The Most Successful Time of Year to Launch Indie Games

The prospect of releasing a new indie game can be exciting – the anticipation and optimism making it easy to assume that the best release date is whichever is as early as possible. But believe it or not, this isn’t always the case. There is a science to timing the release of an indie game, doing so in a way that gives it the best possible chance to succeed. Here, we’ll go over what those periods are and why they matter.

While there isn’t an exact date that’s considered the ‘best’ day to release an indie game, there are some general times of year that make the most sense. These are most notably January to early February and late July to early August. Why? Well, we all know that the gaming space is filled to the brim with titles. And it’s generally the larger AAA games that take the forefront in terms of generating buzz. So when these big games release, it can be difficult for an indie game to cut through the noise. But what happens in the lulls between these periods? That’s when people are looking for something new to play. They’re actively seeking out titles that have flown under the radar, and that’s where your game comes in. Releasing during these windows means that your game is more likely to be noticed and therefore generate the attention it needs to succeed. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should aim to release your game on the first day of February or August.

The key here is to target the beginning or end of these months. That way, you can avoid the competition of bigger budget games while still benefiting from the increased attention that comes with these times.

While there’s no perfect time to release an indie game, there are definitely some windows that are better than others. January to early February and late July to Early August are two of the best times to release, as people are actively looking for new games to play. Remember, the goal is to be noticed. And releasing during these times gives you the best possible chance of doing just that.