Indie developers often underestimate the power of cross-promotion. Themed sales, bundles and special discount deals can help to bring in some extra revenue, especially when it comes to post-release marketing. This talk gives an overview of collaborative techniques and talks about Stray Fawn Studios' experience with cross-promotion and knowledge-sharing with fellow developers. Examples include Stray Fawns' nature game collective "Playful Oasis", their roles-based game marketing Discord, shared marketing automatisation tools and more.

1. Cross-Promotion: The benefits of
collaborating with other developers
Philomena Schwab

2. Stray Fawn Studio
● 10 people indie team, developed + self-published 2 profitable games
● Procedurally generated simulation games with a scientific touch

5. What is ‘cross-promotion’?

6. Why cross-promoting games?

7. Do indie developers cross-promote?

8. Have you collaborated with other game developers
in order to increase your/their/or both games'
marketing reach?

9. Were you satisfied with the results of your
collaboration? (~70% of devs)

10. How did you collaborate with another developers?
● Shout-outs
● Knowledge Sharing
● Themed Sales
● Tool Sharing

11. Let’s look at these popular examples first

12. How did you collaborate with another developers?
● Shout-outs
● Knowledge Sharing
● Themed Sales
● Tool Sharing

13. Shout-outs

16. How did you collaborate with another developers?
● Shout-outs
● Knowledge Sharing
● Themed Sales
● Tool Sharing

17. Talk & Exchange strategies!

18. Talk & Exchange strategies!

19. Talk & Exchange strategies!

20. Asked:
$20’000
Received:
$75’000
strayfawnstudio.com/insights
“Nimbatus - How a free demo got our game funded"

21. How did you collaborate with another developers?
● Shout-outs
● Knowledge Sharing
● Themed Sales
● Tool Sharing

22. Themed Sales

23. Themed Sales

24. How did you collaborate with another developers?
● Shout-outs
● Knowledge Sharing
● Themed Sales
● Tool Sharing

25. Twitch alert tool

26. What other options are there?

27. Quick & easy communication

28. Steam “Games of our friends”

29. Bundles (Steam, Humble,...)

30. Bundle Rewards

31. Loyalty discounts & Cross-promo announcements

32. Coupon deals

33. Themed game website & community

34. Themed game website & community

35. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game

36. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game
● Shared Booths at events (IndieMegaBooth, Indie Arena, …)

37. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game
● Shared Booths at events (IndieMegaBooth, Indie Arena, …)
● Shared Youtuber/Twitch, press email lists, scammer list

38. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game
● Shared Booths at events (IndieMegaBooth, Indie Arena, …)
● Shared Youtuber/Twitch, press email lists, scammer list
● Social media events (#loveindies, #PitchYaGame, ...)

39. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game
● Shared Booths at events (IndieMegaBooth, Indie Arena, …)
● Shared Youtuber/Twitch, press email lists, scammer list
● Social media events (#loveindies, #PitchYaGame, ...)
● Shared communities (Subreddit, Fb group, …)

40. What other options are there?
● Characters from other games in your game
● Shared Booths at events (IndieMegaBooth, Indie Arena, …)
● Shared Youtuber/Twitch, press email lists, scammer list
● Social media events (#loveindies, #PitchYaGame, ...)
● Shared communities (Subreddit, Fb group, …)
● Talent sharing between teams

41. Why haven't you collaborated with another
developer yet? (~30% of devs)
● “Never thought about it”
● “Could’t find a suitable partner”
● “Never thought about it”
● “Could’t find a suitable partner”

42. Start collaborating today
You now have all the tools you need
Best of luck!

43. Thank you!
Philomena Schwab
Stray Fawn Studio
philo@strayfawnstudio.com
@philomenaschwab
strayfawnstudio.com/insights