What should a game's page say before it's released?

The short answer: it should tell a stranger what the game is in one line, show them what it looks like, say honestly where it is up to, and give them one clear way to follow it. Everything else is optional. A pre-release page is not a finished game’s page with a “coming soon” sticker on it.

1. What it is, in one line

The first thing on the page, before any art. One sentence that says what you do in the game, and a genre word people recognise. “A point-and-click adventure about a lighthouse keeper with no experience” tells someone more than a slogan does.

2. Show it

The trailer, or a couple of strong screenshots if you do not have one. Real footage, not concept art, as soon as you have it. People decide in seconds, and moving images and clear screenshots do that work better than any paragraph.

3. Be honest about the stage

Say where it is: concept, prototype, in development, demo available, beta. A date only if you are sure of it. A page that states “work in progress” and means it is trusted more than one that promises a date and misses it. Include what people should expect, for example a large first download.

4. One way to follow it

Choose the thing you most want people to do and make it the obvious button:

• a wishlist link, if the store page exists;
• an email sign-up, which you own and no platform can take away;
• a Discord invite, if you want a community.

More than two competes with itself. Whatever you choose, put it where the eye lands without scrolling.

5. Who is making it

A line or two on who you are, so the game has a face. It builds trust and gives journalists someone to write about.

6. A press page

A link to a page with the facts, the images and a way to reach you. Here is what a press kit should contain.

What to leave out

• Fake countdowns and invented release dates.
• Quotes you do not have, and awards that do not exist.
• Placeholder text and sections that say “coming soon” and nothing else.
• A list of features that are only ideas. Say what exists, and flag what is planned as planned.
• Big downloads you do not warn people about.

Make it findable

Put the game’s name first in the page title, followed by what it is, and use the name once as the main heading. Keep the page fast and readable on a phone. Add the page to Search Console, and make sure your store page and your socials link to it.

An example

The home page of The Last Lighthouse says plainly that it is a prototype and a work in progress, and it tells you that the first download is large. That is deliberate. The service is described on the indie game websites page.

What to do next

If you have a game and no page yet, send me a short message with what it is and what you would like people to do, and I will tell you what I would put on it.