The Game Marketer helps ShantyTown top 100,000 Steam wishlists

Solo developer Erik Rempen’s cosy city builder ShantyTown crossed 100,000+ Steam wishlists, 1.5 million+ page visits and 70,000+ demo downloads after a full-service marketing push from The Game Marketer. The campaign also helped the game land press, creator support and a strong showing at PAX Rising ahead of launch. Why it matters: - ShantyTown’s campaign shows how a solo developer can scale a niche indie launch with the right mix of strategy, creative, PR and paid media. - The game crossed 100,000+ Steam wishlists, a milestone that can improve launch visibility and long-term sales momentum. - The campaign also drove 1.5 million+ Steam page visits and 70,000+ demo downloads, broadening the game’s audience before launch. What happened: - Solo developer Erik Rempen of Silk Softworks worked with The Game Marketer on ShantyTown’s demo push, Steam Next Fest presence, PAX Rising showcase and launch campaign. - The Game Marketer managed strategy, branding, Steam page optimisation, social media, PR, paid media, trailer production and asset creation. - By launch, the campaign had delivered 100,000+ Steam wishlists, 1.5 million+ Steam page visits and 70,000+ demo downloads. The details: - ShantyTown is a cosy urban diorama builder centered on creativity, vertical construction and calm, thoughtful space management. - The marketing team developed a new logo and revamped the Steam page to better show the game’s visual style at a glance. - Multiple trailers were produced during the campaign, along with platform-specific social content and a consistent visual direction. - Paid media ran throughout the campaign and was timed to key development beats. - The Game Marketer used continuous creative testing, country targeting and retargeting to find what resonated with cosy game and city-builder audiences. - The campaign produced low CPC and cost-per-wishlist rates, with click-through rates reaching up to 6%. - The game earned media coverage and creator attention, including an 8/10 from DualShockers, Indie of the Week recognition from Kotaku and a 9.1/10 from GamerBlurb. - ShantyTown also secured a successful PAX Rising showing, was named one of the Games Ground Indie Winners and led to podcast guest appearances for Erik Rempen. - The full game launch trailer was included in the campaign materials. - The game is available on Steam: ShantyTown on Steam Between the lines: - The campaign leaned heavily on a clear visual identity, which made the game easier to understand quickly across store pages, trailers and social posts. - The results suggest that tightly coordinated creative and paid media can move a niche city-builder from demo interest to sustained wishlist growth. - Erik Rempen framed the value of the partnership as being able to stay focused on finishing the game while marketing work moved in parallel. What’s next: - ShantyTown’s launch-era visibility now gives Silk Softworks a stronger base for continued sales, community growth and post-launch marketing. - The game’s press momentum and creator interest could help extend its reach beyond the initial release window. - Silk Softworks and The Game Marketer may use the same playbook on future projects if the launch performance continues to hold.