Agenda
1371 Games Later: What Organizing a Steam Event Taught Us About Indie Discoverability
Celine Tricart (Co-founder and president, COVEN, COVEN)
Pass Type:
Academic Pass, Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass, Indie Pass, Start-Up Pass -
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Track:
Marketing, Independent Development
Audience Level:
Intermediate
Format:
Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: Intermediate
Every indie developer has wondered what happens after submitting a game to a Steam event. After organizing the inaugural OUT OF THE BOX GAMES showcase and reviewing 1,377 submissions, this speaker gained a rare view from the other side of the process. The session pulls back the curtain on how curated Steam events are built, revealing why excellent games are sometimes rejected, what organizers actually evaluate, and how practical constraints such as thematic cohesion, exclusive announcements, discounts, and event composition shape selection decisions. Drawing from real submission data, event planning metrics, and post-event analysis, the speaker shares the lessons learned from both sides of the submission process: first as an indie developer applying to dozens of Steam events, then as an organizer responsible for designing one. Attendees leave with a clearer understanding of how discoverability is shaped long before an event goes live, and how to craft stronger, more effective submissions.
Takeaway
Attendees leave with an evidence-based understanding of how Steam event organizers evaluate submissions, why strong games are sometimes rejected, and how to write applications that are easier to evaluate while better supporting event discoverability.
Intended Audience
This session is intended for indie developers, publishers, and marketing professionals interested in Steam discoverability and curated showcases. Attendees should be familiar with the basics of Steam events and game publishing, but no prior experience organizing events is required.