[Ep571] Is Steam propping up mobile?

[Ep571] Is Steam propping up mobile?

Author: Butterscotch Shenanigans May 6, 2026 Duration: 51:12

In episode 571 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers dig into whether Steam has quietly become the discovery engine that keeps mobile gaming afloat and what that means for indie devs trying to build a cross-platform strategy. They walk through the realities of mobile pricing, broken app store algorithms, and why chasing discoverability on Google Play or the App Store often feels like shouting into a void.

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
00:21 Introduction and Welcome
01:40 Achievements Development and Ludokit Overview
13:40 Mobile Strategy and Pricing Decisions
27:45 The State of Mobile Gaming Discoverability
29:49 The Role of Steam in Game Success
32:48 Cross-Platform Strategies and Pricing
38:57 The Impact of Subscription Services on Game Sales
43:49 Algorithmic Challenges in Mobile Game Marketing
51:50 Final Thoughts on the Future of Indie Games

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. 

We also built Ludokit, a tool for managing store pages, promo art, localization, achievements, credits, fonts, change logs, and more. Check it out at https://ludokit.com!

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

Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
Podcast Episodes
[Ep551] Flailing Toward Success in Indie Game Dev [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:10
In episode 551 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers talk about why flailing is not a failure mode, it’s the strategy. They unpack how progress in game development, marketing, and life often comes from trying lots…
[Ep550] Are ads worth it for indie game devs? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:06
In episode 550 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers take a hard look at online ads and why they rarely deliver the wishlist conversions indie devs hope for. They break down misleading metrics, misclicks, and the h…
[Ep549] How to use Youtube Shorts to market your indie game [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:46
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 th…
[Ep548] When should you start marketing your indie game? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
In episode 548 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers talk about what it means to market an indie game from the start of development instead of treating it as an end-of-project task. They cover the four P’s, the ris…
[Ep547] Xbox vs Steam Machine: Who Wins? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:23
In episode 547 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers dig into Valve’s new Steam Machine and how it stacks up against Xbox’s push toward an “everywhere” platform. They explore why Steam slipping into the console spa…
[Ep546] Does Google Play Pass make mobile viable for Indies? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:21
In episode 546 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers talk about the power of in-person events like PAX East to recharge creativity and connect indie developers. They share insights from Google Play Pass and how sub…
[Ep545] GDC: Festival of Gaming - Should indie devs go in 2026? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:13
In episode 545 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers discuss GDC’s rebrand into the “Festival of Gaming” and what the changes mean for indie developers considering the 2026 event. They break down the new pricing ti…
[Ep544] The AI Bubble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:36
In episode 544 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers jump from sinus surgery to sales strategy, unpacking how pricing, perception, and player psychology shape the success of indie games. They share updates on How M…
[Ep543] Should you make small games? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:53
In episode 543 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers reflect on how the internet evolved from the community driven days of Web 1.0 to today’s centralized, convenience first platforms. They explore what was lost in…
[Ep542] What do indies have that AAA studios don't? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:53
In episode 542 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers discuss their evolving game development strategies in response to market dynamics and industry trends. They explore the importance of creating smaller, more mark…