The Indie Game Website coverage enquiry guide
So you’re making a game, and you’d like to see it featured on The Indie Game Website. That’s great! We’re always on the lookout for developers who are making interesting, exciting new things.
But we also get dozens – sometimes hundreds – of emails every single day, and there’s no way we can cover everything. And, to speak frankly, a lot of the stuff we receive isn’t really suitable for the site. So before you hit ‘send’ on that email, have a read of this page to give yourself the best chance of capturing our attention and seeing your game on The Indie Game Website!
What we cover
The Indie Game Website covers indie games. We’re fairly loose in our definition, but broadly we mean “anything made by a small-to-medium-sized company that’s not owned by a major publisher.” That covers solo developers, it covers small teams backed (but not owned) by a platform holder or publisher, and it covers larger independent development houses – especially if their staff roster is in the dozens rather than the hundreds or thousands.
We’re also platform-agnostic, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re building for PC, console or mobile, we’ll gladly take a look.
What we don’t cover are big-budget triple-A blockbusters. We sometimes still get emails and press releases about these from PR agencies, which we find a bit odd. We’re The Indie Game Website. Filter your lists, lads.
Content types
Broadly speaking, we run several different categories of content: news, previews, reviews, and articles. When contacting us about coverage, it’s important to be clear on which coverage type you are looking for, so we can make sure your email reaches the right people.
If you’re looking for news coverage, we need a story. Simply telling us about your game isn’t enough; the fact that it exists is not newsworthy. Are you releasing a new trailer? Announcing some new information? Is your game launching today? Be sure to give us enough information to work with. Bonus points if you can let us know a few days ahead of your announcement, and give us an embargo day/time when we can post the story, so we can get it into the schedule in good time.
For previews and reviews, we need playable code. Don’t ask if we’d like to play the game; work from the assumption that we’d at least be interested in checking it out, and send us a key. Again, be sure to let us know if there’s a coverage embargo. We typically decide which games we’re going to preview or review at least a few weeks in advance, so give us as much notice as possible. Even if you don’t have code yet, email our reviews/features editor and let them know when you can get the game to them – it’ll make a world of difference.
Articles give you a little more flexibility. They’re also a little harder to pitch for. But if you’re doing something interesting, involved in a particular community, or have some expert insight, let us know, and offer us an interview. We might be able to get some flagship content out of it – which is a win for everybody!
And across all of the above, if you really want to increase your chances of getting covered – give us something exclusive! When we can post something before everyone else, it directly benefits us as a website, and it gives us more flexibility on how we can cover your game. So if you’re about to drop a big announcement, or distribute some preview or review code, be sure to let us know if you’re open to us being the first to talk about it!
What to include in your email
The best emails are clear and concise, with links to find more information. Tell us right away what content you’re looking for, what makes your game awesome, and why we should care. Make your subject line instructive and informative (we get so many emails with the subject ‘Game Submission’ and, honestly, why would we be compelled to read that?). Include a link to a press kit where we can find out more about your game, download screenshots and videos, and so forth. If there’s an embargo, set that out clearly.
Read all the above? Then we’re ready to hear from you. Email pr[at]indiegamewebsite[dot]com!