What exactly does an indie developer need to get the buzz going around their game? PR companies like Neonhive are the ones who get the word out there, so we asked all about the ins and outs of video game publishing. 

Many budding indie devs have great ideas, but are unsure how to share them effectively to gain attention and traction from the right places, Neonhive can help with that.

But who are they? “Neon Hive started as a boutique marketing agency originally. We work remotely but we’re based in Glasgow. Earlier this year we decided we were going to become a publisher.” said Rachel Macpherson, PR manager at Neonhive.

Neonhive recently published their first games as a company, Slopecrashers – a multiplayer Mario Kart-like ski-slope racing game and Harvest Hunt – a roguelike survival horror game. 

Rachel explained what’s special about publishing and working with developers: “It’s always great to work with people who really resonate and engage with the games that we’re publishing.

“It’s really nice seeing the different versions of games throughout the process and getting them into the hands of the press.” 

Neonhive makes sure they have the relevant experience needed to promote their games: we play all the games that we work on. I’m terrible at slope crashers but it’s so much fun to play. I’m very competitive.

“Harvest hunt’s also a fantastic game to play even if you get really terrified and you’re a scaredy-cat like me.” Rachel admitted.

“Having the opportunity to play the games and understand what works about the game and what doesn’t allows me to better pitch it to people.”

The company isn’t currently looking to take on any new games, as the PR cycle lasts about six months, but once that’s over they’ll be on the lookout for something new.

With Harvest Hunt coming out imminently, Rachel explained what the job is like at launch: “We’ve sent out a lot of press codes already, so a lot of people have already played the game.

“Unlike some of the other projects we work on, we don’t have a press embargo for Harvest Hunt, so people are already posting about the game and their thoughts on it. It’s really interesting seeing those opinions and how they found the game in the lead up to launch. 

“There’s lots of creators talking about the game and we’ve been really enjoying all of that content as well. It gives us a much better understanding in the lead up to launch of where the game’s at before it comes out.” 

Content creators play an important part in the publicity for Neonhive : “Creators are such an important part of the whole campaign. They come from all platforms and it doesn’t really matter if they’re small as they still engage with the content which is just fantastic. 

“We get to see people enjoy our games. At the end of the day even if it doesn’t work for them as long as they’re trying it out and having fun that’s what’s important.” Rachel said.

She emphasised the importance of uniqueness in the industry: “We want to create experiences and games that people really enjoy.Thats why we have such a range of different games.  

“Slope crashers and Harvest Hunt are so different, and I think offering different experiences like that in games and giving people things to choose from is great.”

However having variety can come with its challenges: “It’s common for working on every type of game to be quite different. From a press perspective there are some who might love horror but not love multiplayer so much, so you do sometimes have to differ in your approach.

“It’s great to have the opportunity at Neonhive to work on a range of different styles and talk to loads of different people about what it is you’re working on.” Rachel said.

The unique passion of indie developers is preferable to brands like Neonhive: “Personally I think it’s great to see the opportunity for people to create what they genuinely care about” she said, “they want to tell a story, they want to make a game that might be based off something they really enjoy or something new and there’s less expectations on that sometimes.”

Rachel said: “They create something they’re genuinely passionate about. That’s half the fun of an indie game, is playing something you never thought you’d play before and thinking I’m absolutely addicted and I have to keep going. Or maybe you try something you thought you’d enjoy and it surprises you in unexpected ways.” 

“With indie games in particular, there’s always something to surprise you about them.” she explained.

“The developers have a unique excitement and passion when they talk about it which is perfect for us.” 

Festivals and networking events like WASD are important for companies like Neon Hive and developers themselves. “These kinds of events are really important, it’s an opportunity to see the comparisons and have conversations with people to find out what they like and don’t like.” Rachel said.

“It’s interesting to get hands on feedback in the moment. It’s also great for the developers to speak to people who are interested in their games in person.”

Explaining how they find clients and developers to work with, Rachel explained that she usually finds their company has been recommended by someone, or they find out about an intriguing game through another client. 

Mark Drew of Villainous Games, a developer who have been working with Neonhive on their game Harvest Hunt, had this to say about their PR partners: “Neohive has been amazing at marketing and getting us in touch with a lot more creators than we could ever possibly do ourselves, taking a load off the studio.

“No doubt over the time we’ve been with them, we’ve been able to focus more on the features of the game as well as polish the game a lot more too, whilst they do the marketing. They’re lovely people and it’s great to work with lovely people” he said.