Why you must reward your early players

The first people that play your game are incredibly important to your future success. If treated well they can ensure the success of your game, they can become your strongest marketing asset, advocates. They can go out and spread the word of your game, encouraging friends and family to play

But if they have a bad experience they could very well relegate your game to the land of the obscure unknown, unplayed indie title, where indie games go to die.

We’ve written lots of posts that will be worth revisiting, but in the interests of brevity and not repeating myself too much, here are some quick thoughts

Discounted cost of game

If you are having a beta launch, you might consider giving the beta testers a discounted, or even free copy of the game as a way of saying thank you

In game rewards at launch

In a similar fashion, if you have had a beta stage, you could give away in game rewards to your early players. Not only is it a reward in itself, but it helps distinguish them from other players, and makes them feel special.

Listening to their feedback

Players are people, and people like to be listened to. If someone has gone out of their way, the least you can do it listen to it. You may not have to take it on board, but acknowledging their point of view is a nice start.

Creating a community out of your users

Generally there are only a few players at the launch of a game, which can be quite off-putting – especially if it is designed to be a multiplayer. If you try to create a community around these players, you will give them a reason to keep playing, as well as make it look more enticing to new players.

Keeping them involved with progress

They’ve started playing your game, they’re investing time in you and your product Keeping them up to date with developments is a simple thing, but helps them feel like that time is warranted.

Being a human person they can connect with

A lot of people try to focus on creating a big brand from the game, but one of the most appealing things about indie games is that they’re not made by faceless companies, they’re made by real people.

Above all else, early players should feel special. Because they are.