How to Make a Great Game Demo: Tips for Standing Out at Steam Next Fest

1. What's the secret sauce to an amazing demo?

For me, a really great video game demo is made of a lot of things working in tandem to sell the vision and shape of the full experience to players. There's no single cheat code to making your demo effective, but there are many things you can do to give it the best shot of representing what you're building towards releasing.

Gone are the days when you could just chuck out the first level on a demo disc and call it a day!

Your demo has got to look and sound the part, of course. It's got to feel great to play without too much onboarding. The job is to showcase everything that makes your game unique and exciting really quickly.

I'd always recommend prioritising any new and exciting mechanics or features that set your game apart, and building the demo around these first.

Unique combat? Clever traversal? Some gameplay feature that's going to stand out from the crowd? Find a spot or level in your game, typically not a massively complex or challenging area, that lets players pick up and try things as easily as possible.

Of course, sometimes your standout features aren't gameplay-related. If you're making something graphically realistic or a physics showcase, zero right in on a location or setup that shows those things off strongly.

Really study your game, decide what your target players will care about most, and work back from there.

2. How long should a demo be, and how much should you share?

The length of a demo definitely depends on the genre and content, and is something to think carefully about.

A story-rich RPG might need more play time, with enough room for the world, writing and combat to come through properly. Conversely, shorter experiences might need something snappier, like a specific level or sequence chosen to show off the best of the game's features, graphics or functionality.

In terms of how much your demo covers, less can sometimes be more!

A good demo is a teaser, an appetiser, leading into the full experience. You want it to give players the fullest, best possible experience in the shortest amount of content, and leave them hungry for the rest.

That being said, a demo can also be a superb way to show players how much content will be available in the full game.

Level selection screens, huge maps or specifically created teaser screens can all work to efficiently signpost how big the full game will be, now that players have enjoyed a little slice of it.

Make that demo work for your game.

3. How do you make your demo stand out from the pack?

Ultimately, it depends on your creative aims for the game and the demo itself. But you can be really creative with how you present and frame demo content as a precursor to the full experience.

One angle I love is continuation, where player progress in a demo is carried over into the full game. You're not just making an abstract play space in this instance, but instead saying: try this part, then buy the game to carry on.

Don't waste the players' time. Instead, use that time as their first meaningful play time.

Personally, I'm a narrative and story guy, so I also love a cliffhanger or high-drama demo. Much like a good trailer, you can use your demo to lure the player into your universe, then hit the brakes just as they're getting into it.

By the end of your demo, players should know that there's only one way to find out where this rabbit hole leads, and it's that big green button on the Steam page!

4. How do you make sure your demo works for as many players as possible?

Be realistic, and stay as close to your target system requirements as possible.

Chucking out a demo that needs a monster PC to run because you've not optimised anything is not the move. If anything, you want to go lower and make sure the most people possible can access your demo.

Creating a demo that puts people off your game is the opposite of what you're trying to do.

Hardware aside, focus on the demo working as instantly as possible. Smooth out any steps that hold up the player, and make sure they drop into the meat of the experience as quickly and easily as possible.

Don't be afraid to make a dedicated demo area, a quick menu option or something similar.

Ultimately, friction in your demo will turn players off, and they won't come back. Working as hard as possible on instant gratification pays dividends for demos.

5. What kind of player feedback is most valuable?

Hard stats and soft feedback are a winning combination, if you can get both.

On one hand, I want that good, squishy emotional feedback from players: How did you feel? What lit up for you? What stood out? What was confusing? Did this make sense? Why? Why not?

Asking directly is handy if you can, and social media and comments can be great if you have time to compile and analyse the big commonalities.

On the other side of the coin, if you have time and scope to grab metrics from your demo, absolutely go for it.

This is where you get down to brass tacks. How many people played and replayed? Who made it through? Where do people die a lot? When did they quit, and how long did they persevere? What weapons did they pick? Did they find that thing you hid behind the waterfall? Did they blow through your lap times?

The stats you gather will be unique to your game, but really consider what it is you, the developer, care about the most.

This is your chance to test the water with real players and access a microcosm of what their experience and play styles will be in the full game.

Don't waste your shot!

6. When is the right time to release a demo?

Creatively, and I suppose technically, it's all about confidence in the product first.

Releasing a demo that's built on design, art or engine tech that's still evolving, and isn't representative of the quality bar or intent you're shooting for, is an absolute mistake.

I've played a lot of buggy and rushed demos, and they work against your game.

Your demo has to be an accurate slice of your real game. No smoke and mirrors, no placeholder. This is your taster, and it should match the full game.

Outside of the implementation, your demo timing is critical. Events like Steam Next Fest are gold, ensuring lots of eyes (and hands!) will be on your demo, with tons of opportunity to gather feedback and insight and really make your mark.

Set realistic deadlines for your demo as much as you would a real release, and treat it with the same care and attention.

That initial splash is a vital moment you only really get one shot at. Taking the time to get it right can be the difference between landing with a bang or being lost in the noise.

Ultimately, your demo is the first contact point that a lot of your player base will have with that magic, ambitious thing that you and your company have worked so hard to build.

It's well worth the time and planning investment to create something that represents your vision and lands with impact.