​Begüm Doğan: Indie Game Marketing Spellbook - Bewitching Trends of 2025

Begüm Dogan, Founder & Marketing Witch at Hexen

Begüm Doğan, aka “The Marketing Witch”, is a strategist, consultant, and coach specializing in game marketing. With 13 years of experience in Tech Marketing, including 8 in the games industry, she has collaborated with companies such as Nokia, Saxo Bank, and VRKiwi, where she led the marketing team behind “Cave Digger VR,” the first Finnish VR game to reach #2 on the Oculus Global Store.
Nowadays, she helps indie game developers break their marketing curse and find their own magic through her start-up, Hexen Marketing.

In this session, Begüm will unveil the latest game marketing market trends and the haunting mistakes you should avoid. Because a great Steam page doesn’t just sell your game, it tells its story before players even hit “Add to Wishlist.” From capsule images to tag strategy, every element shapes how players discover, feel, and connect with your title. Step inside the circle and learn how to enchant your target audience!

The lecture was originally live-streamed on 11th November 2025. Live illustration by Solip Park.

Timestamps :
[00:00] - Welcome & Introduction to 2025 Game Trends
[03:05] - Reality Check: Why Most Steam Games Earn lower than $10
[06:11] - Game Developer Archetypes & Marketing Lessons
[15:01] - Leveraging TikTok, Shorts & Discovery Channels
[16:56] - Building Community: Discord & Reddit Engagement
[19:16] - Launch Strategies: Demos, Festivals & Early Access
[22:57] - Influencer Marketing: Micro vs Macro
[30:46] - Key Marketing Takeaways for Indie Devs
[34:39] - IGDA Finland Grant Program
[37:40] - Eligibility & Priorities for IGDA Support

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Games Now! is an open lecture series on the dominant topics and emerging trends in games. In Games Now! we dig deeper to what is current at the game scene – and what will happen in the near future. The topics and speaker invitations are curated in collaboration with Finland’s game industry leaders and companies. Our guest speakers are industry leaders and inspiring individuals providing their insights and advise for students and practitioners.

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