Why great games sometimes flop (Patreon)

Last week, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier explained how the too many games problem came to be. This week, we hear how game creators are adapting to make sure the best games reach you – rather than get lost at the bottom of an ever-growing pile. 

Today’s guest, Simon Carless, is an expert in helping game creators strike this balance between the artist’s vision and the audience's interests. Carless is a pioneer in the exponentially important research of “game discoverability."

Act 1: The art of Game Discovery

Act 2: Do endless sales help or hurt gaming?

Patreon bonus: The strangest tricks and “hacks” to get a game seen 

Act 3: The news of the week

[Programming note: This week's episode is live a day early. Since I'll be traveling on Friday, I wanted to be sure the episode published smoothly before my flight. Now I can travel comfortably, assured that the ep got to you, the wonderful Post Games subscribers. Thank you for making Post Games possible!}

Act 1: How to save great games from obscurity

GameDiscoverCo (GameDiscoverCo)

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter (GameDiscoverCo)

The State of Video Gaming in 2025 (Matthew Ball)

The PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 (Newzoo)

Real data: how CloverPit hit 750k sales in 2 weeks (GameDiscoverCo)

Act 2: Do endless sales help or hurt gaming?

Discounting your games: 7 clear rules! (GameDiscoverCo)

Sales bad for players and devs, says Jason Rohrer (GameInudstry.biz)

How Parcel Simulator stealthily racked up 50k+ sales... (GameDiscoverCo)

Patreon bonus: The strangest tricks and “hacks” to get a game seen 

Steam Visibility: How Games Get Surfaced to Players (Steamworks Development)

I played that $2,000 Steam game, and its ridiculous price is probably for the best (PCGamer)

How time makes a fool of us, game discovery-wise... (GameDiscoverCo)

How Peak sold 4.5m copies in less than a month... (GameDiscoverCo)

Should games be 'nasty, brutish, and short'? (GameDiscoverCo)

Act 3: News of the week

Pokémon Legends: Z-A review - a joyful proof of concept, but don't call it a comeback yet (Eurogamer)

Pokemon Legends: Z-A review: "Fast fluid real-time fights and a world worth exploring make this finally feel like the anime come to life" (GamesRadar)

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Review in Progress (IGN)

Massive Pokemon leak purportedly covers gen 10 games, scrapped Z-A ideas (Polygon)

This week in video game links

A manga based on the life of Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai is out next month (VGC)

Cardboard Trash by American Lips (Ancient Fashion Records)

Battlefield 6 is a political Rorschach test (Polygon)

Yakuza Kiwami 3 and the Case Against Game Remakes (Endless Mode)

The only retro game buyer’s guide you’ll ever need (Kimimi)

Xbox’s Hike on Game Pass Show Cost of Loss on Call of Duty Sales (Bloomberg)

New Trailer & Visuals for ‘All You Need Is Kill’ Arrive on Our Timeline (Animation Magazine)

Oh No, Someone Built A Game-Crashing Death Star In No Man’s Sky (Kotaku)

Hades 2’s Story Doesn’t Change The Status Quo (Aftermath)

My favorite stories about Steam Next Fest demos

No, commuters of Bus Bound's Steam Next Fest demo, I will not stop publicly transporting you to the scene of accidents (RPS)

'Death Stranding, but Norman Reedus is a horse in 13th-century Mongolia' is the pitch for this demo with the most detailed steed mechanics I've ever seen (PCGamer)

The Killing Stone Is A Folk Horror Board Game Where Everything Is Story (Aftermath)

Peak dev's next co-op game—Crashout Crew—is like spinning a plate, except the plate has a bunch of dynamite on it, and also somebody put bees in the road (PCGamer)

10 Of The Best Demos To Check Out In October’s Steam Next Fest (Kotaku)

Tavern Keeper's Next Fest demo, which now has an endless mode, might just steal hours of your time making custom decor alone (PCGamer)

Battlefield 6 Presents Players With a Campaign Uninstall Button After They Beat It, Tells Them It'll Save Space (IGN)

Free game of the week: Perfect Tides: Station to Station demo

The sequel to one of my favorite games of recent years arrives in early 2026. But you can play the demo right now! “A point n' click sequel to Perfect Tides about the momentum and whiplash of young adulthood. Explore the big city through 18-year-old Mara's eyes. Collect items, nurture ideas, and experience complex relationships while attempting to find your place in the world. (Steam)

What else I’m enjoying

The 1999 Manga about game designer Mark Cerny: "Mark Cerny: America's Leading Gaming Genius and His Friends" (archive.org)

Star Wars Comic Teases Jar Jar's 'Pivotal Role' Forming the Rebel Alliance Following Revenge of the Sith (IGN)

The Best Anime Premieres of Fall 2025, Ranked (Endless Mode)