How to Write a Kickstarter Press Release That Actually Gets Covered
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Most press releases get ignored. Here's the structure that gives yours a real chance.
When journalists and content creators receive a press release, they're scanning, not reading. You have a few seconds to hook them in and answer one question: is this worth my audience's time?
A badly structured press release answers that question with silence. A well-structured one makes the pitch obvious, the game memorable, and the hook impossible to miss.
This is the structure that works for Kickstarter game announcements. Follow it in order.
Key takeaways for a successful press announcement
Structure is everything. A press release that follows the right order (headline → hook → gameplay → details) removes all friction between a journalist scanning and a journalist covering your game
Lead with gameplay, not lore. Journalists need to understand your game in seconds; genre, mechanics, and hook first — worldbuilding, deep systems, and backstory never
PR is a campaign, not a single announcement. Pre-launch, demo, launch day, milestones, and final 48 hours are all separate story beats; use each one
Indie Kickstarters are backed emotionally first. Your press release needs to sell the fantasy, the creativity, and the team story — not just the feature list
1. Headline
Your headline is doing one job: stopping the scroll. Keep it short and punchy. It should land in a single breath.
What to include:
Game name
Genre or hook
A mention of Kickstarter
Strong examples:
"Pixel Roguelite VOID//RUNNER Launches on Kickstarter This June"
"Cozy Automation RPG Solarpunk Opens Kickstarter Campaign"
"2-Person Indie Team Announces Kickstarter for Tactical Horror Game Dead Signal"
Notice the pattern: genre first, game name second, timing or context third. You're not being clever — you're being clear.
2. Subheadline
One sentence. Expand the premise. This is where journalists get the context they need to decide if your game fits their audience.
Example: A deckbuilding city-builder inspired by Against the Storm and Slay the Spire, launching on Kickstarter May 28th.
Pack in your genre mashup, any recognisable comparisons, your launch timing, and the platform. Keep the comparisons grounded — only use them if the similarity is genuinely obvious to someone who's played both games.
3. Opening Paragraph
This is the most important section of your entire press release. If a journalist reads nothing else, this paragraph decides whether they cover you.
Answer these four questions immediately:
What is the game?
Why is it interesting?
What's happening now?
Where can people follow or back it?
The formula:
Studio name + game + hook + Kickstarter timing + CTA
Example: Indie studio Bright Lantern has announced that its hand-drawn action RPG Ashfall Vale will launch on Kickstarter on June 12th. Inspired by classic Zelda dungeons and modern extraction games, players explore collapsing ruins while trying to escape with rare relics before the world reshapes itself.
That's it. Studio, game, hook, timing, in four lines.
4. Gameplay Overview
This is where you explain the core loop — what players actually do. Be specific. Concrete mechanics are more interesting than abstract promises.
Cover:
Player objective
Core gameplay systems
Progression structure
Multiplayer or co-op if applicable
Any unique mechanics
Remove phrases like:
"Immersive"
"Innovative"
"Revolutionary"
Strong example: Players build a mobile settlement on the back of a giant creature, scavenging abandoned cities for resources while defending against airborne raiders in tactical real-time combat.
That one sentence tells you the loop, the setting, and what makes it unusual. Write towards that.
5. Why It Stands Out
For Kickstarter specifically, this section matters more than you might think.
Journalists and creators need a reason to cover you over the dozens of other pitches landing in their inbox that week, and kickstarters are a risk with a history of some games raising large amounts of cash and then blowing all the funds before delivering a game (so you could see why some journalists avoid Kickstarters).
Give them your angle. It could be:
A distinctive art style
An unusual mechanic that doesn't exist elsewhere
An emotional theme
An unexpected genre fusion
A solo dev or compelling team story
Inspiration drawn from real culture or history
A physics system worth talking about
Strong moddability or co-op focus
The question to ask yourself: what would make someone stop scrolling?
If you can't answer that clearly, sharpen this section before you send anything.
6. Kickstarter Details
Be explicit. Journalists hate having to chase details that should have been in the press release. Include:
Launch date
Link to your pre-launch page
Funding goal (optional, but helps frame the campaign)
Reward tier highlights
Demo availability
Any stretch goals worth mentioning
Example: The Kickstarter campaign launches May 28th and will include exclusive cosmetic rewards, soundtrack tiers, and early beta access for backers.
If your demo is live, lead with this and have your Kickstarter as the secondary announcement. A playable demo is one of the most powerful things you can mention and gain more interest.
7. Platforms and Release Window
Don't make anyone guess. State your plans clearly, even if they're subject to change.
Always include:
Steam (yes or no)
Console plans, if any
Estimated release window
Demo availability
Example: The game is planned for PC via Steam, with Nintendo Switch and PlayStation versions planned via stretch goals.
8. Developer Quote
This gives journalists a pull-quote they can drop straight into a feature without having to interview you. Make it sound like a human said it, not a press release.
Keep it short. Keep it honest. Avoid anything that sounds corporate.
Example: "We wanted to create a survival game where exploration feels genuinely risky, but failure still creates memorable stories," said studio founder Sam Jarvis.
That quote has a point of view. It tells you something about what the team cares about. That's what makes it usable.
9. Studio Boilerplate
A short paragraph at the bottom. Journalists paste this directly into features, so write it carefully.
Include:
Who you are
Any previous shipped projects
Location and team size
Your studio's tone or mission
Example: Full Charge is a UK-based indie game marketing force focused on helping creative indie games build successful Kickstarter campaigns and communities.
Essential Media Assets
A press release without assets is a half-finished pitch. Journalists and creators need visuals immediately — if they have to email you asking for a GIF, most of them won't bother.
Have these ready at the time you send:
Studio logo
Key art
Gameplay GIFs
Trailer
Screenshots
Steam page link
Press kit
Kickstarter link
A downloadable press kit makes everything easier. Good places to host one:
Google Drive
Dropbox
Your own website
If you don't have a press kit ready yet, even a well-organised Google Drive folder is better than nothing.
What Journalists and Creators Are Actually Scanning For
When your press release lands in an inbox, here's the honest checklist someone runs through in about 15 seconds:
Does it have a strong visual hook?
Is the genre immediately clear?
Is there an easy headline I can use?
Does this fit my audience?
Are there screenshots or a trailer?
Do other people already care about this?
That last point matters more than most developers expect. Social proof changes the conversation.
Steam wishlist numbers help
Demo players help
Social traction helps
Kickstarter follower count helps
A campaign with 2,000 Kickstarter followers is a more compelling pitch than an identical game with 200. Build your following before you send your press release, not after.
Common Mistakes Indie Devs Make
Getting the structure right is one thing. Avoiding the traps that kill otherwise decent press releases is another.
Too much lore. Nobody wants eight paragraphs of worldbuilding before they understand what your game actually is. Start with gameplay and your hook. Save the lore for the Steam page.
No clear genre. Someone reading your press release for the first time should understand what kind of game this is within five seconds. If they have to work for it, you've already lost them.
No visual identity. Your screenshots should instantly communicate the tone and gameplay. If a journalist looks at your key art and can't tell what genre they're looking at, the visuals aren't doing their job yet.
Overexplaining mechanics. Keep the press release readable. Deep systems belong in devlogs and Steam descriptions, not a pitch to someone who hasn't heard of your game yet.
No CTA. Every press release should tell people what to do next. Don't leave them hanging. Give them somewhere to go:
Wishlist on Steam
Follow the Kickstarter page
Join your Discord
Play the demo
Ideal Length
Aim for 400 to 800 words. Journalists skim. That means:
Scannable sections with clear headers
Short paragraphs — two to four lines maximum
Bolded key information so it jumps out on a fast read
Longer isn't more impressive. A tight, well-structured 500-word release will outperform a sprawling 1,200-word one every time.
Best Timing for Kickstarter PR
One press release isn't a PR strategy. Treat it as multiple beats across your campaign, each with its own angle and news hook.
The moments that tend to perform best:
Pre-launch page goes live — your announcement moment
Demo launch — playable means coverable
Kickstarter launch day — your biggest beat, with the most assets ready
Halfway campaign update — momentum story if the numbers are good
Final 48 hours — urgency angle for creators and communities
Funding and stretch goal milestones — proof of concept, shareable wins
Each of these is a separate story. If you've emailed a journalist and noticed they haven't got back to you or seen a published article about your Kickstarter on their site, give them a nudge with the latest update but then leave it at that to not be too annoying.
The Kickstarter Press Release Is Selling Something Different
For Kickstarter specifically, your press release isn't just selling a game. It's selling a reason to believe in it early.
That means your pitch needs to land on three levels:
The fantasy — what does it feel like to play this?
The creativity — what makes this genuinely different?
The team story — who made this, and why does it matter to them?
People back indie games emotionally first, logically second. The features matter, but the feeling matters more. The best-performing Kickstarter announcements make people think: "I haven't seen something quite like this before."
That's the reaction you're writing towards.
The Bigger Picture
A well-written press release gets you coverage. Coverage builds visibility. Visibility drives Kickstarter followers. Kickstarter followers become day-one backers.
Every section in this structure exists to reduce the friction between journalist opens email and journalist covers your game. Get the structure right, have the assets ready, lead with your strongest hook — and send it at the right moment.
If you want the full playbook — from campaign page design to paid ad strategy to pre-launch timelines — the Full Charge Free Kickstarter Marketing Guide covers everything in one place. Download it and build your launch strategy before you need it.
