Andrew Pappas - Zero Budget 10k Wishlists Strategy

5 min read

Estrategia Zero Budget: 10,000 Wishlists en 3 Meses Sin Presupuesto

Informacion de la Estrategia

Autor: Andrew Pappas (Rengen)
Objetivo: 10,000 wishlists en 3 meses
Presupuesto: $0 - Sin ad spend, sin agency
Filosofia: “Focus, clarity, and consistent action”
Premisa Central: “You can out-align, out-connect, and out-hustle”

Resumen Ejecutivo

Plan sistematico de 9 pasos para alcanzar 10,000 wishlists sin presupuesto publicitario, basado en claridad de mensaje, consistency en ejecucion y authentic engagement. La estrategia prioriza building genuine connections sobre tactics promocionales directas.

Principios Fundamentales:

  • Clarity como currency principal cuando no hay budget
  • Authentic engagement supera promotional content
  • Demo tratado como launch event, no solo technical milestone
  • Consistency y presence mas importantes que perfection

Los 9 Pasos de la Estrategia

1. Clarify Your Audience and Hook

Objetivo: Definir clarity absoluta antes de cualquier accion.

Preguntas Criticas:

  • What’s the hook?
  • Who’s the game for?
  • Why should players care today?

Ejecucion: “You don’t need a perfect pitch. Just a clear reason to wishlist now.”

2. Build a Minimum Viable Message Kit (MVM)

Componentes Esenciales:

  • One great 5+ second gameplay loop
  • One killer tagline or sticky sentence
  • One clear CTA (wishlist, follow, join Discord)

Filosofia: “Repeatable, shareable assets that actually excite people” Uso: “Use what resonates. Repurpose it often.”

3. Nail Your Online Assets (Steam Page Optimization)

Focus Areas:

  • Hook visible in first 5 seconds
  • Trailer shows why the game matters
  • Capsule art must align and stand out
  • Highlight pain or satisfaction game addresses

Razonamiento: “You’ll be driving traffic, so make sure it converts” Value Prop: “Show players you bring value, not just another game”

4. Use Social Media Strategically

Approach: “One of the best zero-cost tools, but you have to earn it”

Content Strategy:

  • Lead with curiosity, humor, or vulnerability
  • NOT “check out my game”
  • Engage in communities aligned with game themes, not just genre
  • Drop links only when they fit naturally

Resultado: “Show up genuinely and others are likely to support you more”

5. Submit to Online Showcases and Events

Selection Criteria:

  • Be strategic with applications - aim for good fit, not just reach
  • Apply even if it’s a long shot
  • Save submissions for future reuse
  • Consider dropping fresh content (trailer, reveals, etc.)

Timeline Impact: “May not boost wishlists right away, but can stack results and will pay off”

6. Treat Your Demo Like a Launch

Positioning: “A great demo is your best organic growth tool”

Execution Strategy:

  • Set date (internally) and tease early using MVM kit
  • Pair with creator shoutouts, AMAs, or cross-promos
  • Stack other awareness activities to amplify impact

Why It Works: “Demos can create urgency, social proof and shareability. Use that momentum!“

7. Show Up Daily

Definition: “Not just with posts, but presence”

Daily Actions:

  • Comment on others’ content
  • Share wins, blockers, and insights - ask for help
  • Celebrate others and provide value

Outcome: “Building trust and awareness at the same time”

8. Continue to Build Momentum

Momentum Builders:

  • Celebrate milestones and share real-time progress
  • Announce updates, reveals, or shoutouts
  • Thank supporters

Philosophy: “Kill the ones who don’t [support]…with kindness” Impact: “Progress is momentum. And momentum builds trust.”

9. Assume None of This Will Work

Mindset Management:

  • Set expectations low
  • Stay committed
  • “This takes time and persistence”

Competitive Advantage: “You may not outspend others. But you can out-align, out-connect, and out-hustle”

Analisis Tactico

Diferenciadores vs Competencia

  • Out-align: Better product-market fit que competitors con budget
  • Out-connect: Deeper authentic relationships vs paid relationships
  • Out-hustle: Consistency y effort vs one-time paid campaigns

Timeline Considerations

  • No immediate results: Strategy acknowledges slow build
  • 3-month horizon: Realistic para organic growth
  • Daily commitment: Required para momentum building

Risk Mitigation

  • “Assume none will work”: Prepara para failure scenarios
  • Low expectations: Prevents burnout por unrealistic hopes
  • Open mind: “Some tactics will work better for others”

Conexiones con Otros Frameworks

Relacion con MISERY Case Study

Relacion con Chris Zukowski Framework

Factores de Exito Criticos

Must-Have Elements

  1. Clarity absoluta en audience y hook antes de empezar
  2. MVM kit que realmente excite people
  3. Daily presence genuina, no promotional
  4. Demo tratado como major launch

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Leading con promotional content vs value/curiosity
  • Inconsistent presence - sporadic engagement
  • Perfectionism over action - “perfect pitch” vs “clear reason”
  • Genre communities solo vs theme-aligned communities

Aplicabilidad y Limitaciones

Ideal Para

  • Solo developers con time pero no money
  • Teams con strong execution capability
  • Games con clear hooks y defined audiences
  • Developers comfortable con authentic social engagement

Limitaciones

  • Requires significant time investment daily
  • Success depends on developer’s communication skills
  • May not work para all game types equally
  • 3-month timeline puede ser aggressive para algunos developers

Metricas de Tracking Sugeridas

Weekly Metrics:

  • Wishlists added
  • Social media engagement rates
  • Demo downloads (cuando available)
  • Community growth

Monthly Reviews:

  • MVM kit performance analysis
  • Platform-specific conversion rates
  • Showcase/event application results
  • Momentum indicators (mentions, shares, organic reach)

Estado: Estrategia completa documentada
Aplicabilidad: Alta para developers con tiempo disponible pero budget limitado
Complementariedad: Excellent foundation para scaling hacia frameworks de Zukowski/MISERY

Convencion de Escritura: Esta nota sigue la convencion sin acentos para evitar problemas de codificacion y mejorar compatibilidad del sistema.

Graph View

Backlinks