The Ultimate Indie Game Kickstarter Pre-Launch Checklist
Everything indie developers need to prepare before launching their Kickstarter campaign, from marketing and social media to campaign pages, trailers and paid advertising.
Launching an indie game on Kickstarter is exciting. You've spent months (possibly years) developing your game, and now you're ready to convince complete strangers on the internet to help fund it.
Easy, right?
Unfortunately, building a great game doesn't automatically mean people will discover it. And while Kickstarter can help you reach new players, relying on the platform to do all your marketing is a pretty risky strategy.
A successful Kickstarter campaign starts long before you hit the launch button.
Whether you're launching your first indie game or preparing your next crowdfunding campaign, we've put together a practical Kickstarter pre-launch checklist covering everything you should have ready before going live.
1. Get your Kickstarter campaign strategy sorted
Before creating trailers, posting memes or throwing money at Facebook ads, you'll need a plan.
Your campaign needs a clear funding target, a realistic timeline and an understanding of who you're trying to reach.
Your campaign planning checklist
Define your target audience. Identify the genres, games and communities your potential backers are interested in.
Research similar Kickstarter campaigns. Look at successful and unsuccessful games in your genre. Study their funding goals, rewards, marketing and campaign pages.
Establish your funding goal. Calculate how much money you actually need, including development, rewards, fulfilment, platform fees and contingency.
Decide on your campaign duration. Give yourself enough time to promote the campaign without unnecessarily dragging things out.
Choose a realistic launch date. Avoid rushing into launch before you've built an audience.
Set a pre-launch marketing budget. Consider how much you can afford to spend on paid advertising, content production and creators.
Define your game's selling points. What makes your game interesting, different or worth supporting?
Create a marketing timeline. Work backwards from your planned launch date and schedule your announcements, content and promotional activity.
Full Charge Tip: Don't choose a funding goal just because another indie game raised a similar amount. Your budget should reflect what you need to deliver the game and its rewards, not what looks impressive on Kickstarter.
2. Prepare your Kickstarter pre-launch page
Your Kickstarter pre-launch page is one of your most important marketing tools.
It's where interested players can follow your project and request a notification when your campaign goes live.
Rather than waiting until launch day to start attracting potential backers, you should aim to build interest in advance.
Kickstarter pre-launch page checklist
Create your Kickstarter project. Set up your creator profile and begin preparing your campaign.
Write a clear campaign title. Include your game's name and, where appropriate, a short description of its genre or main selling point.
Create a compelling subtitle. Explain what makes the game interesting in one or two sentences.
Design your project thumbnail. Use recognisable artwork, strong contrast and a composition that works at smaller sizes.
Choose your Kickstarter category and relevant project details.
Set up and publish your pre-launch page. Make sure players can follow your project before you start directing traffic towards it.
Add your Kickstarter link to your social media profiles, website and community channels.
Test your pre-launch page on desktop and mobile.
Create a trackable link for each marketing channel. Use UTMs or other supported tracking methods to understand where traffic originates.
What makes a good Kickstarter pre-launch page?
Keep things simple.
Your title, subtitle and project image should quickly communicate what your game is and why somebody might be interested.
For example:
Game title: Dungeon Dash – A Chaotic Co-op Dungeon Crawler
Subtitle: Team up with friends, battle ridiculous monsters and fight your way through procedurally generated dungeons in this fast-paced roguelite.
Your image should show off the game's personality, rather than cramming every feature into a single graphic.
Remember that Kickstarter's pre-launch page has limited customisation. You won't be able to include your entire campaign pitch, gameplay trailer and reward breakdown on this page.
Save those for your full campaign page and use your marketing channels to showcase the game.
Full Charge Tip: Make following your Kickstarter the main call to action across your pre-launch marketing. The easier you make it for interested players to find your campaign, the better.
3. Prepare your Kickstarter campaign page
Although your pre-launch page is designed to collect followers, your full campaign page needs to convince those followers to become paying backers.
Ideally, most of this should be ready before you begin your major marketing push.
Campaign page checklist
Create a compelling gameplay trailer. Show actual gameplay early, rather than relying entirely on cinematic footage.
Write a clear introduction. Explain the game's concept, genre and main features.
Prepare gameplay GIFs and screenshots. Break up long sections of text with interesting visuals.
Highlight your core gameplay mechanics. Show players what they'll actually be doing.
Introduce the world, characters and story. Give potential backers a reason to care about your game.
Explain your development progress. Be transparent about what's already complete and what still needs work.
Introduce the development team. Show who's behind the project and why they're capable of delivering it.
Create your reward tiers. Include digital copies, soundtracks, exclusive content or other appropriate rewards.
Plan early-bird rewards. Consider limited or discounted tiers that give interested backers a reason to support the campaign early.
Prepare stretch goals. Decide which additional features or content are realistic if you exceed your funding goal.
Explain how the money will be used. Give backers confidence that their contributions will support development.
Include an estimated development timeline. Set realistic expectations for delivery.
Address potential risks and challenges. Explain how you'll manage delays or development difficulties.
Check your campaign page on mobile. Ensure images, text and reward graphics are easy to read.
Complete Kickstarter's identity, payment and project review requirements ahead of launch.
Don't forget to factor in the costs of producing and delivering physical rewards. A £40 reward tier isn't much use if it costs £35 to manufacture and ship.
4. Prepare your organic social media marketing
Social media is one of the most accessible ways for indie developers to build an audience before Kickstarter.
But posting the same screenshot every few weeks with "Wishlist our game!" isn't much of a marketing strategy.
You'll want a mixture of announcements, gameplay, entertaining content and community interaction.
Social media setup checklist
Choose your priority platforms. Consider Reddit, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram, X and Bluesky based on where your audience spends time.
Create or update your social media profiles. Use consistent branding, descriptions and links.
Prepare your Kickstarter announcement post. Introduce the game, its selling points and why you're crowdfunding.
Create a short announcement trailer. Produce a version suitable for social media.
Plan regular gameplay posts. Showcase combat, movement, exploration, customisation or whatever makes your game interesting.
Prepare behind-the-scenes content. Share development progress, artwork, animations and challenges.
Create community-focused posts. Ask for feedback, opinions and suggestions where appropriate.
Prepare milestone announcements. Celebrate meaningful achievements, including demos, new features and follower milestones.
Create a launch countdown. Prepare posts for the final week before Kickstarter.
Schedule content in advance. Avoid having to create everything while juggling development.
Join relevant gaming communities. Participate genuinely before promoting your game and follow each community's rules.
Organic social content ideas for indie games
Not every post needs to look like a professional advertisement.
Some of the most effective indie game content is entertaining, surprising or just a little bit ridiculous.
Here are a few ideas worth testing:
Content idea | Example |
Gameplay hook | "We made a game where you can use enemies as weapons." |
Funny development bug | "This enemy was supposed to walk. It has other plans." |
Before and after | Show how a boss fight evolved from prototype to final version. |
Community challenge | "Can you beat our developer's fastest completion time?" |
Genre comparison | "What if Tony Hawk's Pro Skater had roguelite combat?" |
Feature reveal | Show an unusual weapon, enemy or movement mechanic. |
Player reactions | Share genuine clips of players discovering unexpected mechanics. |
Interactive post | "Which of these three boss designs should make the final game?" |
How to create potentially viral indie game posts
Viral content is unpredictable, but there are ways to improve your chances of attracting attention.
Start with the most interesting moment. Don't spend five seconds showing your studio logo when you could be showing a ridiculous boss fight.
Make your content understandable without context. Somebody who's never heard of your game should still find the clip interesting.
Keep it short and focused. A 10–20-second clip showing one excellent mechanic can be more engaging than a minute-long montage.
Experiment with different hooks. The same gameplay footage can perform very differently depending on the opening text or caption.
Don't make everything promotional. Give people a reason to enjoy or share your content before asking them to follow your Kickstarter.
Full Charge Tip: If one post performs particularly well organically, consider adapting it into a paid advertisement. It's a useful signal that the concept resonates with your audience, although organic popularity doesn't guarantee paid conversions.
5. Get your paid marketing assets ready
Paid advertising can help you reach players beyond your existing community, particularly when you're trying to build Kickstarter followers before launch.
But effective advertising requires more than boosting a random social media post.
You'll need the right creative assets, audience targeting and tracking in place.
Paid advertising preparation checklist
Decide which advertising platforms to use. Meta Ads, Reddit Ads, Google Ads and YouTube are potential options.
Set a realistic testing budget. Reserve money for experimenting with different audiences and creatives.
Create your advertising accounts. Complete billing, permissions and account verification.
Prepare multiple advertising concepts. Test different gameplay mechanics, artwork and messages.
Create static image advertisements. Use striking visuals and concise text.
Create video advertisements. Focus on gameplay hooks and interesting moments.
Produce different aspect ratios. Adapt creatives for feeds, Stories, Reels and vertical video placements.
Write multiple versions of advertising copy. Test gameplay-led, genre-led and curiosity-driven messaging.
Research relevant audiences. Consider similar games, genres, communities and platform-specific targeting options.
Set up campaign tracking. Use UTM parameters, analytics and a consistent naming structure.
Test your destination links. Ensure users land on the correct Kickstarter pre-launch page.
Create a reporting dashboard. Track spend, clicks, traffic and follower growth.
Prepare replacement creatives. Avoid relying on the same advertisement throughout your pre-launch campaign.
Recommended creative sizes
These are useful starting points for producing reusable advertising assets. Always check the latest specifications for your selected ad placements.
Format | Dimensions | Common uses |
Square image | 1080 × 1080 | Meta feeds, Instagram, Reddit |
Portrait image | 1080 × 1350 | Instagram and Facebook feeds |
Vertical video | 1080 × 1920 | Reels, Stories, Shorts, TikTok |
Landscape video | 1920 × 1080 | YouTube and other widescreen placements |
Landscape image | 1200 × 628 | Selected feed and link ad placements |
What should your advertisements actually show?
For indie games, we'd recommend preparing at least three different creative approaches.
1. Gameplay-first advertisements
Show your most interesting mechanics immediately.
If you've created a platformer with unusual movement, demonstrate it. If you've built a roguelike with ridiculous weapons, show those weapons in action.
2. Genre and audience advertisements
Make it immediately obvious what kind of game you're creating.
For example:
"Love classic Metroidvanias? Meet your next obsession."
This can help attract players who already enjoy similar games.
3. Curiosity-driven advertisements
Use unusual visuals, mechanics or situations that encourage somebody to stop scrolling.
For example:
"We accidentally made the most chaotic fishing game imaginable."
Just make sure your hook accurately represents the game.
Measuring paid advertising performance
During pre-launch, one of your most important metrics is cost per Kickstarter follower.
However, Kickstarter's native pre-launch pages don't provide the same conversion tracking flexibility as a website you control.
You can monitor:
Advertising spend and cost per click.
Click-through rate (CTR).
Landing page traffic where measurable.
Kickstarter follower growth.
Estimated cost per follower.
Email sign-ups through your own landing page, if used.
Be careful when calculating follower acquisition costs. If you're running multiple campaigns and generating organic traffic simultaneously, dividing your total advertising spend by all new followers won't provide an accurate paid-only conversion rate.
Full Charge Tip: Start testing your creatives before your campaign launches. Discovering which messages attract interested players gives you a much stronger starting point for your live Kickstarter advertising.
6. Build your email list and community
Not everyone who discovers your game will immediately follow your Kickstarter.
Some might prefer joining a Discord server, subscribing to your newsletter or following development on Steam.
Building these additional channels gives you more opportunities to reconnect with interested players.
Community and email checklist
Create an email sign-up page. Give interested players a way to receive development updates.
Set up an email marketing platform. Mailchimp, Brevo and similar services can manage your subscribers.
Prepare a welcome email. Introduce your game and explain what subscribers can expect.
Create a Discord server if appropriate. Include channels for announcements, discussion, feedback and development updates.
Establish community rules and moderation.
Add Kickstarter links to your community channels.
Prepare your Kickstarter launch email. Make it ready to send when the campaign goes live.
Plan regular development updates. Keep your community interested without overwhelming them.
Collect subscriber consent and provide unsubscribe options. Follow applicable privacy and email marketing requirements.
Your email list is particularly useful because you can communicate directly with subscribers rather than relying entirely on social media algorithms.
Just remember that a subscriber, Discord member or Kickstarter follower isn't automatically a paying backer.
7. Prepare your press and content creator outreach
Getting your indie game featured by gaming websites, YouTubers, streamers and other creators can introduce your project to entirely new audiences.
However, waiting until launch day to start contacting people is leaving things pretty late.
Press and creator checklist
Create a press kit. Include screenshots, logos, gameplay footage, game descriptions and developer information.
Write a press release. Announce your Kickstarter plans and explain what makes your game newsworthy.
Prepare a short email pitch. Make it easy for journalists and creators to understand the game.
Research relevant gaming websites. Focus on publications that cover indie games and your specific genre.
Build a list of YouTube creators and streamers. Prioritise creators whose audiences are likely to enjoy your game.
Identify indie game trailer channels. Look for opportunities to share your announcement trailer.
Prepare demo or preview access where possible.
Create a contact tracking spreadsheet. Record outreach dates, replies and coverage.
Begin outreach ahead of launch. Give creators enough time to consider coverage.
Prepare a launch-day follow-up. Share the live campaign link with interested contacts.
Full Charge Tip: A smaller creator with an engaged audience of players who love your genre may be more valuable than a huge creator whose audience has little interest in your game.
8. Get your Steam page and demo ready
If you're crowdfunding a PC game, Steam can be another important part of your pre-launch marketing.
It gives interested players somewhere to learn more about your game, wishlist it and potentially try a demo.
Steam preparation checklist
Create or update your Steam store page.
Prepare your capsule artwork and screenshots.
Write a compelling short description.
Upload a gameplay trailer.
Choose accurate genre tags and features.
Prepare a playable demo if feasible.
Test your demo thoroughly before distributing it.
Include your Kickstarter announcement in appropriate Steam news and community updates.
Cross-promote your Steam page and Kickstarter across your marketing channels.
Track wishlist growth alongside your Kickstarter follower growth.
A Steam demo can also provide creators and journalists with something tangible to cover, rather than relying entirely on screenshots and trailers.
However, don't delay an otherwise well-prepared Kickstarter campaign solely because you feel every game needs a demo.
9. Prepare your Kickstarter launch-day marketing
Your pre-launch marketing should build towards a coordinated launch, rather than ending the moment your campaign goes live.
You want your existing audience to know exactly when and where they can support the game.
Launch-day checklist
Finalise your launch date and time.
Complete Kickstarter's required checks and approval process.
Prepare your Kickstarter launch announcement.
Create launch-day graphics and short videos.
Schedule social media posts across your priority channels.
Prepare your email announcement.
Prepare a Discord announcement.
Contact interested journalists and creators with your live campaign details.
Prepare paid advertisements directing people to the live campaign.
Check that your reward tiers, prices and availability are correct.
Test every link and tracking parameter.
Make sure somebody is available to answer questions and respond to comments.
Plan updates for the first 24–48 hours.
If you're offering limited early-bird rewards, make sure your community knows about them in advance.
A strong opening can generate momentum, but avoid assuming that hitting a particular first-day funding percentage guarantees success.
10. Your final Kickstarter pre-launch checklist
Before launching, run through this final list to make sure the essentials are covered.
Campaign preparation
Funding goal and budget finalised.
Launch date and campaign duration decided.
Rewards, fulfilment costs and delivery estimates reviewed.
Kickstarter project approved and ready to launch.
Kickstarter pages
Pre-launch page published and collecting followers.
Campaign title, subtitle and thumbnail completed.
Gameplay trailer and campaign graphics ready.
Full campaign description, rewards and risks completed.
Marketing
Social media announcement prepared.
Content calendar created.
Paid advertising creatives exported and checked.
Advertising campaigns and tracking prepared.
Press kit and outreach list completed.
Community
Email list and welcome message ready.
Discord community prepared, if relevant.
Steam page updated.
Launch-day communications scheduled.
Launch readiness
Kickstarter links tested.
Campaign page reviewed on mobile.
Team responsibilities agreed.
Launch-day announcements ready.
First campaign updates planned.
Ready to launch your indie game on Kickstarter?
A successful Kickstarter campaign isn't just about having a great game. It's about making sure the right players discover it, understand why it's worth supporting and know when your campaign goes live.
The earlier you start building your audience, the more opportunities you'll have to test your messaging, improve your marketing and prepare for launch.
And while there's plenty you can do yourself, managing game development, social media, advertising and Kickstarter preparation at the same time can quickly become a full-time job.
That's where we come in.
At Full Charge, we help indie developers prepare for Kickstarter with pre-launch marketing, paid advertising, organic social media and campaign support.
Whether you're getting ready to announce your first game or want to give your upcoming campaign a proper marketing push, we can help get things moving.
