other developers and players. Players will be more willing to check out and wishlist the game if the social media accounts are responsive and engaging.

Ditch the Cart: A Sustainable Approach

The obsession with wishlists reflects a lack of focus on long-term sustainability. Building a successful indie game isn’t about a fleeting sales spike; it’s about cultivating a community that supports your work for years.

A lone, abandoned shopping cart in a vast, empty digital landscape. [END]

By prioritizing engagement over vanity metrics, you’ll create a more sustainable and fulfilling development process.

Remember, a genuine connection with your players is infinitely more valuable than a mountain of meaningless wishlists.