[Ep549] How to use Youtube Shorts to market your indie game

[Ep549] How to use Youtube Shorts to market your indie game

Author: Butterscotch Shenanigans December 3, 2025 Duration: 1:01:46
Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
GamesGames & HobbiesArtsComedyCultureHobbiesPhilosophySocietySociety & CultureTechnology

In episode 549 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers dig into how short-form video fits into indie game marketing and why it should be part of development from the start. They talk about tools, storytelling, and the strange logic of YouTube Shorts and TikTok, then get into what engagement metrics actually mean and how to use them without overthinking it. The conversation focuses on experimenting, learning from the data, and using community feedback to shape both your game and your marketing.

Support How Many Dudes!
Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes
Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI
Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes

00:00 Cold Open
00:25 Introduction and Welcome
02:47 Creating Engaging Short-Form Content
05:34 Tools and Techniques for Video Editing
08:39 Understanding YouTube Shorts
11:50 Crafting Compelling Stories in Shorts
14:39 Experimentation and Iteration in Content Creation
21:19 Engagement Strategies for Video Launches
26:21 Understanding Video Performance Metrics
28:38 The Importance of Stick Rate
32:14 Algorithm Behavior and Video Longevity
40:31 Translating Engagement into Sales
44:38 Engagement Challenges with YouTube Shorts
46:49 Analyzing Video Performance and Viewer Retention
49:07 Understanding YouTube's Algorithm and Game Discovery
54:11 The Importance of Video Structure and Viewer Engagement
59:44 Identifying Signals of Success in Game Development
01:03:46 Community Insights and Sharing Data for Growth

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness. 

If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello! 

Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. 

Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

★ Support this podcast ★

Pull up a chair and pour something warm. Each week, the folks behind the award-winning indie studio Butterscotch Shenanigans-the creators of Crashlands-sit down to untangle the messy, rewarding, and often absurd reality of making games. Coffee with Butterscotch feels less like a formal broadcast and more like eavesdropping on a freewheeling conversation between friends who’ve been in the trenches. You’ll hear them dissect the nuts and bolts of development, from art pipelines to bug-squashing, but the discussion rarely stays in the technical lane. It veers into the philosophy of creativity, the rollercoaster of running a small business, and the strange habits that fuel productivity. The tone is unfiltered and genuinely funny, because the hosts don’t separate the work from the life surrounding it. This podcast digs into how to solve problems, ship your projects, and keep your sanity while doing it, all served with a heavy dose of camaraderie and self-deprecating humor. It’s a weekly dose of insight and laughter for anyone curious about the stories behind the screen, whether you're a seasoned developer, an aspiring creator, or just someone who enjoys peeking behind the curtain of how things are made.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
Podcast Episodes
[Ep478] Custom Solutions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:29
In this episode, we discuss the Crashlands 2 demo, ergonomics, and self-help books. Changing your environment and daily habits can make working towards your goals easier, if you know what tweaks to make. Self-help books…
[Ep477] Slop, Scams, and Spam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:09
This week, we talk about the Crowdstrike fiasco, Flux’s feet, and AI slops. Today’s digital landscape is a jungle of space-cluttering slop, duplicitous scams, and product-pushing spam. Exciting, right? What a time to be…
[Ep476] Parent Jargon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:14
In this episode, we discuss sassy toddlers, short shorts, and boss fights. Boss fights need to hit you right in the feels. You’ve built up the mechanics and the stakes and the story leading up to this moment. Now it’s ti…
[Ep475] Grudge of the Worm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:10
This week, we talk about naive enthusiasm, maintenance challenges, and process intricacies. Every aspect of game dev boils down to a technical process. Each artistic decision requires integration, and to keep that seamle…
[Ep474] Broken Windows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:42
In this episode, we discuss sneak attack, strategic miscalculation, and the integration problem. Making a tree sprite is easy, but making it meaningful in the game is tough. Does it drop resources? How do players interac…
[Ep473] Nothing But the Truth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:08
This week, we talk about the Game Changer, the Google debacle, and general artificial intelligence. Knowing the truth and saying something else is lying. But what if you don’t care what the truth is? What if you don’t ev…
[Ep472] The Good, the Bad, the Ugly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:14
In this episode, we discuss Steam Nextfest, demo numbers, and the game dev gamut. Some parts of game dev are pure joy, while others, while essential, are a real headache. The tradeoff of getting to watch a story come to…
[Ep471] Visual Vibes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:06
This week, we talk about Palworld, box art, and information transparency. Figuring out how much information to give to players is crucial. Too much information can overwhelm, while too little can frustrate. But strategic…
[Ep470] Eye of Sauron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:41
In this episode, we discuss time progressions, demo feedback, and friction mechanics. Players are always hollering for the removal of friction mechanics to make gameplay faster and smoother. But those very mechanics are…

«1...678910