I’ve been covering new crowdfunded games for five years. Aspiring designers and publishers reach out because they want their game seen, played and talked about, in the hope that their crowdfunding campaign succeeds. In that time, I’ve seen every approach to us content creators, from the very bad - “Please say good things about our game. We can’t send you one to play, but do it anyway” - to the very good. Just yesterday, I had a great approach from an independent designer and publisher, so I reached out to ask them if I could use them as a good example of how to do it correctly, so here we are.
The email was from Tom at Upstart Interactive. He is looking for coverage for his soon-to-be crowdfunded game, Fiendish Genius.
I’ll start with their email in full, then break it down and explain what makes it so good.
The approach in full
Hi Adam
How are you doing? I hope all's great your end. I really enjoyed your Digit Code review the other day - clear, punchy and engaging.
I'm reaching out because I have my first game coming to Kickstarter this autumn and I'd love it if you could review the prototype pre-launch.
FIENDISH GENIUS is a card game for 2-5 players. The players are supervillains competing to come up with the most outlandish plot for world domination. My aim as the designer was to make a game that would be fast-paced, fun and thematic while creating some really exciting tactical challenges. Players can win either by constructing a run of 7 Plot cards - telling the story of their fiendish plan - or by gathering 5 Genius tokens, which they do by adding to other players' plots. This leads to a tight, highly focused game which plays in 10-15 minutes and can be enjoyed by seasoned gamers and newcomers alike.
People have been really enjoying the game in playtesting and I'm really excited about the prospect of taking it to Kickstarter. We're aiming to run the campaign from the 30th September until the 23rd October, so I'd love to get some reviews lined up before launch and then a few more during and after the campaign. The game design is complete and the review version will have in-progress artwork and rulebook, with some final tweaks expected during and after the Kickstarter.
Is this something you'd be interested in reviewing? If so I'd love to send you a review copy. I'm hoping to have these printed by the end of the month.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Tom
Breaking it down
Hi Adam
This might sound like a stupid point to stop, after just two words. But it isn’t. It shows me that Tom hasn’t just spammed me, he’s taken at least the time it takes to find out the name of the person behind the site or channel.
How are you doing? I hope all's great your end. I really enjoyed your Digit Code review the other day - clear, punchy and engaging.
This is excellent. He’s demonstrated that he’s a) visited the site and knows at least one recent review, and b) that he’s read the review, and explained what it is he likes about it.
I'm reaching out because I have my first game coming to Kickstarter this autumn and I'd love it if you could review the prototype pre-launch.
This is another great example of how to structure your approach. No big pre-amble, just getting straight to the point of why he’s getting in touch with me.
FIENDISH GENIUS is a card game for 2-5 players. The players are supervillains competing to come up with the most outlandish plot for world domination…
…This leads to a tight, highly focused game which plays in 10-15 minutes and can be enjoyed by seasoned gamers and newcomers alike.
The pitch. A one-paragraph synopsis telling me what the game is about, who it’s aimed at, and how long it takes to play. From this information, I can easily tell whether it’s a fit for my platform and audience.
This also ties back to the opening of the email, showing that he realises games of this type, weight, and length might be a match for me.
We're aiming to run the campaign from the 30th September until the 23rd October, so I'd love to get some reviews lined up before launch and then a few more during and after the campaign. The game design is complete and the review version will have in-progress artwork and rulebook, with some final tweaks expected during and after the Kickstarter.
Clear dates and a timeframe - good stuff. I’ve lost track of the number of new designers who reach out a week or two before their campaign starts, looking for a review. Assuming you’re looking for channels and websites with a decent reach, the people you’re approaching often have a big backlog of games to get through.
You need to account for time for all of these things:
Getting a copy to the person
The time needed to learn your game
Time for multiple playthroughs of your game
Time to draft, film, edit/write their preview
Their publishing schedule
All of that is on top of the facts that they have a backlog of people already waiting, ahead of you in the queue, and that they do this in their spare time. This isn’t our job. This is what we do when we have the time to do it. We don’t owe you anything. That might sound harsh, but it’s a very important thing to bear in mind.
Is this something you'd be interested in reviewing? If so I'd love to send you a review copy. I'm hoping to have these printed by the end of the month.
Perfect. I know when the game is likely to be printed, and therefore when I’m likely to have a copy in my hands. I can check my schedule and backlog and see if it works for me.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Tom
A polite closing and a name. Again, this might sound like common sense to you, but having a name really helps. I’ve had approaches from ‘The team at xxx’ or just no name at all. You’re looking to build a quick relationship and rapport with your chosen creators, and quickly, so be human. Be polite.
In closing
That email probably took Tom ten minutes or so to compose. He did it thoughtfully and ticked every box that I subconsciously want ticked as someone who might want to look at his game.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this, but it is the first time I’ve dissected a real-world example to illustrate it, so I hope it helps.
Don’t carpet bomb every creator whose contact details you get. Take your time to find people whose channels and content fit with your game. If you’re someone starting out, there’s a good chance The Dice Tower or Shut Up & Sit Down aren’t going to feature your game, so set your sights accordingly.
Be polite, be personable, take timeframes into account, and remember that the people you’re approaching are doing this in their spare time because they love the hobby. They aren’t professionals, they may not respond or act like professionals, so temper your expectations accordingly.
A huge thank you to Tom and Upstart Interactive for letting me use him as an example, and expect a full preview of his upcoming game - Fiendish Genius - in the next couple of months.
Do you have any thoughts or top tips when it comes to finding coverage of your game? Leave a comment below.