In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Jon Hanson, founder of Skill Tree Marketing and former EA & Warner Bros. publishing exec, who left the AAA grind to help indie and AA studios thrive. Jon shares the unfiltered truth about indie game marketing: why most devs misunderstand it, how to validate your game without wasting years, and what it really takes to cut through the noise with limited budgets.
Expect deep dives into:
– The biggest misconceptions about indie game marketing
– Why 30–50% of your budget should go to marketing (and how to use it wisely)
– How to validate your game early with market research & paid UA
– Case study: saving a VR game with better store optimization & ads
– Steam wishlists: what they really mean and how to grow them effectively
– Using Reddit, Discord & Facebook groups to reach players authentically
– Why storytelling and community trust beat polished “corporate” marketing
– Building a lean, sustainable business in a tough games market
Whether you’re an indie dev, a marketing lead, or a founder aiming to launch your first game, this episode is a brutally honest masterclass on how to market smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and turn your game into a business that lasts.