Validation guides / Indie game
How to validate an indie game idea before you build it
The worst way to learn if an indie game idea will sell is to build it first. Here's how to get real proof of demand in an afternoon — measuring buy-intent, not vanity views — so you only build the ideas people actually want.
The 4-step fake-door test
- 1
Write the promise, not the product
Turn an indie game idea into a single landing page: a headline, a subtitle, and a “buy” button. No app, no code — just the promise you'd make to a customer.
- 2
Put it in front of the right people
Share the link where this audience already is — r/gamedev, r/IndieGaming, TikTok, and genre-specific Discords. A sharp post or a small ad sends enough traffic to read a signal.
- 3
Measure intent, not curiosity
Track who leaves an email and, crucially, who clicks buy. The buy-click is the honest signal: a click on “Wishlist / Buy on release” — for games, that forward-commit is the closest pre-launch signal to a sale.
- 4
Read the rate, then decide
Judge by rate (intent ÷ views), never raw clicks. A big channel inflates volume; the rate tells you if the idea itself has pull.
Why rate beats raw clicks
An idea with 2,000 views and 100 emails (5%) looks like it's winning over one with 80 views and 40 emails (50%) — but the second is 10× more promising. Volume rewards your biggest distribution channel, not your best idea. For an indie game idea, always compare on rate.
What a good result looks like for indie game
700
views
11%
email conv.
6%
buy-intent
Games run on reach; a 6% wishlist/buy-intent on 700 visitors signals a hook worth committing to.
Common mistakes validating indie game ideas
- ✕Building for years on faith. A concept page + wishlist-intent test de-risks the timeline.
- ✕Confusing “cool concept” comments with people who’ll actually buy or wishlist.
- ✕Ignoring the specific genre audience in favor of a generic “gamers” pitch.
Example ideas to test
Spin up a test page for each of these in minutes and let the rate pick the winner:
Stop guessing. Start knowing.
Get real proof for an indie game idea before it costs you a weekend.
Questions about validating indie game ideas
How many visitors do I need to validate an indie game idea?
ProofBench measures a rate, not raw traffic, so even 50-100 targeted visitors give a real read. In the worked example above, 700 visitors were plenty to trust the 6% buy-intent rate.
What's the strongest signal that an indie game idea will work?
Not an email — a click on “Wishlist / Buy on release” — for games, that forward-commit is the closest pre-launch signal to a sale. A fake-door "buy" click is far closer to money than a signup.
Where do I send my first visitors?
For this category, r/gamedev, r/IndieGaming, TikTok, and genre-specific Discords. A single sharp post or a small ad is enough to start collecting signal.
Do I need to build anything to test an indie game idea?
No. You create a test page in minutes — a headline, a subtitle, and a "buy" button — and measure who signs up and who clicks. You only build the product once the demand is proven.