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| Major showcases remain one of the most powerful and selective discovery tools in the games industry. |
By Jon Scarr
Indie success stories are usually told the same way. A small team makes something special, the right people notice, and suddenly the game is everywhere. It feels organic, almost accidental, like quality naturally rises to the top.
That version of events isn’t wrong, but it’s incomplete. A recent developer story shared publicly by Kyle Blessing at Apogee Entertainment offered a rare look at what happens before those breakout moments. Not the reveal trailer or the applause, but the work that makes those moments possible in the first place.
The takeaway was simple and uncomfortable at the same time. The biggest visibility opportunities in games don’t come from virality or storefront algorithms. They come from access. And access is almost always built over time.
Showcases remain the hardest doors to open
Platform showcases are still the most powerful marketing moments of the year. A few minutes in the right presentation can do more for a game than months of independent promotion.
That power also makes those doors incredibly hard to open. At scale, platform holders can’t meaningfully evaluate everything that gets submitted. Inboxes fill up quickly. Submission portals exist, but they’re blunt tools. The result is that trust becomes the real filter. Teams and individuals who have demonstrated reliability, professionalism, and an understanding of the platform are far more likely to get a response than a cold submission, no matter how strong the pitch looks.
From the outside, it’s easy to assume these opportunities are evenly available. From the inside, they’re carefully curated moments designed to reduce risk.
Discovery doesn’t work the same for everyone
Game discovery often gets framed as algorithmic and merit-based. If enough people care, the system will surface it.
That idea breaks down once you move into curated spaces. Showcases, featured slots, and platform-led events rely on human judgment. Platforms aren’t just picking games that look good. They’re choosing games they trust to represent their ecosystem, hit expectations, and hold up once millions of eyes are watching.
Plenty of strong games never enter those conversations at all. Not because they lack quality, but because they lack proximity. That’s why “just make a great game” sounds encouraging while quietly ignoring how uneven the playing field really is.
Creators aren’t outside the system
One of the more revealing parts of that developer story was how openly it discussed moving between content creation, publishing, and development.
Creators often sit at the intersection of players, developers, and platform teams. They understand how games are discussed, how expectations form, and how messaging lands once it leaves a press release.
There’s still discomfort in some parts of the industry when creators move into more formal roles. The label carries baggage. But consistency, professionalism, and long-term trust tend to matter far more than titles. Over time, those relationships become part of how the industry actually functions.
The years behind “overnight” success
From the outside, breakout moments feel sudden. A game appears in a showcase, social feeds light up, and the story snaps into place.
What rarely gets seen are the years behind that moment. The conversations that didn’t go anywhere. The work that happened long before a game was ready to be shown. The trust built by showing up consistently and doing good work without guarantees.
By the time a game reaches a major stage, the decision to feature it is usually the end of a long process, not the beginning.
The invisible structure behind what gets noticed
These systems don’t just affect developers. They shape the games that reach you in the first place.
They influence which genres get spotlighted, which ideas feel viable, and which teams get the chance to grow beyond a single release. Over time, curated visibility becomes a quiet force that nudges the direction of the medium itself.
The industry often gets described in terms of technology and platforms, but a lot of it runs on something less visible. Trust built slowly, often out of view.
Good work still matters. Treating people well still matters. Staying consistent long after the spotlight moves on matters too. None of that guarantees success, but it opens doors that algorithms never will.
Understanding that context doesn’t make indie success stories feel smaller. If anything, it makes them more honest. Indie breakthroughs don’t happen by accident. They happen because someone put in the work long before you ever heard the game’s name.
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