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Reddit Marketing for Gaming Companies: Build Hype and Community

Neo AndersonNeo Anderson
Reddit Marketing for Gaming Companies: Build Hype and Community
Table of Contents▼

Gaming and Reddit: A Perfect Match

Reddit is the largest gaming community platform on the internet. Gaming subreddits collectively represent hundreds of millions of subscribers:

  • r/gaming — 40M+ subscribers
  • r/Games — 4M+ subscribers (discussion-focused)
  • r/pcgaming — 3M+ subscribers
  • r/IndieGaming — 500k+ subscribers
  • r/GameDev — 700k+ subscribers

Plus thousands of game-specific subreddits where players discuss, share content, and provide feedback.

Why Reddit Matters for Game Marketing

Community Building

Reddit lets you build and nurture a community around your game before, during, and after launch. A thriving subreddit keeps players engaged and generates organic word-of-mouth.

Pre-Launch Hype

Reddit is where gaming news breaks and hype builds. A well-received reveal post on r/gaming can reach millions of potential players.

Player Feedback

Reddit provides unfiltered player feedback that's invaluable for game development. Many successful games (like Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight) credit Reddit communities for shaping their development.

Launch Day Amplification

When your game launches, Reddit can drive massive day-one downloads and purchases through community excitement and viral posts.

The Gaming Reddit Strategy

Phase 1: Pre-Announcement

Before revealing your game:

  • Create your game's subreddit and start building it with subscribers
  • Establish accounts in relevant gaming communities
  • Share development insights (without revealing the game) in r/GameDev
  • Build karma through genuine gaming community participation

Phase 2: Reveal

Your reveal post should include:

  • Eye-catching GIF or video showing gameplay
  • Brief, honest description of what makes your game unique
  • Development backstory (Redditors love origin stories)
  • Link to your subreddit and wishlist/store page
  • Clear ask: "What do you think?" or "Any feedback?"

Boost the reveal post to ensure it gets initial momentum. Gaming posts on Reddit follow a snowball effect — once they hit rising, the community takes over.

Phase 3: Community Nurture

Between reveal and launch:

  • Share weekly development updates ("Devlog" posts)
  • Post behind-the-scenes content (art, music, level design)
  • Engage with every comment and question
  • Run polls asking the community for input on features
  • Share beta access with active subreddit members

Phase 4: Launch

On launch day:

  • Post across all relevant subreddits (don't spam — 3-5 targeted posts)
  • Buy upvotes for maximum first-hour visibility
  • Engage heavily in comments on launch posts
  • Seed positive comments sharing genuine excitement
  • Monitor and respond to bug reports and feedback

Phase 5: Post-Launch

  • Continue engaging in your game's subreddit
  • Share update announcements and patch notes
  • Highlight community content (fan art, speedruns, mods)
  • Run events and challenges through Reddit

Gaming-Specific Content That Works

GIFs and Short Videos

Gameplay GIFs consistently outperform all other content types on gaming subreddits. Keep them 10-30 seconds showing the most exciting moment.

Before/After Comparisons

Showing visual improvements or feature additions in before/after format gets massive engagement.

"I Quit My Job to Make This Game"

Authentic developer stories resonate deeply with Reddit's gaming community.

Bug Showcases (Funny Ones)

Sharing funny bugs humanizes your development team and generates viral engagement.

Indie vs. AAA Strategies

Indie Developers

  • Focus on r/IndieGaming, r/GameDev, and genre-specific subreddits
  • Lean into the personal story angle
  • Engage directly as the developer (transparency is your advantage)
  • Use upvote boosts strategically for key milestones

AAA Studios

  • Focus on game-specific subreddits and r/Games
  • Use community managers for engagement
  • Host official AMAs with developers
  • Manage expectations carefully

Managing Gaming Community Sentiment

Gaming communities can turn negative quickly. Handle it by:

  • Acknowledging issues transparently
  • Sharing timelines for fixes
  • Never making promises you can't keep
  • Using downvotes only for genuinely misleading content
  • Letting your community advocates speak for you

Tools for Gaming Reddit Marketing

Reddit is where gaming communities thrive. Whether you're an indie solo dev or a AAA studio, authentic Reddit engagement can be the difference between a successful launch and obscurity.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start Reddit marketing for my game?▼

Start 6-12 months before launch. Create your game's subreddit early, begin sharing development updates, and build community interest gradually. The longer you nurture the community pre-launch, the stronger your launch day performance.

Which gaming subreddit should I post in first?▼

Start with niche subreddits related to your game's genre (r/roguelikes, r/metroidvania, r/survivalcraft) before going to large ones like r/gaming. Niche communities are more receptive and provide better initial feedback.

How do I handle negative reviews on Reddit?▼

Acknowledge the feedback, thank the player for their time, and explain what you're doing to address concerns. Never be defensive or dismissive. The gaming community respects developers who listen and improve.

Can Reddit marketing help with Steam wishlist numbers?▼

Absolutely. A viral Reddit post can drive thousands of Steam wishlists in a single day. Many indie developers credit Reddit as their primary source of wishlists, which directly correlates with launch day sales.

Neo Anderson

Neo Anderson

Author

Reddit strategist and founder of Upvote.sh. I help brands cut through the noise on Reddit with data-driven upvote strategies that actually move the needle. When I'm not reverse-engineering the front page algorithm, I'm probably lurking in niche subreddits looking for the next big opportunity.