Japanese indie dev promotes their game with tissues, but can that really get more Wishlists on Steam? 

Getting your indie game noticed in the sea of new releases on Steam is tough. One Japanese indie dev hoped to get more people to wishlist their upcoming game by handing out free packets of tissues. But did it work? We spoke to indie developer Myu to find out. 

But wait a minute, what’s all this about tissues? Handing out small packets of tissues with a paper advertisement inside is a common way for businesses to promote their products and services in Japan. You sometimes see people passing out tissues in busy places like outside train stations. It’s a method often used by local businesses, and those handing out tissues will often give them to people who look like they would be interested in what’s advertised.  

This method appealed to Myu, who is currently working on the planning, scenario and character design on Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo, which will be playable in English as well as Japanese. It is a point-and-click adventure game that takes place in the fictional Noise Scramble City in modern Japan. Traumatized teenagers who have lost their memories are trapped in the city. You must search for fragments of noise, which are parts of each character’s painful memories. Piecing them together through puzzles allows you to discover each character’s past and inner turmoil- allowing you to advance the story onwards and explore further. “I’ve created a story that details each character’s background and traumas, enabling the player to emphasize with their pain and growth” explains Myu. As well as introducing varied puzzles and keeping players on their toes with clues to each character’s past, “We have also paid special attention to the game’s visual style and music, so that players can become immersed in the world of Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo,” Myu adds. Ultimately, it will depend on the player whether each of the varied characters manages to face their fears and overcome their traumas in this multi-ending game. 

From the screenshots and trailer, Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo looks ambitious. However, it is also a small-scale indie title, which the creators seem to be promoting themselves. As part of this marketing, Myu handed out tissues in Akihabara, Tokyo’s well-known neighborhood for games and electronics. 

Myu decided that the tissue method would be a good, low-cost way to raise awareness of their game, and received the requisite permission from the police to hand them out in the area.  

Travelling from Osaka to Tokyo on the bullet train on Saturday June 22, Myu aimed to hand out 250 packets of tissues. Each packet contained a small flyer inside advertising the game, complete with a QR code link to the Steam page. According to his report on note.com, it took around 3 hours for him to run out of tissues.  

He calculated the results by looking at Steam data and found that Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo’s page views rose by 14.84% on June 22, compared to the previous day. He was satisfied with the result, even though the number of Wishlists for the title didn’t increase much. “I think it’s significant even if just one in ten people go, ‘oh there’s this game coming out, I have a Steam account, so I’ll have a look.’” Myu commented. He emphasized that handing out tissues was fun, satisfying and cost-effective.  

Myu is planning to hand out tissues promoting the game again in Akihabara on July 13, and Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo will be exhibited at Tokyo Game Dungeon Gaiden event on July 14.  

Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo is scheduled to be released on PC (Steam) in 2024. 

Written by. Verity Townsend based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2024-06-29 12:02 JST)