Many indie developers dream big, but bigger ideas often come with bigger risks. So how do small teams create ambitious games without adopting the complexity that slows large studios down? In this episode, we dig into which big-studio practices actually transfer to indie development, how team size sh…
Indie Game Movement - The podcast about the business and marketing of indie games.
by Andrew Pappas, Game Marketing Strategist and Consultant
Andrew Pappas, founder of RenGen Marketing helps take indie devs and their games to a whole new level by discussing business best practices and sharing marketing strategies and tips to better navigate the world of indie game marketing. Regardless if you're an indie dev starting out or a veteran small team, the topic discussions apply to anyone wanting to better understand the online environment and stand out in a saturated market. A marketer since 2011, Andrew has found a passion for applying his knowledge by empowering and educating the indie dev community. Between the years of his experience and interviews with respected industry veterans, you'll learn about online marketing, email marketing, crowdfunding, paid advertising, community development, social media, community outreach, project management, and much more. All episodes are packed with helpful information and actionable steps that can give you the confidence you need when it comes to your business and indie game ma
Latest Episodes
Have you ever reached a point where everything looks right on the surface, but something still feels off? Not because anything is broken, but because something fundamental was never fully understood. It's something most of us have felt at some point, whether in our work, our projects, or ourselves. …
Players don't evaluate games objectively, they evaluate them through perception. And that perception starts forming long before anyone touches a demo or watches a trailer. So today, we're digging into how player perception is shaped through branding, visual identity, messaging, and studio presentati…
The best designed levels are the ones that quietly guide players and build emotion without ever feeling restrictive. But too often, we feel the need to hand-hold to ensure they can progress, without realizing we're doing more harm than good. In this episode, we explore how level design functions as …
Game developers spend years trying to make their games fun, but the answer to finding the fun for players may have less to do with mechanics and more about how players actually feel. In this episode, we explore what fulfillment actually means from both the player's and developer's perspective, and h…
Indie game marketing advice spreads fast but much of it is rooted in conditions that have quietly changed, and in some cases, no longer apply. The problem? Most developers haven't noticed yet. In this episode, we break down why the strategies studios have relied on are losing effectiveness, what's d…
Most teams treat audio exclusively as polish, leaving it until right before launch. The problem is, sound influences player decisions, pacing, and emotional impact well before a single level is finished. Today, we explore why isolating audio creates friction and missed opportunities, and how treatin…
Most conversations around indie development focus on getting a game out the door, but what happens after that? So today, we're digging into what it actually takes to run a studio beyond the first release. Everything from the decisions, trade offs, and even the mindset shifts that determine whether a…
Studio culture isn't something you have, it's something you're constantly creating, whether you realize it or not. And for most indie teams, that's exactly the problem. The culture taking shape inside your studio may not be the one you intended, and by the time you notice, the damage may already be …
Every developer knows funding gaps exist, but most don't realize they can start at the prototype stage, shaping how you approach development, publishing, and the path to shipping your game. So today, we examine how prototype funding works, what it takes to make early stage projects fundable, and how…
We all know building a game studio is a challenge, but often don't realize the bigger challenge is keeping it alive. Because it's rarely a big mistake that brings a studio down, it's the smaller decisions that do it, leaving us wondering where things went wrong. So today, we unpack what sustainable …
Great game design doesn't just come from talent or vision. It can fall apart when good ideas get stuck, overlooked, or brought in too late. So today, we're going to explore how studios can adapt lessons from large teams to improve design input, make better informed decisions, and turn collaboration …
Building an indie game takes more than funding alone. It also takes support, resources, and a path to market. But too often, those pieces get tied to a single assumption: finding a publisher. So in this episode, we unpack that mindset and explore how developers can think more strategically about fun…
Building an ambitious indie game is not just about making something bigger or more complex. It is about knowing what matters most, what supports the experience, and what can quietly pull the project off course. So today, we explore how developers can approach scope, workflow, and decision-making mor…
Many indie studios do not struggle because their game lacks quality. They struggle because they fail to fully own what makes their game distinct. In this episode, I break down why strong positioning starts with identifying the most marketable truth about your game and committing to it clearly enough…
Reaching global players takes more than strong localization. The meaning of a game can shift across markets based on cultural context, symbolism, visual cues, and geopolitical sensitivity. So today, we unpack the risks indie developers often miss and explore how to think more strategically about glo…
Indie developers often feel stuck between moving quickly and building something worth committing to. Move too slow and momentum fades. Move too fast, and you risk committing to ideas before they've been properly tested. So today, we're going to dive into how smarter prototyping helps teams validate …
Indie studio founders often get pulled into the day-to-day activities. Building the game, managing teams, and solving constant problems, leaving little time to think about the bigger picture. So today, we're going to explore why that happens, how it limits long-term growth, and what changes when fou…
Self-publishing has never been more accessible, but it's also never been more demanding. For many developers, the real challenge isn't releasing a game without a publisher, it's knowing how to build momentum, make smart decisions with limited resources, and navigate an industry that still feels unce…
A strong idea and genuine passion aren't enough to carry a game forward. Regardless of your objective, your concept has to stand up to different forms of validation, from player response to strategic alignment. So today, we'll explore what actually makes a game concept worth building by breaking dow…