I Suck at Marketing… So I Built a Free Game to Promote My App.
Marketing has never been my strong suit. I can build things, I can code, but when it comes to getting people to actually notice my work? That’s where I struggle. So, in a moment of creativity (or maybe madness), I decided to create a free game to promote my app.
At first, it sounded like a brilliant idea—fun, engaging, and different from traditional marketing tactics. But, as I quickly learned, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
The Challenges of Game-Based Marketing
The first hurdle? Actually developing the game. Creating something playable, engaging, and polished enough to keep people interested is no small task. It’s not just about throwing together some mechanics and calling it a day. A good game needs balance, strategy, and smooth gameplay—otherwise, players will abandon it in seconds.
But even if you do manage to build a great game, there’s another problem: a game doesn’t market itself. You can’t just put it online and expect people to magically find it. You still have to promote it.
And guess what? That means doing marketing again! The very thing I was trying to avoid in the first place.
Early Results & Lessons Learned
For the past week, I’ve been pushing my game, and I’ve managed to drive a few leads to my app. It’s exciting to see even small results, but I won’t pretend it’s been a massive success yet. Growth is slow, and visibility is still a challenge.
What I’ve realized is that marketing a game is just as hard—if not harder—than marketing an app. The gaming world is fiercely competitive, and players are quick to move on if something doesn’t grab their attention immediately. You’re competing not just with other games, but with everything else fighting for people’s time—social media, Netflix, YouTube, and more.
The Bigger Picture
Despite the difficulties, I still believe this experiment has value. The game acts as an additional communication channel for my app, giving potential users a fun and interactive way to discover it. Even if it doesn’t take off overnight, every new player is a step forward.
So, what’s next? Keep tweaking, keep promoting, and keep learning. Who knows? Maybe this crazy idea will actually work. 🚀
Link to the game if you want to try: https://supernovae.io/
I hope you will enjoy playing it ;)
That's an interesting take to promoting and marketing your business! Do you think creating a game took you away from your business?
Or it's the reason people are coming to your app?