This Game Used TikTok to Get 120M Views & 60k Steam Wishlists

This analysis examines modern game discovery and platform competition, focusing on the efficacy of TikTok as a marketing funnel for indie developers. Using the case study of the 3D action RPG Mortal Rite, the data demonstrates how a five-person team at Round Toast Studios generated 120 million organic views and 60,000 Steam wishlists without paid advertising. The findings suggest a direct correlation between TikTok engagement and Steam wishlist growth, though the conversion rate remains low at approximately one wishlist for every 2,000 views.

Successful content strategies on TikTok include progression videos showing development milestones, soliciting community feedback on unfinished assets, and simplifying complex technical concepts for a general audience. High watch times and engagement rates are driven by the inclusion of developer faces and subtitles. Beyond specific game content, the study notes that commenting on general industry news can effectively build a following. To convert social interest into tangible store traffic, developers are encouraged to use clear calls to action, direct links in bios, and transparent communication regarding the value of wishlisting.

The scope also extends to platform-level competition between Sony and Microsoft. Legal filings from Brazil suggest that Sony utilizes "blocking rights" in co-marketing deals to prevent titles from appearing on Game Pass for specific periods. While not a universal industry standard, these agreements often include clauses for feature parity and rights of first negotiation. Additional industry data highlights the continued impact of regional currency devaluations in Turkey and Argentina on Steam pricing, the emergence of "Survivor-like" as a new mobile genre, and the stabilization of the U.S. hardware market despite a 10% year-to-date decline in overall spending.