Guides

How to market an indie game on Reddit without getting banned

, founder of NextWishlist · Updated · 3 min read

<60 snative gameplay clips do bestpresskit.gg
1/monthpost per subreddit, more only for a real milestonepresskit.gg
72 hUTM window to see the wishlists each post broughtValve rule
On this page
  1. Earn your place first
  2. Where to post
  3. What to post
  4. What gets removed
  5. Measure each post
  6. Write a title people click
  7. After you post

Short answerTake part in a community before you post your game, then share native gameplay clips under 60 seconds in subreddits that allow it, genre subreddits first. Post about once per subreddit per month, reply to every comment, and measure each post with a tracked Steam link.

Reddit can send engaged players straight to your Steam page, but its communities remove anything that reads like an ad. Here is how indie developers post there without getting banned.

01Earn your place first

Moderators and readers look at your history. Posts that do well come from accounts that have taken part in the community for weeks: answers, feedback on other games, comments. Practitioners suggest several hundred karma in the community you plan to post in before promoting your own game.

02Where to post

  • Genre subreddits (r/roguelikes, r/tycoon, r/survivalgames, r/horrorgaming, r/cRPG, r/4Xgaming, r/incremental_games…): often the best conversion, because readers already love your genre.
  • r/indiegaming: player-facing, good wishlist potential.
  • r/indiedev and r/gamedev: progress clips, postmortems and Screenshot Saturday. Good for relationships with other developers, few wishlists.
  • r/playmygame: made for self-promotion, but still needs a visual hook.

Always read each subreddit's rules before posting: they decide what's allowed.

03What to post

  • Short gameplay clips under 60 seconds, uploaded as native Reddit video rather than YouTube links.
  • Context and honesty: what you're making, what you're unsure about. Plain text and screenshots without context do poorly.
  • Reply to every comment, especially on Screenshot Saturday.

What makes a clip spread, on Reddit and elsewhere: how to make your game go viral.

04What gets removed

  • Posts that read like an ad.
  • The same post sent to several subreddits at once.
  • A first post from an account with no history in the community.
  • Promotion disguised as a question.
  • Posting too often: keep to one post per subreddit per month, more only for a real milestone with new content, and spread posts over different days.

05Measure each post

Put a Steam UTM link in each post or comment so Steamworks shows the wishlists each one brought. NextWishlist reads your Reddit posts and your wishlists every night, and tells you which subreddits and formats work for your game. Join the private beta.

06Write a title people click

  • Describe what the player sees or does in the clip, in plain words: "My roguelike where you fight with your own shadow".
  • Ask a real question when you want feedback: "Which of these two capsules reads better?"
  • Avoid marketing words ("epic", "revolutionary") and calls to buy: they read like an ad, and ads get removed.
  • Follow each subreddit's title rules (some require tags such as [Dev] or the genre).

07After you post

  • Stay for the first hours and reply to every comment: early discussion helps the post, and players notice a developer who answers.
  • Put the Steam link in a comment if the subreddit allows it, with its own UTM tag.
  • Note what worked: the clip, the title, the subreddit, the day. Repeat what brought wishlists, drop what didn't.
  • Don't repost the same clip across many subreddits on the same day: spread it out, adapt it, and respect each community's rules.

Reddit is one of several channels: see indie game social media marketing for the others.

How to market an indie game on Reddit without getting banned: quick answers

Can I promote my indie game on Reddit?

Yes, in communities that allow it and once you've taken part there: practitioners suggest several hundred karma in the community first. Share native gameplay clips under 60 seconds and reply to every comment.

What are the best subreddits for indie games?

Genre subreddits often convert best, then r/indiegaming for players. r/indiedev and r/gamedev are good for relationships with other developers but bring few wishlists.

How often can I post my game on Reddit?

About one post per subreddit per month, more only for a real milestone with new content, spread over different days rather than everywhere at once.

Sources

Valve's rules can change: the official Steamworks page always wins. Practitioner benchmarks are surveys of developers, given as ranges.

NextWishlist

Know which post, creator or subreddit brought wishlists.

Your posts and tracking links tied to your wishlists, the formats that work for games like yours, and the creators of your niche. NextWishlist is a Steam marketing tool for indie developers, in private beta.

Join the private beta