Freaking Cool Indies

Freaking Cool Indies

Freaking Cool Indies: Your Blueprint to Indie Game Success. More than just a podcast, it's your indiepreneur toolkit. We cut through the noise to deliver research-backed marketing insights, practical publishing advice, and motivational stories from successful devs. Learn how to craft killer elevator pitches, build thriving communities, and navigate the wild world of game marketing. We're here to help you not just make games, but sell them. Join us and turn your indie dream into reality.

  1. hace 5 días

    How Two Theatre Writers Built An Award-Winning Video Game (Hilltop Studios Interview)

    Hilltop Studios founder Scott Christian and writer Matt Bernard break down how two theatre kids built an award winning indie game, then bet the whole studio on a gothic horror mystery for their next release, Curse of Resthaven.Wishlist Curse of Resthaven: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3796150/Curse_of_Resthaven/Buy Lil' Guardsman: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1924360/Lil_Guardsman/Chapters:0:00 - Cold open: from cozy cartoons to gothic horror1:52 - Why they didn't just make Lil Guardsman 24:56 - Building Curse of Resthaven's mechanics from scratch11:06 - Writing comedy vs horror (and hiring a copy editor)14:43 - The indie funding crunch and the Batman rule for scope20:08 - Designing the demo and the time loop23:27 - Playtesting, UI fixes, and the game's best mysteries28:07 - The three types of mystery clues30:20 - The Mix showcase and finding the right creators41:37 - Toronto's "Kevin Bacon" and Play It ForwardScott Christian and Matt Bernard are the founder and writer behind Hilltop Studios, the Toronto team behind Lil' Guardsman, an award winning Papers Please style deduction game with acclaimed voice acting and a community that still talks about it. Neither of them came up through a traditional game dev background, they came from theatre and comedy, and it shows in how they build. Their next game, Curse of Resthaven, trades Lil' Guardsman's cartoon tone for a gothic horror mystery wrapped in a colony sim and a seven day time loop.Links mentioned:Button Man by Styrax Studios (Play It Forward pick): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2817960/Button_Man/Viewfinder by Sad Owl Studios, published by Thunderful (Play It Forward pick): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1382070/Viewfinder/🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com

  2. 7 jul

    A Games Journalist Explains Why Most Indie Game Pitches Get Ignored

    MobileSyrup Gaming Editor Bradly Shankar breaks down exactly what makes a journalist cover your indie game, from the GIF that saves them time to the embargo timeline that nearly sank a launch.Chapters:0:00 - Welcome Bradly Shankar, MobileSyrup's Gaming Editor0:54 - How journalists actually find their stories2:10 - What makes an inbound pitch stand out2:48 - The GIF trick that makes a journalist's life easier4:56 - Why your personal story matters more than your game13:39 - Anatomy of the perfect press email16:24 - Should you tag journalists on social media?22:09 - Timezones, mass emails, and the follow-up rules26:02 - Horror story: the 007 First Light embargo disaster31:07 - What to do after your article goes live35:10 - Play It Forward: shouting out Hilltop Studios Bradly Shankar is the Gaming Editor at MobileSyrup, where he's spent close to a decade covering Canadian indie games, tech, and streaming for outlets including MobileSyrup, The Financial Post, and BetaKit. His team has shrunk from seven people to three over the past year, which means he has to be sharper than ever about which pitches actually earn his attention. What you'll learn:- Why a GIF at the top of your email beats a two-minute trailer link- How including your estimated playtime builds trust with a reviewer- Why your personal story can matter as much as your game's features- Why the channel you use, email, DM, or a relevant tag, matters less than being direct- How to keep a press email tight while still linking out to everything a journalist needs- Why timezone awareness and follow-up wording can make or break a pitch- How much lead time to give before an embargo, and the disaster that happens when you don't Follow Bradly Shankar!MobileSyrup: https://mobilesyrup.com/Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/bradshankar.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instagram.com/bradshankar🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegames , #indiedev , #gamedev , #gamejournalism, #gamesmediatamil , #indiegamemarketing , #canadiangames, #gamedevtips , #pressreleases , #videogames , #indiegamedevelopment, #mobilesyrup, #pitchingjournalists, #gamemarketing , #indiegamedevelopment , #gamesindustry , #podcastforgamedevs

  3. 30 jun

    How Game Devs Win With Shorts in 2026 | Jestr CEO

    Short form video is how game devs win in 2026. Jestr CEO Mahdeen Abrar breaks down how to use YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels to get your game discovered, with 1.2 billion views and 700 campaigns behind the strategy.Mahdeen Abrar is the CEO and co-founder of Jestr, a creator marketplace that connects indie and AA studios with vetted creators who make shorts about their games. In under a year, Jestr has launched 700+ campaigns, generated 115,000+ social posts, driven 1.2 billion+ views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, and paid out $3M+ to creators. In this episode we get into why ten videos at 100k beat one at a million, why he would never spend your budget on a single creator, the $500 starter plan, text hooks, the biggest short form myths, and how studios of any size can finally get seen.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎮 ABOUT JESTRWebsite: https://www.jestr.gg/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jestr.ggInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jestr.gg/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jestr-gg👤 CONNECT WITH MAHDEENLinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mahdeenabrar━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 – Intro: how discovery got democratized3:20 – Meet Mahdeen & the origin of Jestr7:45 – Becoming a short form factory10:45 – Gamescom and the Fireshine breakthrough18:50 – TikTok vs Instagram vs YouTube Shorts23:20 – Why Mahdeen doesn't link out to Steam24:30 – Ten videos at 100k beat one at a million28:20 – Text hooks and finding your format30:30 – How small studios win with their own content36:30 – The biggest short form myths38:00 – One topic, seven videos: the weekly system41:55 – The $500 starter plan48:30 – Play It Forward & final advice━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#gamedev #indiedev #shortformvideo #youtubeshorts #tiktokmarketing #gamemarketing #indiegames #jestr #nintendo #steam #steamwishlist

  4. 23 jun

    A Games Recruiter Reveals How to Actually Get Hired

    A games recruiter who has made 500+ hires breaks down how to actually get hired in game dev right now: why mass applying online is a trap, how to network without feeling salesy, and the interview hack that makes studios want to say yes.💪 7 Day Marketing Challenge:https://freakingcoolindies.com/resources/🩵 Follow Patryk!Website/Newsletter: https://patryksuchy.com/8Bit: https://8bitplay.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patryksuchy/📖 Chapters:0:00 - The games industry is rough right now1:30 - Why devs feel invisible to recruiters4:00 - The signal you send to the world6:30 - Why nobody teaches you career management9:30 - Stop confusing "I do this" with "I want this"13:00 - Why listing every skill kills your CV19:00 - Networking without feeling salesy or needy26:00 - It's not who you know, it's who knows you30:30 - Does LinkedIn actually matter for game devs?34:00 - Stop applying online (do this instead)50:30 - The interview hack: solve their problem live1:07:30 - How to follow up without being annoying1:14:00 - Play It ForwardPatryk Suchy sits on both sides of the hiring table. He is the lead recruiter at 8Bit, where he has personally interviewed and hired hundreds of game devs for studios around the world, and a career consultant who has coached countless developers into landing jobs at their dream studios. With 10+ years in game dev, 7+ in recruitment, and 500+ hires made, he knows exactly what makes a candidate stand out and what gets them passed over.In this episode, Patryk pulls back the curtain on the entire hiring process. He explains why the "Frankenstein" CV that lists every skill you have actually works against you, how to send a clear signal about the one problem you solve, why building relationships before you need them is the single biggest lever in your career, and the interview approach that has candidates solving the company's problem live on the call.If you are tired of firing application after application into the void that is LinkedIn and hearing nothing back, this one is for you.🧠 What you'll learn:- Why being invisible to recruiters comes down to an unclear signal, not a lack of talent- How to pick one direction and position your CV around solving one problem- The Friday 10-minute habit that builds your achievement list for raises and interviews- How to network without feeling salesy, starting with people you already know- Why mass applying is "reverse spam" and what to do instead- The single biggest interview hack: find the company's real problem and solve it on the call- How to follow up after an interview without coming across needy🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com

  5. 16 jun

    He Launched With 11k Wishlists, Then Sold 200,000 Copies

    This indie game went viral through streamers on YouTube and Twitch with zero ad spend, and turned a two hour prototype into 200,000 Steam sales. Solo dev Mateo Covic breaks down his streamer outreach, wishlist, and content strategy for Paddle Paddle Paddle.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Paddle Paddle Paddle02:47 The Development Journey of Paddle Paddle Paddle05:54 Marketing Strategies and Community Engagement09:00 The Role of Streamers in Game Promotion11:52 The Impact of Social Media on Game Visibility15:14 Reflections on Game Development and Future Plans34:07 The Journey of Game Development38:18 Marketing Strategies and Pricing Decisions41:56 Understanding Market Dynamics and Community Support46:24 Localization and Global Reach50:28 Future Projects and Community EngagementMateo Covic is a 23 year old solo developer from Germany and the founder of ZoroArts. His co-op rage game Paddle Paddle Paddle launched with just 11,000 wishlists, then kept climbing for months as streamers across YouTube and Twitch picked it up, passing 200,000 units sold and one million dollars in revenue. In this episode Mateo breaks down the exact systems behind that growth. The Twitter DM outreach he uses instead of email, how landing one German streamer triggered a wave of organic pickups, why he designed the game's goofiest moments for watchability over mechanics, how he fits marketing into bus rides and grocery runs, and how localizing into 15 languages turned Asia into more than half his revenue. If marketing your game feels like talking to a wall, this one is going to feel like someone finally handed you a map. What you'll learn:- Why Twitter DMs beat cold emails for landing streamers- How to design a game streamers actually want to play on camera- The wishlist strategy that got him onto Steam's popular upcoming tab- Why he launches on Friday to hold new and trending through the weekend- How watching every stream became his best bug-finding and content tool- The pricing and launch-week sale combo that maximized day one sales- How free localization and region-specific skins unlocked the Asian market🔗 LINKS & RESOURCESMateo's newer games:Paddle Paddle Paddle: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3570070/Paddle_Paddle_Paddle/Cool Story Bro!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4066780/Cool_Story_Bro/CAAAHR! Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4745400/CAAAHR_Demo/Website: https://zoroarts.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateo-covic-71391a1b2/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoroarts 📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegames #gamedev #indiedev #indiegamedev #paddlepaddlepaddle #steamlaunch #gamemarketing #streamermarketing #solodeveloper #gamedevtips #indiegamemarketing #twitchstreamers #steamwishlists #madewithunity #zoroarts #gaming #coopgames #indiegamedeveloper #viralgame

  6. 9 jun

    Stop Ignoring Accessibility: The Biggest Mistake Indie Devs Make

    Accessibility in indie game development is the most overlooked way to reach more players, sell more copies, and build a bigger community. Zach and Vinny from AbleGamers break it down. Support the Play It Forward campaign (100% goes to AbleGamers):https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindies 0:00 - What accessibility really means for indie devs2:55 - What AbleGamers actually does day to day6:58 - New adaptive tech and why it's exploding10:25 - Carlos the blind fighting game champion (and other unreal stories)17:30 - The disability categories devs overlook most20:48 - The Dark Souls difficulty debate23:44 - Controller remapping: the number one requested feature24:13 - 71 million gamers with disabilities (the market you're ignoring)26:24 - The APX accessible player experience training32:53 - Build accessibility in early and save money34:26 - Where your donation actually goes41:29 - Play It Forward: indie games Zach and Vinny love AbleGamers is a charity that has been around for 22 years, getting adaptive equipment into the hands of players with disabilities at no cost to them. Zach runs the Able Player One program and works directly with players. Vinny handles marketing and partnerships. Together they make the case that accessibility is not a guilt trip, it's one of the smartest things an indie dev can do for their game. In this episode we get into the real day to day of helping players game, the stories that stick with you (Carlos beating sighted players while totally blind is worth the watch alone), and the practical dev side: why controller remapping is the single most requested feature, how difficulty options open your game to a whole new audience, why "we don't have the budget for accessibility" falls apart when you build it in from day one, and the 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US that most studios never think about. If you have ever told yourself accessibility is a nice to have you'll get to later, this one is for you. What you'll learn:- Why controller remapping locks out the "mass majority" of players when it's missing- How to add an easy mode without breaking the experience for your core players- The real numbers: 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US, ~400 million worldwide- Why building accessibility in early costs far less than bolting it on later- What the APX (Accessible Player Experience) training actually teaches, and what it costs- How much it really costs to help one player game (~$1,200 on average)- Simple settings devs forget: turn off blood, reduce visual triggers, add a practice mode Support AbleGamers and the Play It Forward campaign!GoFundMe (100% to AbleGamers): https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindiesAbleGamers: https://ablegamers.org Links mentioned:- AbleGamers APX training: https://ablegamers.org- Microsoft Adaptive Controller: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/d/xbox-adaptive-controller/8nsdbhz1n3d8- QuadStick: https://www.quadstick.com/- Below the Stone: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1170230/Below_the_Stone/- Expedition 33: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903340/Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33/- Rocky No Hands:  ⁨@RockyNoHands11⁩  - Blind Warrior Sven  ⁨@BlindWarriorSven⁩  Listen to Freaking Cool Indies wherever you get your podcasts.Join the newsletter: [newsletter link]Subscribe for more indie dev conversations: [channel link] 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky:

  7. 2 jun

    He Teaches Indie Devs to Build an Audience. Here's How He Built His

    Chris Zukowski (How To Market A Game / HTMAG) is one of the most trusted voices in indie game marketing. In this episode, Chris breaks down how he built his audience, why Steam visibility isn't your real problem, and why he bets everything on an owned mailing list over social media. ⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – Intro00:59 – The origin story: from IBM to How To Market A Game06:30 – "Everybody's doing this wrong": why Chris started the blog09:00 – The research that proved social media doesn't work15:20 – The blog + newsletter: why owning your audience beats everything17:20 – Why Discord and YouTube are the "outer rim" (and the mailing list is the core)23:40 – Should indie devs start a newsletter? (and the once-a-month rule)30:10 – Building trust: "working the maze backwards" and having no agenda36:20 – Burnout, the "golden age" of Steam, and the Inside Conference42:40 – The hot take: visibility isn't your problem45:50 – Play It Forward: the indie devs Chris wants you to know 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCESHow To Market A Game: https://howtomarketagame.com/How To Market A Game Blog: https://howtomarketagame.com/blog/Free resources: https://howtomarketagame.com/freeInside Conference: https://howtomarketagame.com/inside/Mark Duplass – "The $1,000 Movie" talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y 📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegamedev #gamemarketing #howtomarketagame #chriszukowski #steam #indiegames #gamedev

  8. 26 may

    The Framework That Keeps RPGs, Deck Builders, and Narrative Games From Breaking

    The framework indie devs use to keep RPGs, deck builders, and narrative games from breaking during production. Learn game content structure and documentation with Grimoire CEO Jill Vanparys.0:00 - Your game is built on scattered docs (and it will break)1:43 - Welcome Jill Vanparys, CEO of Grimoire3:10 - What is content chaos and why does it hit game devs hardest7:30 - How one version mismatch breaks your entire game10:00 - Why creative teams and spreadsheets are a brain conflict12:00 - The "glue person" problem and institutional knowledge risk14:00 - When should you transition to a structured system16:00 - What is object-oriented UX (OOUX) and how to use it20:00 - The 40% stat: what content chaos is actually costing you23:00 - How to mentor your team through a content overhaul27:30 - Systems thinking for creatives (you're already doing it)32:00 - Is it ever too late to fix content chaos mid-production35:00 - Live Grimoire demo: connected quests, NPCs, and locations43:00 - Grimoire's free onboarding offer + engine sync explained48:00 - Play It Forward: Battlesage, Deck of Hounds, and FlotsamFollow Jill!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillvanparysGrimoire: https://usegrimoire.comJill Vanparys is the Co-founder and CEO of Grimoire, a game development platform built to bring structure, connection, and clarity to the content powering your game. A UX designer turned game dev tools founder, she's a 2016 MIT Innovator Under 35, a board member of the Flemish Games Association, and has spent years coaching indie studios on systems thinking, worldbuilding, and content architecture.📬 Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/newsletter/🏆 7 Day Marketing Foundations Challenge: https://freakingcoolindies.com/resources/🎙️ Learn on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com

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Freaking Cool Indies: Your Blueprint to Indie Game Success. More than just a podcast, it's your indiepreneur toolkit. We cut through the noise to deliver research-backed marketing insights, practical publishing advice, and motivational stories from successful devs. Learn how to craft killer elevator pitches, build thriving communities, and navigate the wild world of game marketing. We're here to help you not just make games, but sell them. Join us and turn your indie dream into reality.

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