I’ve been talking with a lot of indie developers that were asking me a ton of questions about social media, and one of those talks was about X. So this guide is for you!
If you’re an indie developer, X (formerly Twitter) is still one of the best places to get your game noticed. It’s where players discover new indies, where journalists hang out, and where other devs share advice. Unlike YouTube or TikTok, you don’t need to wait for an algorithm to bless you, you can grow fast by engaging directly with people.
But here’s the catch: most devs get X completely wrong. They post endless wishlist reminders, spam hashtags, and wonder why no one sees their posts. The good news? With a few smart strategies that are based on how X’s algorithm actually works, you can turn your feed into a real discovery engine for your game.
I’ve put all my up-to-date knowledge in this small guide that I hope will help you. But you can also hop on discord and ask me for feedback, I’ll gladly help 🙂
This is the Indie Dev X Growth Guide for 2025, packed with tips that actually work.
1. Invest in X Premium
If you’re serious about promoting your game, X Premium isn’t optional… it’s a marketing cost. Verified accounts dominate home feeds and replies and without the blue check, even great content often gets buried under verified posts.
Premium also boosts reply visibility, which is key because you’ll rely heavily on comments early on to grow.
Think of it like paying for a better booth at a convention: you still need a great game, but no one can support you if they never see you.
2. Follow the 200 Rule
Follow 200 people in your niche, other devs, reviewers, journalists, and players who love your genre. But don’t just follow and lurk… reply, ask questions, and talk to their followers.
If you’re making a roguelike, you want to be where roguelike fans are. Same for cozy games. Every thoughtful comment you leave is a seed for a new follower, wishlist, or even press coverage.
3. Be First in Comments
Timing matters a ton on X.
When big accounts post, reply within the first few minutes. Early replies stay pinned near the top (if you have premium), giving you visibility to thousands of potential players.
But don’t just write “cool!”… add something funny, insightful, or relatable.
The more people like your reply, the more X pushes your profile. If people keep seeing your name under their favorite creators, they’ll eventually click through out of curiosity.
4. Post Daily (And Stop Overthinking)
Post every day!!
One to 3 times is the minimum you have to strive for.
Share quick updates, progress GIFs, or even funny bug clips. Don’t wait for “perfect trailer-ready” content. Players love the human side of development, and the algorithm rewards activity.
Posting at random times can actually help too, as it makes you look like a real person casually sharing thoughts, and not a bot.
5. Show Personality
People follow people, not faceless studios.
Share why you’re making the game, late-night bug fix stories, or weird development fails.
Your game might get them to stop scrolling once, but you are why they’ll keep coming back, and why they might support you when you finally push that wishlist link.
6. Use Visuals & GIFs
Plain text tweets get ignored, but visuals stop people mid-scroll.
GIFs are especially effective because they autoplay, instantly showing gameplay or animations.
Threads also work great: explain something interesting (like “3 lessons we learned designing our boss fights”), one GIF or screenshot per tweet. People scrolling through your thread means they’re spending more time on your content, which the algorithm loves.
7. Host or Join Spaces
X Spaces are criminally underused by indie devs. You can join or co-host talks about game design, share development lessons, or even just talk about your journey.
If you’re shy, start by listening to other Spaces and asking good questions. Hearing your voice makes people trust you faster than text ever will.
8. No Hashtag Spam (The Algorithm Hates It)
Musk’s algorithm changes confirmed it: less is more with hashtags. Using more than one hashtag can get you deboosted or even shadowbanned, as X flags it as potential spam.
Use one hashtag maximum, and only if it serves a real community purpose (e.g., #WishlistWednesday or a jam hashtag). Stop tagging random words, X search already indexes plain words.
If you must use a tag, keep it off the main body, write your post normally, then add one tag on a separate line at the end or at the very start of your post.
9. Best Times to Post
The best times to hit both European and US audiences are 6 PM–9 PM CET/CEST (that’s 9 AM–12 PM PDT in summer, or 10 AM–1 PM PST in winter) on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday.
These overlap EU evenings and US mornings, giving you the biggest audience possible. Usually X doesn’t like when you post too often, so always wait at least one to two hours before posting again big important pieces of content.
That said, experiment! X also rewards random, human-like activity, so mixing up post times occasionally can help.
10. Don’t Sell Too Soon
If you’re under 500-1000 followers, avoid shouting “Wishlist now!” every week. Build hype first by sharing progress, cool mechanics, and funny fails. People support devs they feel connected to, and once they’re invested in your journey, they want to wishlist.
11. Comment Your Links
Never put external links in the main tweet!
This is one of those points that took me a long while before I figured it out while reading some experts on the matter.
X buries posts that send people off-platform, and to be honest that’s something that most social platforms hate so take it as a big lesson.
Instead, on X this is how you can do it:
Post a GIF or screenshot with a strong hook.
Reply to yourself instantly with the Steam or YouTube link.
Make it clear in the main tweet: “🔽 Link in the first comment.”
This simple change can literally double your reach compared to putting the link in the body. The one exception is if you upload the video directly on X. Since it’s internal you can definitely add the video right on the first post body if you’d like without taking a hit with the algorithm.
12. Turn Videos & Steam Pages sharing Into Threads
Threads are the best way to promote trailers, YouTube devlogs, or big announcements. Here’s how:
Mini-Thread Formula:
Hook Tweet: Native GIF or 5-sec clip + bold statement.
“This tiny roguelike had me yelling at my screen, and not for the reason you think 👇”
Tweets 2–4: Bite-sized devlog insights, design challenges, or funny fails — each with a visual. Make every tweet engaging enough to stand alone.
Final Tweet: Drop the Steam or YouTube link last.
“Full review/trailer’s here if you want the whole story 👇”
Threads work because people scroll through them longer, boosting reach before you even drop the link. Engagement on the first tweets pushes the entire thread, and by the time readers reach the final tweet, they’re primed to click.
When to Use Comments Instead: If you don’t have much to say (like a quick wishlist reminder), do a single hook post + link in the comment.
Avoid Quote Posting: Quoting your own post later splits engagement and almost always underperforms.
13. Focus on a Great Game First
THIS LAST POINT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!
No X strategy can save a mediocre game. Players share and wishlist games that excite them, not just ones with clever marketing.
Spend most of your energy making something worth talking about! Word-of-mouth will always be stronger than the algorithm!
Wrapping Up
Growing on X takes consistency, personality, and a little algorithm knowledge… but it’s not rocket science. Share your journey like you’re talking to other humans, not like you’re running ads, and you’ll build a following that actually cares.
If you’re serious about getting your game discovered, start applying these tips today, and if you want more indie dev resources, keep an eye on X (@indiecritical) or the website.
I will soon be tackling Kickstarter strategy which I have a lot of knowledge that I think would be valuable and dispel some myths that I’ve heard on X or Discord servers.
Hope this has been useful!
Cheers,
Kevin (IndieCritical)
