Calling All Independent iOS Game Developers!
I know from experience how tough it can be as an independent iOS developer to get the word out about about your apps. With over 100,000 games in the App Store, a new title is about as noticeable as a drop in the proverbial bucket. If you don’t already have a few thousand gamers with accounts on your website, or a Facebook page with a few thousand Likes, or a Twitter account with a few thousand followers, how do you let people know you exist?
You start here.
Why You Want Your Game on Game Skinny
Game Skinny readers are avid followers of the gaming market. They want news. And while a new game title from a well-established developer might technically be news, it isn’t hard to come by. It’s going to be in Apple’s promotional e-mails and featured in its TV adds, and everybody and their brother is going to know about it.
Game Skinny readers are not just news hounds. They are treasure hunters. They want to be among the first to discover the next great thing, that awesome game that nobody else knows about. They are trail blazers and early adopters and your best friends in the world when it comes to word-of-mouth advertising, and they want to know about you.
How It Works: My Promise to Developers
If I don’t like your game, I promise not to review it. There are far too many great games out there for me to write a bad review that is going to break some budding developer’s heart, especially when plenty of other iOS gamers might absolutely love it. I will not choose a game for review unless I intend to champion it.
If I don’t choose your game, don’t be discouraged. I’m just one person with just one opinion, and there are literally millions of iOS devices in the world. If your game is well-coded, with smooth play and an intuitive interface, someone will love it, and that person will be your champion. So keep submitting it to reviewers, and don’t give up!
Submission Requirements
1. You must be a (relatively) small developer.
2. Your app must be a game.
3. It must be on the iOS platform (for now).
4. It must be live in the App Store.
Submission Suggestions
I like games I can finish, preferably with a bit of fanfare at the end. I also like never-ending games in which I can build up a character or a city or anything in between. I like games that walk me through a story or a mystery or an adventure. I like games that make me think. I like games that make me laugh. I like games that surprise me.
I don’t usually go for endless runners. I usually prefer solo or cooperative play over head-to-head competition. I’m not usually a big fan of leader boards. I will usually be turned off if I feel that advertising or in-game promotions are excessive.
I say “usually” because for each rule of thumb I can think of at least one game that breaks it. So if you have a game that you truly believe in, and you want to submit it despite something in that last paragraph, go for it. The worst I will do is not review it.
How To Submit Your Game
1. Go to my profile page here on Game Skinny.
2. Click the link under the words “You can find me on:”.
3. Use the e-mail posted there to submit your app. Please make your submission from an e-mail address that I can use to contact you if I need to. Include the name of your app and a link to it in the App Store. Do not include a promo code. If your app is not free and I would like to see more, I will contact you for a download.
Good luck to all, and happy coding!
Photo courtesy of PDPhoto.org.
