#44 – Andrew Pappas: How Empathy-Driven Marketing Builds Successful Indie Games

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The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

Harry Phokou

46 episodes

1 week ago

On The Gaming Playbook, Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, Harry unpacks the "Playbook" that made them so successful. Skip the line on Tuesdays and download the real-life cheat codes every gaming industry pro needs to know. LinkedIn: @hphokou Instagram: @hphokou Newsletter: gamingrally.net Business and guest inquiries: playbook@phokou.com

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#44 – Andrew Pappas: How Empathy-Driven Marketing Builds Successful Indie Games

The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

1 hour 18 minutes 10 seconds

3 weeks ago

#44 – Andrew Pappas: How Empathy-Driven Marketing Builds Successful Indie Games

Ever wondered why some indie games blow up without “doing any marketing”? And why that idea frustrates real game marketers?

In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Pappas, founder of RenGen Marketing and host of Indie Game Movement podcast, to unpack what real marketing looks like for indie studios in 2025. Andrew has worked with countless devs across the world to help them understand how to connect with players, build sustainable studios, and turn creative passion into commercial success.

We talk about why marketing should start at the concept stage, how to identify player pain points before you even prototype, and why so many devs are leaving money on the table by ignoring empathy-driven marketing. Andrew also breaks down how to build trust-based content, choose the right marketing channels for your strengths, and craft systems that actually scale without burning out your team.

This is a practical, no-fluff deep dive into how indie studios can market smarter, connect deeper with players, and build a real business around creativity, not just luck.

Connect with Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpappas-rengen/
Website: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/
Podcast: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/podcast/100-2/
Newsletter: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/newsletter/

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.net

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:40 Why marketing should start before development
07:20 Demand-based vs solution-based thinking
12:00 Using player pain points to design better games
18:10 The risks of long dev cycles in a fast-changing market
23:00 Marketing strategy vs marketing plan explained
28:40 Why copying other studios’ marketing doesn’t work
34:30 Leading with empathy to connect with players
40:10 How to understand your players without being salesy
46:50 Choosing the right channels for your indie game
51:20 Building a repeatable marketing process
57:00 Measuring resonance instead of raw reach
1:03:20 Understanding your player’s buying journey
1:08:40 Making marketing entertaining and memorable
1:11:30 Andrew’s final advice for indie developers

#IndieGameMarketing #GameDevPodcast #PlayerFirstDesign #SteamMarketing #IndieDevGrowth