If you are an indie developer, there is a good chance you have heard that you need a press kit. It is one of those pieces of advice that gets repeated a lot, but it is not always explained very well. You might hear people say, “Make a press kit before launch,” or “Send your press kit to creators,” but if you have never made one before, it can feel like another random marketing task being thrown on top of everything else.

I get it. Making the game is already hard enough. Then you are supposed to make trailers, screenshots, social posts, store pages, devlogs, press emails, and somehow find time to actually finish the game. But a press kit does not have to be complicated. At its core, a press kit is just a clean, organized place where someone can learn about your game and grab the materials they need to cover it.

Why a press kit matters

A good press kit helps remove friction. If a streamer, journalist, YouTuber, blogger, curator, or newsletter writer finds your game and wants to talk about it, they should not have to dig through your X posts, Discord server, Steam page, screenshots folder, and random Google Drive links to understand what your game is.

They should be able to find the important stuff quickly. What the game is, who is making it, when it is coming out, where people can play or wishlist it, what screenshots and trailers they can use, and who they can contact. The easier you make that process, the more professional your game feels.

Start with a clear description

One of the most useful things you can add to your press kit is a clear description of your game. This sounds simple, but it is surprisingly easy to get wrong. A lot of developers either write too little or try to explain every system in the game at once.

I think it helps to have two versions: a short description and a longer description. The short description should be one or two sentences that explain the core idea of the game. What kind of game is it? What makes it interesting? Why should someone care?

The longer description is where you can explain more. Talk about the world, mechanics, game loop, tone, story, or anything that makes the game stand out. But even here, try not to turn it into a wall of text. Write for someone who has never heard of your game before.

Add the basic facts

Your press kit should include a simple facts section. This does not need to be fancy. It just needs to be easy to read.

  • Game title
  • Developer or studio name
  • Genre
  • Platforms
  • Release date or release window
  • Price, if known
  • Number of players
  • Store links
  • Website
  • Press contact email

This section saves people time. If someone is writing about your game, they should not have to guess whether it is coming to PC, console, Steam, Itch.io, or anything else.

Use screenshots that actually show the game

Screenshots are one of the most important parts of a press kit. Try to include screenshots that clearly show what the player will actually experience. Beautiful art is great, but if every image is a cinematic angle or a cropped teaser, people may still not understand the game.

A strong screenshot set usually includes gameplay screenshots, UI screenshots if the UI is important, environment shots, combat or action shots if relevant, and a few polished promotional images. I would rather see five useful screenshots than twenty confusing ones.

Also, try to keep them high quality. Do not upload tiny, blurry, heavily compressed images if you can avoid it.

Include your logo and key art

If someone wants to make a thumbnail, article image, newsletter feature, or social post about your game, they may need your logo or key art. You do not need every possible size and format at the beginning, but having a clean logo and one strong key image can make a big difference.

  • Game logo
  • Transparent logo, if available
  • Key art
  • Capsule art or cover image
  • Developer or studio logo, if you have one

Add a trailer or gameplay video

If you have a trailer, include it. If you do not have a polished trailer yet, a gameplay video can still be useful. The important thing is that people can quickly see the game in motion.

A trailer does not have to explain every feature. In many cases, it just needs to show the tone, gameplay, and reason someone should be interested. If your game is still early, you can label the video clearly as prototype gameplay, early combat demo, alpha footage, or work in progress trailer. Being honest about the state of the game is better than pretending it is further along than it is.

Make the developer easy to understand

People do not just discover games. They discover the people making them. Your press kit should include basic developer information like your developer or studio name, short bio, website, social links, and press contact email.

If you are a solo developer using an alias, that is fine. If you are a small team, that is fine too. You do not need to make yourself look like a giant studio. You just need to make it clear who is behind the game. A simple developer bio can go a long way.

Do not make people hunt for links

Your press kit should include the important links in one place. If wishlists matter for your game, make the wishlist link obvious. If joining your Discord is the best way to follow development, make that obvious too.

  • Steam page
  • Itch.io page
  • Epic Games Store page
  • Official website
  • Discord community
  • X or Bluesky account
  • YouTube channel
  • TikTok or Twitch, if relevant

Keep it organized

A messy press kit can be almost as bad as no press kit. Try to avoid dumping everything into one folder with unclear file names. If someone downloads your screenshots or logo, the files should be easy to understand.

  • game-title-screenshot-01.png
  • game-title-logo-transparent.png
  • game-title-key-art.png
  • game-title-gameplay-trailer.mp4

You do not have to be perfect. Just make it easy for someone else to use the material.

Common press kit mistakes

Most press kit mistakes happen because the developer is busy, not because they do not care. Still, a few small fixes can make your game feel much more prepared.

  • Only including a Steam link and nothing else
  • Using screenshots that do not show gameplay
  • Forgetting a press contact email
  • Making people request permission for every small asset
  • Uploading low-quality or outdated images
  • Not explaining what the game actually is
  • Having no clear release date or release window
  • Making the press kit hard to find

You do not need to wait until launch

One of the biggest mistakes is waiting too long. Your press kit does not need to be perfect on day one. It can grow with the game.

Early on, it might only include a working title, a short pitch, a few screenshots, a development status, and a way to follow the project. Later, you can add the trailer, final logo, store links, release date, downloadable assets, and full press contact details.

The important thing is to start organizing it before you need it.

How GameReleases can help

One of the reasons I am rebuilding GameReleases is because I think indie developers need a simpler way to prepare this stuff. You should not have to wait until your game is almost done to start organizing your public presence.

With GameReleases, the goal is to let you start privately. You can create a game draft, add your description, upload media, build your press kit, complete your developer profile, and publish when you are ready. Nothing needs to be perfect right away.

But every screenshot, link, description, and press detail you add makes it easier for someone else to understand and share your game later.

Final thoughts

A press kit is not magic. It will not automatically make people cover your game. But it does make your game easier to cover, and for indie developers, reducing friction matters.

If someone is interested in your game, do not make them work harder than they need to. Give them a clear description, good screenshots, useful links, and a way to contact you. That alone can make your game feel more professional and more prepared.

If you are working on a game, even if it is not ready to announce yet, start collecting your materials now. Your future self will thank you when it is time to share the game publicly.