What Have Our Teams Learned From Our PR Experts?

Public relations is a particular burden for small game developers working with tight schedules and limited budgets, and Gamecity Hamburg's Games Lift Incubator makes it a program focus. In November 2020, the incubator's five teams spent a full day in a remote workshop with Plan of Attack, a games PR agency led by Chris Clarke and Account Director Aidan Minter. The session combined a broad overview of the current PR landscape with individual coaching for each team.

Clarke and Minter opened with the state of the market and how the democratization of game development has reshaped it, then moved to practical guidance covering strategy, streamer and journalist outreach, community building, localization, and post-launch work. Their advice was notably concrete. Only about 20 percent of gamers in Russia speak English, which strengthens the case for Russian localization. Campaigns should begin at least six months before release, with roughly three additional months of work afterward. Clarke also offered an 80/20 rule for weighing different kinds of PR activity.

Several principles were presented as universally applicable. Developers should first define what makes their game unique, identify its top five features, and study comparable titles. The communication plan should be treated as a fluid document reviewed every couple of weeks. Teams should build their own community and communicate as transparently as possible. Press pitches should follow the KISS principle, target the right contacts, link to a new video, include carefully composed screenshots, and be emailed during recipients' working hours.

Participants responded positively to the directness of the feedback. Crumbling's Ole Jürgensen was advised to delay heavy PR investment until his project's visual identity matured, which freed up his time. Team Ninja Brigade commissioned new 80s-comic-style cover art after consultation, and Roman Fuhrer of Leif's Adventure valued the energy of the roadmap coaching. Gamecity Hamburg also gives each team a time budget with Plan of Attack that remains usable after the program ends, so guidance can be accessed when it is most needed.