Stop Ignoring Accessibility: The Biggest Mistake Indie Devs Make

Stop Ignoring Accessibility: The Biggest Mistake Indie Devs Make

Accessibility in indie game development is the most overlooked way to reach more players, sell more copies, and build a bigger community. Zach and Vinny from AbleGamers break it down. Support the Play It Forward campaign (100% goes to AbleGamers):https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindies 0:00 - What accessibility really means for indie devs2:55 - What AbleGamers actually does day to day6:58 - New adaptive tech and why it's exploding10:25 - Carlos the blind fighting game champion (and other unreal stories)17:30 - The disability categories devs overlook most20:48 - The Dark Souls difficulty debate23:44 - Controller remapping: the number one requested feature24:13 - 71 million gamers with disabilities (the market you're ignoring)26:24 - The APX accessible player experience training32:53 - Build accessibility in early and save money34:26 - Where your donation actually goes41:29 - Play It Forward: indie games Zach and Vinny love AbleGamers is a charity that has been around for 22 years, getting adaptive equipment into the hands of players with disabilities at no cost to them. Zach runs the Able Player One program and works directly with players. Vinny handles marketing and partnerships. Together they make the case that accessibility is not a guilt trip, it's one of the smartest things an indie dev can do for their game. In this episode we get into the real day to day of helping players game, the stories that stick with you (Carlos beating sighted players while totally blind is worth the watch alone), and the practical dev side: why controller remapping is the single most requested feature, how difficulty options open your game to a whole new audience, why "we don't have the budget for accessibility" falls apart when you build it in from day one, and the 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US that most studios never think about. If you have ever told yourself accessibility is a nice to have you'll get to later, this one is for you. What you'll learn:- Why controller remapping locks out the "mass majority" of players when it's missing- How to add an easy mode without breaking the experience for your core players- The real numbers: 71 million gamers with disabilities in the US, ~400 million worldwide- Why building accessibility in early costs far less than bolting it on later- What the APX (Accessible Player Experience) training actually teaches, and what it costs- How much it really costs to help one player game (~$1,200 on average)- Simple settings devs forget: turn off blood, reduce visual triggers, add a practice mode Support AbleGamers and the Play It Forward campaign!GoFundMe (100% to AbleGamers): https://www.gofundme.com/f/freakingcoolindiesAbleGamers: https://ablegamers.org Links mentioned:- AbleGamers APX training: https://ablegamers.org- Microsoft Adaptive Controller: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/d/xbox-adaptive-controller/8nsdbhz1n3d8- QuadStick: https://www.quadstick.com/- Below the Stone: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1170230/Below_the_Stone/- Expedition 33: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903340/Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33/- Rocky No Hands:  ⁨@RockyNoHands11⁩  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCcjNtQuuKws0RmvVM8-rYfw] - Blind Warrior Sven  ⁨@BlindWarriorSven⁩  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCazz57OCdpw-w0rvsRp_VfQ] Listen to Freaking Cool Indies wherever you get your podcasts.Join the newsletter: [newsletter link]Subscribe for more indie dev conversations: [channel link] 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky:

He Teaches Indie Devs to Build an Audience. Here's How He Built His

Chris Zukowski (How To Market A Game / HTMAG) is one of the most trusted voices in indie game marketing. In this episode, Chris breaks down how he built his audience, why Steam visibility isn't your real problem, and why he bets everything on an owned mailing list over social media. ⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – Intro00:59 – The origin story: from IBM to How To Market A Game06:30 – "Everybody's doing this wrong": why Chris started the blog09:00 – The research that proved social media doesn't work15:20 – The blog + newsletter: why owning your audience beats everything17:20 – Why Discord and YouTube are the "outer rim" (and the mailing list is the core)23:40 – Should indie devs start a newsletter? (and the once-a-month rule)30:10 – Building trust: "working the maze backwards" and having no agenda36:20 – Burnout, the "golden age" of Steam, and the Inside Conference42:40 – The hot take: visibility isn't your problem45:50 – Play It Forward: the indie devs Chris wants you to know 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCESHow To Market A Game: https://howtomarketagame.com/How To Market A Game Blog: https://howtomarketagame.com/blog/Free resources: https://howtomarketagame.com/freeInside Conference: https://howtomarketagame.com/inside/Mark Duplass – "The $1,000 Movie" talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZeWOAliA6Y 📬 Freaking Cool Indies Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/FCI_newsletters 🎙️ Hangout on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegamedev #gamemarketing #howtomarketagame #chriszukowski #steam #indiegames #gamedev

The Framework That Keeps RPGs, Deck Builders, and Narrative Games From Breaking

The framework indie devs use to keep RPGs, deck builders, and narrative games from breaking during production. Learn game content structure and documentation with Grimoire CEO Jill Vanparys.0:00 - Your game is built on scattered docs (and it will break)1:43 - Welcome Jill Vanparys, CEO of Grimoire3:10 - What is content chaos and why does it hit game devs hardest7:30 - How one version mismatch breaks your entire game10:00 - Why creative teams and spreadsheets are a brain conflict12:00 - The "glue person" problem and institutional knowledge risk14:00 - When should you transition to a structured system16:00 - What is object-oriented UX (OOUX) and how to use it20:00 - The 40% stat: what content chaos is actually costing you23:00 - How to mentor your team through a content overhaul27:30 - Systems thinking for creatives (you're already doing it)32:00 - Is it ever too late to fix content chaos mid-production35:00 - Live Grimoire demo: connected quests, NPCs, and locations43:00 - Grimoire's free onboarding offer + engine sync explained48:00 - Play It Forward: Battlesage, Deck of Hounds, and FlotsamFollow Jill!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillvanparysGrimoire: https://usegrimoire.comJill Vanparys is the Co-founder and CEO of Grimoire, a game development platform built to bring structure, connection, and clarity to the content powering your game. A UX designer turned game dev tools founder, she's a 2016 MIT Innovator Under 35, a board member of the Flemish Games Association, and has spent years coaching indie studios on systems thinking, worldbuilding, and content architecture.📬 Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/newsletter/🏆 7 Day Marketing Foundations Challenge: https://freakingcoolindies.com/resources/🎙️ Learn on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com

The Shorts Formula That Gets Indie Games Noticed (While You're Still Building)

Indie game marketing with YouTube Shorts and TikTok is one of the most powerful tools a solo dev has, and Landon from Broken Flame Games has cracked the code.He's been building his debut Steam game Vault of the Vanquished (a coin-flipping roguelike that's basically Balatro meets Slay the Spire) while posting short-form content almost every weekday. And it's working.In this episode, Landon breaks down his entire system: how he builds content creation INTO his dev day so it only costs him about an hour, the exact short format that stops the scroll, why pop-culture references (Binding of Isaac, Cult of the Lamb, Ultrakill) have been his secret weapon for blowing up views, and how his animated knight mascot became the face of Broken Flame Games without Landon ever putting his own face on camera.If you've been avoiding short-form content because you think it'll pull you away from your game, this episode will change your mind.Chapters:0:00 - The short that hit 10K views in a week2:31 - What is Vault of the Vanquished?4:18 - Dev or content creator? Overcoming the fear5:31 - Building marketing into your dev day12:03 - The pop-culture reference strategy17:08 - The beginner short formula20:37 - Visuals, voiceover and the knight mascot25:02 - Tech stack: Unity, Premiere Pro, OBS and Aseprite27:01 - Posting, scheduling and analytics31:08 - Scripting vs just hitting record36:07 - Making your shorts sound professional42:28 - CapCut vs Premiere Pro for beginners44:26 - Indie shoutouts and where to find LandonWhat you'll learn:- How to build marketing INTO your dev day (not on top of it)- The first 2 seconds of a short that stop the scroll- Why game references are a cheat code for reach- How to create a mascot-driven brand without showing your face- The audio trick in Premiere Pro that makes your shorts sound pro instantly- CapCut vs Premiere Pro: what Landon actually recommends for beginners🔗 Follow Landon!:— Vault of the Vanquished on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3241250/Vault_of_the_Vanquished/— Broken Flame Games on YouTube:  @BrokenFlameGames  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCTk0kBU9bdyBlrkQgnMkO5w] — Broken Flame Games on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brokenflamegames🔗 Links mentioned:— Countless Nights / Dice a Million: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3430340/Dice_A_Million/— Vuvu Inc / Tiny Terraces on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3136330/Tiny_Terraces/— CheesyTed/RiskyDuck on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@riskyduckdev— CheesyTed/RiskyDuck on YouTube:  @RiskyDuckDev  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCzqZB-wAicZuE8KNHths19Q] — Aseprite (pixel art software): https://www.aseprite.org— OBS (free screen recorder): https://obsproject.com— Buffer (scheduling tool): https://buffer.com— Vubli (scheduling tool): https://vubli.ai/📬 Newsletter: https://freakingcoolindies.com/newsletter/🏆 7 Day Marketing Foundations Challenge: https://freakingcoolindies.com/resources/🎙️ Learn on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegames #indiedev #gamedev #youtubeShorts #TikTok #indiegame #gamedevelopment #steamgames #roguelike #vaultofthevanquished #brokenflame #contentcreation #indiegamedevelopment #gamemarketing

Your Indie Game Needs Super Fans. Here's How to Build Them.

Mallory Loar was one of Discord's first marketing hires, and she built the Hype Squad, a superfan program that scaled from a handful of passionate Discord fans to millions of members globally.In this episode, Mallory breaks down exactly how indie devs can build that same kind of loyal, word-of-mouth community, even with zero budget and a one-person team.You'll learn:→ Why followers and community members are NOT the same thing→ How to find your first 100 players where they're already hanging out→ How to turn lurkers into active, engaged super fans→ How to build a moderator squad that practically runs itself→ Why transparency is the most underrated tool in your community toolkitWhether your Discord has 10 people or 10,000, this episode will change how you think about community.---🎙️ Guest: Mallory Loar🌐 KindaSorta Studio: https://kindasortastudio.com/📬 Mallory's Substack: https://substack.com/@malloryloar💼 Mallory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malloryloar/---🕐 Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:00 - Why community is the backbone of indie dev success05:00 - Followers vs. community members — what's the difference?07:30 - Making players feel seen (and why it matters more than ads)12:40 - How to manage community as a 1-2 person team15:00 - Finding your first 100 players22:00 - When should you start building your community?24:00 - Call to action strategy: Discord vs. Wishlists30:00 - Building super fans from zero — the Hello Kitty exercise35:00 - Badges, rewards, and referral systems38:00 - AI as a brainstorming tool (not a replacement)43:00 - IRL activations and the future of community44:50 - Transparency as the ultimate trust builder45:10 - Play It Forward: Mallory's indie game shoutouts📬JOIN THE FCI Community: https://freakingcoolindies.com/newsletter/🎙️ Learn on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2doPqk8Q9IKstjLDdSMn9nApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaking-cool-indies/id1824774892❤️ CONNECT WITH ME 🕸️ Website: https://freakingcoolindies.com/🐦 Twitter: / https://x.com/F_Cool_Indies🎵 TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@freakingcoolindies💼 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnone/🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freakingcoolindies.com#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #gamedevelopment #indiegamemarketing #communitybuilding #discord #gamemarketing #indiegamedevelopment #indiepreneur