Prepping for Launch: Lessons from the Marketing Trenches

Welcome back to Re-Rolling: A Journey Through Game Design and Self-Publishing!

I’m Michael, and in today’s entry I’ll be chatting about the pre-launch grind, those intense months where your dream project stops being just a game and starts becoming a product ready for the world to see. Ready to go? Let’s dive in!

What We Learned About Marketing Before the Launch

We thought we knew our game inside and out, until LaunchBoom asked us to define it in a few sentences. Suddenly, we were forced to dig into the why behind Sugarworks. Who plays it? What problem does it solve? Why would anyone choose this over a hundred other games on Kickstarter?

These questions led us to fill out what is called a Messaging & Direction Summary and if you’re building a brand or prepping for your own launch, this form alone is worth studying.

It made us define things like:

1. Our superfan: 25–45 years old, loves puzzle and light strategy games like Flamecraft and Creature Comforts, and wants something fun to teach at family game night.

2. Our voice: Whimsical, friendly, not too serious.

3. Our promise: Fast setup, flexible modes (solo/co-op/competitive), and premium, colorblind-friendly components.

4. When you can summarize your entire game in a few short sentences that connect emotionally and strategically, you’re ready to advertise.

Divide and Conquer: Art vs. Ads

While I focused on ad copy and positioning, Josh tackled art and visual assets. Between the two of us, it felt like running a small creative agency.

He handled box renders, lifestyle shots, color palettes, and character tone to make sure Sugarworks popped off the screen. Every image needed to feel playful, candy-bright, and professional because that’s what turns casual scrollers into curious backers.

Meanwhile, I dove head-first into writing ad copy variations:

• The “Ultimate Candy Factory Strategy Game” headline.

• The “Built for Strategy, Designed for Chaos” soundbite.

And my personal favorite, the “Are you a fan of clever puzzles, frantic strategy, and candy?” callout.

These weren’t just fun taglines, they were experiments. LaunchBoom and Jellop are our Marketing partners for Sugarworks, LB for Pre- campaign and Jellop for Live campaign. They will test dozens of ad variations to see which headlines and visuals drive the best results.

If you’re an indie creator, this is where you’ll spend more time than you think. Writing, rewriting, and re-testing every single line pays off later when you see real data behind which message converts.

Data > Guesswork

We learned early that pre-launch marketing is all about testing, not guessing.

That means running ads for your signup page months before launch, tracking which images, audiences, and messages actually bring people in. Every click, email signup, and $1 deposit tells you what resonates.

Here’s what surprised us most:

It’s not about spending thousands on ads; it’s about how you spend it. LaunchBoom recommends $1K–$2K during the pre-launch testing phase.

Small tweaks make a huge difference. A single line change in ad copy or button text can double your click-through rate.

You need to give it time. True learning comes after several weeks of running and analyzing ads, not just one weekend of testing.

LaunchBoom vs. Jellop: Why We’re Using Both

One question we get a lot from other creators is, “Why use two marketing agencies?”

The short answer: they cover different parts of the journey.

• LaunchBoom helps with the pre-launch phase, building your email list, setting up your landing page, and finding your ideal audience before day one.

• Jellop steps in once your campaign goes live, managing real-time Facebook and Google ads to keep momentum rolling during those crucial mid-campaign days.

  
  

Think of it like this: LaunchBoom fills the factory with candy, and Jellop keeps the conveyors running when the orders start flying in.

The Hidden Cost: Time

Here’s the part nobody talks about, marketing prep takes as long as game design.

Between onboarding, setup, copywriting, visual asset creation, domain connections, Mailchimp automations, and data tracking… we clocked over 100 hours just to prepare for the first test ad.

If you’re planning a campaign, start at least 3–4 months out. And if you can, assign clear roles. For us:

• Josh: Art direction, visual assets, box renders, and ad visuals.

• Michael: Copywriting, positioning, data forms, and communication with LaunchBoom.

That separation of duties saved us. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself trying to learn Facebook Business Manager at 2 AM with a bag of cold pizza. (Don’t ask me how I know.)

Re-Rolling: What We’d Do Differently

This is the part of Re-Rolling where we look back and ask: If we could start over, what would we change?

Without question, we wish we’d started the marketing process earlier.

Not just before the launch… but alongside the game’s development itself.

Here’s why:

Many of the assets and copy we’re creating now like box renders, lifestyle shots, and feature blurbs, could’ve been built in tandem with early prototypes.

Understanding our future marketing needs sooner would have influenced small design choices along the way: box size, color palette, even terminology used in the rulebook.

Knowing what deliverables would be required by LaunchBoom and Jellop (ad copy sheets, landing page text, messaging forms, etc.) would have made the process far smoother.

In hindsight, we’d start building our marketing foundation at the same time we start playtesting. Because the truth is, marketing isn’t a separate phase, it’s a parallel track that informs how you present your game to the world.

If you’re an indie creator reading this: don’t wait until your prototype is “ready” to think about your audience. Build both together, and your future self will thank you.

Our Biggest Takeaways So Far

• If you’re a creator preparing your own crowdfunding launch, here’s what we’d tell you from the trenches:

• Your audience isn’t “everyone.” It’s one clearly defined superfan. Find them and speak directly to them.

• Your first ad won’t be your best ad. Keep testing and stay flexible.

• Invest early in visuals. A great image outperforms any paragraph of text.

• Don’t rush the setup. Mailchimp, Meta, Stripe, and analytics connections are tedious but essential.

• Set realistic budgets. $1–$2K for testing is plenty if you track carefully.

• Collaborate early and often. Communication with your marketing team (or partner) is key.

• Start marketing early. It’s never too soon to define your voice and audience.

Final Thoughts

Marketing Sugarworks has been like running our own factory. Each conveyor - ads, art, copy, analytics, moves independently, but they all have to sync to make the system hum.

It’s exhausting but incredibly rewarding to see it all coming together.

We’ll have more updates soon as we enter the next stage, live ad testing and early sign-ups. If you’re an indie designer walking this same road, remember: every step you automate, every audience you define, and every creative you polish now will make your launch ten times smoother later.

Until next time, keep rolling those dice and keep building your dreams.