How a developer can engage with players on social media – a case study from Vampire Survivors

Table of Contents:

• Playing Catch-Up with the Audience
• Finding Your Voice
• Delegating Authority
• Benefits and Challenges of Early Access
• Mistakes and Missed Opportunities
• Increasing Reach and Engagement
• Integrating into the Gaming Industry

Vampire Survivors began as a humble personal project by Italian-British developer Luca Galante. The idea was to create a roguelike game where players take on the role of undead hunters. In the game, players need to collect experience in the form of stones and combine abilities, while the character automatically attacks endless waves of monsters. This unique approach to gameplay and the simplicity of mechanics attracted the attention of a wide audience, making Vampire Survivors a popular project in the roguelike genre.

Vampire Survivors was released in Early Access on the Steam platform on December 17, 2021, for three dollars. In its early days, the game had only eight players. However, by January 2022, the game had gained immense popularity, attracting 30,000 users captivated by its simple yet addictive gameplay and unique retro style. Vampire Survivors quickly captured the hearts of gamers, confirming its status as a hit on the Steam platform. Following its unexpected success, Galante recognized the need for a manager to manage the rapidly growing community. He hired Beth Molloy, who was new to the gaming industry. In 2023, at the GDC conference, she shared her experience in this new field.

The Vampire Survivors Community Manager plays a key role in creating and maintaining an active player community. Their primary responsibilities include interacting with fans, collecting feedback, and communicating information about new features and updates to the game. This not only strengthens the bond between developers and players but also increases audience engagement. The Community Manager is also responsible for organizing events, contests, and promotions, which help promote Vampire Survivors and attract new players. An effective Community Manager helps create a positive image for the game and contributes to its sustainable development.

Before joining the gaming company, Molloy gained experience in various fields. She trained people and organized events at a skateboarding rink, presented products to clients for a company specializing in window and door sales, and created content for her YouTube vlog. These diverse experiences helped her develop communication and creativity skills that proved valuable in her subsequent career in the gaming industry.

Molloy currently works at Poncle, a studio founded by Luca Galante in April 2022. The studio is developing and promoting the popular game Vampire Survivors.

Skillbox Media's Gamedev editorial team presents key lessons from their lecture that will be useful for those new to gaming marketing. These recommendations will help you effectively engage with your audience and attract attention to your game. Learning the principles of gaming marketing and approaches to communicating with players is an important step in successfully promoting a project.

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The Secret of Addiction Vampire Survivors: Why It's So Hard to Stop Playing

Vampire Survivors is a game that draws attention with its simplicity and engaging gameplay. The main secret to its addictiveness lies in its unique combination of mechanics that keep players coming back again and again. Players are immersed in a world where each session offers new challenges and opportunities. Constantly upgrading your character and unlocking new abilities creates a progression effect that's hard to ignore.

Furthermore, the game's random elements add unpredictability, making each game unique. Players never know what enemies and items they'll encounter, which stimulates the desire to play another round. Intuitive controls and an accessible interface allow for deeper immersion in the gameplay without being distracted by complex mechanics.

Emotional appeal also plays a significant role in Vampire Survivors' addictiveness. Players experience satisfaction from overcoming challenges and achieving new records. This psychological connection with the game becomes the key factor that makes you come back to it again and again.

Thus, Vampire Survivors offers a unique combination of simplicity, progression, and emotional engagement, making it truly addictive and hard to put down for players.

Playing catch-up with the audience

In 2022, Vampire Survivors experienced a number of significant events that set it apart from other popular games. The pace of development of the project was significantly higher, which indicates a high level of activity on the team. Successful updates, new mechanics and content made Vampire Survivors one of the most talked about games of the year.

According to Molloy, events developed rapidly: in October 2022, the full version of the game was released for PC, and in December, just a year after the Early Access release, the first DLC called Legacy of the Moonspell became available. In addition, during this same period, the roguelike was launched on Xbox console platforms and mobile devices.

Molla faced a unique challenge: instead of growing its audience, it needed to catch up with a rapidly growing fan community. Community managers addressed this challenge through several key steps. They began actively engaging with fans, analyzing their interests and preferences, which allowed them to create more personalized content. They also organized numerous events aimed at strengthening connections with the community, including webinars and discussions. These measures not only increased engagement but also fostered loyalty among existing fans. Thus, Molla was able to not only catch up but also effectively engage with the growing community, ultimately leading to sustainable growth.

• Purchase domains and register social media accounts, including those platforms that might be useful in the future.
• Prioritize platforms where the main audience is located. Molloy focused on X (formerly Twitter) and Discord, where Vampire Survivors already had its own server. This allowed her to form the core of the community before starting to hire new people and switch to TikTok.

Once Beth completed all the necessary steps, she immediately began creating content. This process turned out to be a real challenge for her.

Finding Your Voice

Molloy admits that in her first days as a community manager, she didn't know what to do. This time became a real challenge for her, requiring quick adaptation and finding effective solutions. The experiences she gained during this period laid the foundation for her professional growth and understanding of key aspects of community management.

When Beth began her career at Poncle, she needed to quickly master using X and Discord for effective game marketing. Along the way, she learned several key aspects that significantly impacted her approach to this area. These lessons helped not only her but the entire team better understand how to engage with gaming audiences and promote products on these platforms.

• Vary your content. Vampire Survivors' social media pages feature a wide variety of posts: update news, game-related polls, bug reports, fan art, and memes. This diversity helps these posts reach a wider audience.
• Keep an eye on trends—but carefully choose those that fit your brand. If a popular hashtag is associated with a trend, consider using it in your post to increase your reach.
• Find out what your audience likes. Thus, fans of Vampire Survivors especially loved the character Po Ratcho and his basic weapon, garlic. Accordingly, Beth began posting more memes featuring them, because users willingly like and share these publications.

• Use analytics. Using statistics from the poncle YouTube channel, Molloy discovered that the majority of the Vampire Survivors fan base are American men between the ages of 25 and 40. This data helped her create content that would appeal to her core audience while also attracting potential players.

When working with social media, timing and consistency are key factors. For example, before the full launch of the game, the poncle team posted teasers daily at 4:00 PM London time. This time was chosen as it saw the highest viewer activity in the US and UK. Proper posting timing helps increase reach and audience engagement, which in turn contributes to successful product promotion.

One effective way to promote Vampire Survivors on social media was by changing the tone of communication. Initially, Molloy maintained a strict style, posting only news about updates and bug fixes. However, after adopting a friendlier and more informal tone, her posts began to gain popularity. This led to more shares and active user interaction. This approach to communicating with the audience significantly improved engagement and contributed to the growth of the community around the game.

Friendliness has its limits. The speaker recommends avoiding offensive comments and excessive persistence in requests to port the game to new platforms. This is not only ineffective but can also negatively impact your mental health. It's best to leave the issue of haters to automated systems that can block offenders. Intrusive questions can simply be ignored to focus on more productive interactions.

Molloy asks not to overload community managers with the need to respond to all requests. This is important for increasing their effectiveness and maintaining the quality of interactions with the audience. Streamlining communication processes allows community managers to focus on more meaningful tasks, which ultimately contributes to better community development.

In other cases, responsiveness will only benefit you, especially when players report genuine issues like bugs and technical issues. Responding quickly to such feedback helps improve the quality of the game and increase user satisfaction. It also builds a positive image for the developers, demonstrating their willingness to address issues and consider player feedback.

One day, Beth discovered a post discussing how, when loading Vampire Survivors, the folder name on the start screen included the user's Steam username. This created serious problems for streamers and YouTubers seeking anonymity. Just an hour later, Molloy contacted the author of the post and reported a solution. This incident once again confirmed that the developers truly listen to their fans.

Delegation of Authority

Today, the Poncle team focuses on three key platforms: X, Discord, and TikTok. Given the scale of the work, it is difficult for one community manager to handle such tasks independently. Therefore, it is important to be able to delegate responsibilities and focus on the most important aspects of community management. Effective delegation of tasks improves interaction with the audience and increases user engagement.

The core of the Vampire Survivors community is concentrated on the Discord platform, where members receive up-to-date news and have the opportunity to be the first to test beta versions of game updates. On this server, players actively discuss discovered bugs, exchange ideas, and share their problems, which contributes to the improvement of the gameplay and interaction between participants. Discord has become an essential tool for building a strong and engaged community where everyone can contribute to the development of Vampire Survivors.

Benefits and Challenges of Early Access

Vampire Survivors spent several months in Early Access, which provided several significant advantages. Firstly, it allowed the developers to receive valuable feedback from players, which contributed to improving the gameplay and eliminating flaws. Secondly, Early Access helped create an active community that supported the game by sharing their impressions and suggestions. This interaction with players became the foundation for the project's further development. Thirdly, the ability to test the game in real time allowed the developers to adapt content to audience demands, ultimately resulting in a higher-quality and more engaging product. Thus, the Early Access period became a key stage in the development of Vampire Survivors, providing it with a stable fan base and a high level of engagement.

• Engaging players in development. The poncle team was able to immediately receive feedback from a wide audience and use it to improve and polish the game before the full release.
• Creating a powerful community. An army of fans essentially advertised the game for free to those unfamiliar with it.
• An opportunity to create an image for the game studio. In the case of poncle, working with the community on social media helped create an image of a quirky, yet democratic and responsive company.

Early Access for Vampire Survivors allowed the developers to establish a trusting relationship with the fan base even before the full release. However, interacting with the audience during the Early Access stage brought some unexpected challenges for the community managers. These challenges manifested themselves in the need to incorporate player opinions and feedback, which required flexibility and a quick response to changes. Furthermore, constant communication with users became an important aspect that influenced the game's further development. Thus, Early Access not only opened up opportunities for improvement but also presented the developers with new challenges in community management.

• Constant changes in the game. Because of them, Molloy often had to create content for social media at the last minute.
• Scheduling difficulties. Because the development and update schedule is constantly changing.
• Creating structures on the fly. The game's near-instant success meant that creating a game studio and streamlining all work processes also had to be done urgently.

Mistakes and Missed Opportunities

The uncertainty and tight deadlines created by the rapid success of Vampire Survivors led to missteps in the marketing strategy. In his lecture, Molloy shares his experiences, discussing the mistakes made and the lessons learned from them. These insights can be useful for game developers and marketers looking to avoid similar mistakes in the future and optimize their promotion strategies.

In early 2022, Discord representatives approached Poncle with an offer to create a French-language server. Beth decided to accept the offer, as, in accordance with the agreement with Discord, the successful implementation of this project would open the possibility of launching a server in Japan, where a significant number of fans of the game live. The creation of a French-language server was an important step in expanding the community and strengthening ties with international fans.

The Vampire Survivors fanbase in France turned out to be quite limited, which forced Molloy to spend a significant amount of time and resources promoting a project that, as it soon became clear, had no chance of success. This experience taught her to more carefully analyze marketing prospects before launching new initiatives.

You shouldn't accept every offer you receive. It's important to choose what best suits your interests and goals. The expert emphasizes that making an informed choice allows you to avoid unnecessary commitments and focus on truly important opportunities.

The Vampire Survivors theme album was released unannounced as part of a marketing campaign dedicated to the release of the full version of the game. As a result, it did not attract sufficient attention and was lost among the many other teasers.

Molloy acknowledges that the release and promotion of the soundtrack should have been treated as a separate event. As the expert notes, surprise releases can be a successful strategy, but successful implementation requires appropriate timing and a carefully thought-out project.

To celebrate the full game's release, Poncle's marketers decided to send gift sets to streamers and bloggers who had contributed to the popularity of Vampire Survivors. Molloy spent two months searching for a company willing to produce the merchandise, but all offers were rejected due to the tight deadline. As a result, she had to organize the process of producing gifts on her own.

The project was successful, and the content authors received their sets. However, for Beth, implementing this project was a source of significant stress. Therefore, she recommends researching all available options in advance to avoid unnecessary stress. This approach will help better organize the process and reduce stress.

Increasing Reach and Engagement

There are many methods for attracting a new audience and increasing user activity on social media, but not all of them are under your control. Controllable strategies include:

• Give away game keys and other gifts. Activates users on social media.
• Press releases. Helps highlight the game in the media.
• Streams of content creators on Steam and Twitch. Reaches an audience beyond the fan base.
• Participation in video game exhibitions. Allows you to meet fans in person.

There are factors that contribute to a game's promotion that only come into play after it has already gained popularity. These elements can significantly accelerate its further development and market penetration.

• Nominations/awards from game shows. For example, in 2022, Vampire Survivors was nominated for the Best On-the-Go Game category, which meant that for several days the game received more reviews than Elden Ring.

• Working with digital distribution platforms and individual platforms. It never hurts to contact representatives of platforms like Xbox or Steam and ask them to repost – but before doing so, you should find out the requirements that your publication must meet.
• Collaborating with other authors and companies. As Molloy notes, in the worst-case scenario, they will simply say, "No." In the best-case scenario, this could lead to impressive projects like the recently announced animated series based on Vampire Survivors from the creators of John Wick and the feature-length adaptations of the Sonic games.

Integration into the Gaming Industry

Molloy concludes by offering recommendations that contributed to her successful adaptation to the gaming industry. These tips can be useful for both beginners and those with experience but looking to develop in this dynamic field.

The speaker recommends actively engaging in self-education using various resources, such as educational videos, lectures, and, if possible, professional courses. Podcasts can also be a great option for learning. For example, Beth listens to the She Plays Games podcast, which features women working in the gaming industry. These resources will help expand the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in this field.

Molloy sought to gain a deeper understanding of the gaming industry by actively studying trade shows and awards shows through recordings. She spent time on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn about various companies and developers. She also sought out content creators for potential collaborations, which helped expand her knowledge and connections in the industry.

Molloy subscribed to email lists such as the Community Dev newsletter from Victoria Tran, Community Manager for Among Us. These newsletters allow her to stay up-to-date on current trends in gaming marketing and receive useful insights that help her adapt her promotion and audience engagement strategies. With these sources of information, she can effectively respond to changes in the industry and implement best practices in her work.

Beth received significant support through her interactions with industry professionals. She actively participated in community management communities on Discord, participated in exhibitions and conferences, and utilized social media and online events. This diversity of communication formats allowed her to expand her knowledge and establish useful contacts in the game development industry.

Knowledge of how the industry works doesn't guarantee an innocence of mistakes. Molloy also faced many challenges, learning from her mistakes. However, understanding how the industry works increases your confidence and helps you plan more effectively. It also helps optimize workflows and improve their efficiency.

In the case of Vampire Survivors, Beth demonstrated impressive results: from February 2022 to March 2023, the number of Discord server members increased from 11,000 to 58,000. During the same period, the game reached the second place in Steam for the number of reviews, reaching 178,000 reviews, while the overall rating remains at "Extremely Positive." Such achievements highlight the growing popularity of Vampire Survivors and the active participation of the community.

The Vampire Survivors project itself, which has become a true phenomenon, undoubtedly contributed to these figures. Its success is exceptional even among major AAA blockbusters, not to mention independent games. This incredible rise in popularity underscores the importance of quality content and an original approach in the video game industry.

Skillful community management has helped build a devoted fan base, thanks to which Luca Galante's game remains relevant almost two years after its initial release. This demonstrates that the experience of Vampire Survivors can be useful for other developers striving for the long-term success of their projects. It is important to understand how audience engagement can impact a game's sustainability and popularity in a competitive marketplace.

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Promoting Games Online: Strategies Based on the Example of the Cult of the Lamb Campaign

Effective Promotion of Video Games Online promotion requires the use of various strategies and tools to achieve maximum visibility and audience engagement. One shining example of a successful campaign is Cult of the Lamb.

For starters, creating high-quality content is key. Developing engaging trailers and gameplay videos helps engage potential players. It's important that the content reflects the game's unique features, such as its style, mechanics, and storyline.

Social media plays a significant role in promotion. Cult of the Lamb actively uses platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to interact with its audience, share news, and build a community around the game. Regular updates and interactive posts help maintain user interest and engagement.

Collaboration with bloggers and streamers is equally important. Partnering with influential figures in the gaming industry can significantly increase reach and attract new players. Streaming and hosting gameplay sessions with well-known streamers creates additional interest in the project.

SEO optimization also plays a role in promotion. Using game-related keywords in website content and video descriptions helps increase search engine visibility. Regularly creating articles and posts about Cult of the Lamb helps drive organic traffic. Cross-promotion with other games or projects can also be an effective strategy. Joint promotions, contests, and events help expand the audience and attract attention to the game. Thus, successful online game promotion requires a comprehensive approach, including high-quality content creation, active social media engagement, collaboration with influencers, and SEO optimization. The Cult of the Lamb example demonstrates how these strategies can lead to a successful campaign and attract a wide audience.