Underrepresented or Up-and-Coming [Indie?] Games?
November 19, 2017 8:27 AM Subscribe
Where can I find underrepresented or up-and-coming games that I can post onto my YouTube channel that thousands of others aren't already playing?
Gaming on YouTube is the most saturated genre on YouTube. However, I have a YT channel that is suddenly gaining traction, so I would like to expand on the "games" that I play. But, I don't want to waste time with games that are already played by thousands of people because those videos won't be noticed or seen by people who aren't already party of my community due to said saturation and competing against substantially larger creators.
So, where can I find games that are underrepresented on YouTube, or perhaps up-and-coming games that no one really knows about yet? Better still, how about indie games?
When I search this out on the Google machine, I don't get any results that are any good; it's all stuff that is already popular. And I know that a lot of up-and-coming games are usually sent to people who have a gigantic following on YT already.
Note: This question isn't about how to make it big on YT. I already have a solid community there with lots of support, but the "game" I exclusively play is very niche and my support base, while gaining traction, has very little to go until it is maxed out. The only way to get bigger is for me to diversify my content until I am at the point where game publishers are seeking me out. My reasons for wanting to get bigger are moot.
Gaming on YouTube is the most saturated genre on YouTube. However, I have a YT channel that is suddenly gaining traction, so I would like to expand on the "games" that I play. But, I don't want to waste time with games that are already played by thousands of people because those videos won't be noticed or seen by people who aren't already party of my community due to said saturation and competing against substantially larger creators.
So, where can I find games that are underrepresented on YouTube, or perhaps up-and-coming games that no one really knows about yet? Better still, how about indie games?
When I search this out on the Google machine, I don't get any results that are any good; it's all stuff that is already popular. And I know that a lot of up-and-coming games are usually sent to people who have a gigantic following on YT already.
Note: This question isn't about how to make it big on YT. I already have a solid community there with lots of support, but the "game" I exclusively play is very niche and my support base, while gaining traction, has very little to go until it is maxed out. The only way to get bigger is for me to diversify my content until I am at the point where game publishers are seeking me out. My reasons for wanting to get bigger are moot.
This is a bit like asking how to find the indy bands that are going to be really cool next year. Sure, some people can do it, but there's no secret sauce: you immerse yourself in the community, you follow dev blogs, you go to indy events, you talk to your friends who make games and play obscure stuff.
Also, does it have to be new? Because new stuff is where everyone is looking for cool new things, and the gaming world is bigger now than it ever has been. Even relatively obscure Roguelikes have already blown up (Cataclysm DDA has 10k YT vids!). But Kenta Cho's excellent games still have only 1k or so videos (at least the ones I checked), and those are around 15 years old. So in addition to looking for the next cool thing, recall what you were playing 10,15, or even 25 years ago, and if it wasn't a smash hit then, there's a good chance people have not made a million YT vids for it, even though it may be an amazing gem in its own right.
BTW I just went to Fantastic Arcade event in Austin yesterday. A few big hits there were an untitled goose game by House House, and a game that just game out on iOS about building freeways, called Freeways.
Finally, what platform(s)? I doubt will ever see again such a vibrant and inexpensive indy market as the defunct XBLIG, but there are some amazing overlooked gems there -- I can probably find 10 awesome games I played there that have still hardly been mentioned on YT.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:16 AM on November 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Also, does it have to be new? Because new stuff is where everyone is looking for cool new things, and the gaming world is bigger now than it ever has been. Even relatively obscure Roguelikes have already blown up (Cataclysm DDA has 10k YT vids!). But Kenta Cho's excellent games still have only 1k or so videos (at least the ones I checked), and those are around 15 years old. So in addition to looking for the next cool thing, recall what you were playing 10,15, or even 25 years ago, and if it wasn't a smash hit then, there's a good chance people have not made a million YT vids for it, even though it may be an amazing gem in its own right.
BTW I just went to Fantastic Arcade event in Austin yesterday. A few big hits there were an untitled goose game by House House, and a game that just game out on iOS about building freeways, called Freeways.
Finally, what platform(s)? I doubt will ever see again such a vibrant and inexpensive indy market as the defunct XBLIG, but there are some amazing overlooked gems there -- I can probably find 10 awesome games I played there that have still hardly been mentioned on YT.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:16 AM on November 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
itch.io is a good bet for indie games and experimental stuff.
posted by arkady at 9:37 AM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by arkady at 9:37 AM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Twitter is actually decent for this. Indies like to support each other, so you follow a few that you like, and they signal boost other indies that they like, and you have an expanding web of indie news sources (amongst all the stream of consciousness stuff). A few that I follow off the top of my head:
@kurtruslfanclub
@gausswerks
@unormal
@nihlocrat
@AubreySerr
posted by rodlymight at 10:40 AM on November 19, 2017
@kurtruslfanclub
@gausswerks
@unormal
@nihlocrat
@AubreySerr
posted by rodlymight at 10:40 AM on November 19, 2017
Imgur is decent for this; there's a fair trickle of "hey I made this game and now it's on Steam, how cool is that?" with a bunch of feedback etc. This was the last game I actually clicked through to see but there are all kinds of games that come through.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:00 PM on November 19, 2017
posted by DarlingBri at 2:00 PM on November 19, 2017
Someone I follow on YouTube gets developers to send games to her for her to play. She doesn't get paid for them and she gives them pretty honest reviews as she plays them. Maybe your following has suggestions?
posted by divabat at 4:59 PM on November 19, 2017
posted by divabat at 4:59 PM on November 19, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Wobbuffet at 9:01 AM on November 19, 2017 [3 favorites]