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Games marketing

Follow how we test ideas for finding players, read the evidence, and decide what to try next.

Goals agreed · preparing campaigns · Updated

The owner agreed our starting KPIs on October 29. Campaign preparation can proceed; each package still needs its source, media and release checks.

Next review:

Latest learning and decision

Planning update

Goals agreed: turning game discovery into player demand

What we saw
Our broader history includes game-change Shorts and feedback stories. The camera-clarification Reel had 7,304 views, 20 saves and two attributed follows at the October 29 read. Game purchases and returning players remain unverified.
What we decided
Keep building in public and add campaigns for individual games. The owner agreed starting weekly goals of 50 native downloads, 100 measured game-destination visits, 10 qualified interest accounts and five paid transactions, with stretch goals recorded below.
What happens next
Assign targets by game and verify destinations, reporting and proof before release. The KPI reconciliation hold is released; existing package holds and independent review still apply. No new campaign launch is claimed here.

Instagram owner Insights and the public feedback Reel, checked October 29. Different post ages and reporting windows prevent a causal format or sales claim. The weekly targets are starting management ambitions with limited baseline evidence.

Read full update and evidenceWatch the ReelBrowse the Build Log
Earlier marketing updates

Planned experiments

These follow-ups are in preparation. Each needs verified game proof, reporting and release checks before launch.

Danger Close: WW1

Proposed · Checks pending

Does explaining the free ending and optional unlock help interested players visit the store and buy?

Planned approach

Show the free campaign ending and optional unlock with actual gameplay proof.

Game page

Hawgs over Iraq

Proposed · Checks pending

Does showing a complete gameplay decision bring first-time downloads?

Planned approach

Follow the player’s first-session support unlock, positioning and deployment.

Game page

Omega War: Unthinkable

Readiness pending · Checks pending

Can a clear gameplay change hold attention and prompt interest in playing?

Planned approach

Three comparable firing clips need fresh footage and a check that they show something new. Compare two Facebook openings.

Game page

ComboThrone games

Proposed · Checks pending

Do players ask to try a game after seeing how a decision changes the board or workforce?

Planned approach

Explain board-piece boons in Puzzle Quest and workforce decisions in Civilization. Each game keeps its own availability information.

Game page

What we’re working toward

Build an Arcade people return to, a reputation for distinctive indie games, and a company that learns from the work.

Games are our focus now. The wider company and software portfolio remain on the record.

Goals and working process

Next 4–6 weeks

Make games easy to discover and access. Check which posts bring visits, downloads and play, and begin measuring whether players return where supported.

Next 90 days

Find repeatable ways to bring players to multiple games without paid promotion, record specific game interest, and improve production and review.

Next 6–12 months

Grow a recurring Arcade audience, a trusted indie-developer reputation, repeatable launches and sustainable commercial results.

Changelog highlights, design decisions and player-feedback follow-ups continue alongside product campaigns. Weekly games roundups, fiscal-quarter operations reviews and next-operation introductions make up the wider company story.

The review loop

  1. Choose a player question and a specific piece of gameplay proof.
  2. Review the claims and footage, then adapt the post for each platform.
  3. Publish when the release checks pass, and record the exact links and dates.
  4. Read the results at comparable ages and keep missing evidence visible.
  5. Decide what to repeat, change or stop, and publish what we learned.

Weekly reviews also track production time, repeated factual corrections and missing observations. We use those records to improve how the company works.

How we measure

The owner agreed these starting goals for October 30–November 5, 2026. They are management ambitions with limited baseline evidence. Visits, downloads and play stay separate; unavailable figures stay blank. Total sales and sales linked to a campaign are reported separately.

Player acquisition

People who start playing a game, once real gameplay can be measured. App downloads and page visits are counted separately.

50 first-time native downloads (stretch 100), plus 100 measured visits to playable game destinations (stretch 200). These are separate outcomes, not a combined player total.

Not measured here yet. We are checking which app and website reports are available for each game.

Who is counted
Released native games and publicly playable browser games, reported separately by title.
When we measure
Weekly timestamped events; native downloads use complete source report days in their own timezone.
Players who return

People who play again. Check whether new players return seven days after first playing; returning to a webpage alone does not count.

No numerical retention target yet. Verify gameplay measurement and establish a valid baseline.

We have not verified a way to follow actual gameplay across those days. Check reporting support or identify the exact blocker by November 2; read day-seven results only when cohorts have matured.

Who is counted
Per-game player cohorts. Arcade totals require verified identity and deduplication support.
When we measure
Mature day-seven cohorts and weekly repeat-play counts, with the return event and denominator stated.
Discovery across games

People who start a second game in the library. Clicking another game’s link is reported separately until actual play can be verified.

Prepare one relevant recommendation experiment; a numerical second-game-start target awaits valid measurement.

We have not verified a way to connect play across games. Recommendation clicks stay a separate intent signal.

Who is counted
Eligible Arcade players with authorized cross-game measurement; no assumed cross-device identity.
When we measure
A defined seven-day period once cross-game measurement is available.
Qualified game demand

Distinct audience accounts explicitly asking to play, test or access a named game. Generic praise, craft-only discussion and owner replies do not count. Creator trust and returning content audiences are supporting measures.

10 distinct platform accounts with qualified named-game interest; stretch 20.

We can record public messages. Interest does not establish enrollment or play, and a public tester sign-up route is not established.

Who is counted
Non-owner accounts, reported by game and platform. Cross-platform deduplication requires verified identity; one inquiry is counted once.
When we measure
Weekly received contributions and compatible 28-day trends.
Commercial results

Purchases, refunds and the amount received for each game with a paid offer. Sales linked to a campaign stay separate from total sales.

5 verified purchase or unlock transactions; stretch 10. Free downloads do not satisfy this goal.

We are checking access to each game’s sales reports. Missing or privacy-hidden figures are unavailable, not zero. Report refunds, proceeds and actual marketing costs separately; no dollar revenue or profit target is assumed.

Who is counted
Released games with a verified paid offer. Free downloads are not paid sales.
When we measure
Complete native report days and compatible 28-day trends. Delayed reports retain their actual cutoff.
Portfolio support

Every eligible active game receives a meaningful weekly public feature and feedback triage. Held games keep an explicit status; a mention or internal assignment is not a published feature.