What To Do When Every Steam Festival REJECTS You

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Cian (developer of Puppy Park) got tired of being rejected from Steam festivals, so he did something most indies never consider — he ran his own. In this episode he reveals exactly how to create a Steam festival, why 750 games was a huge mistake, and the surprising visibility rules Valve uses.We also dive into his real-time cozy dog hotel game Puppy Park, the nostalgia behind it, commissioning art from Instagram, NextFest wishlist drama, and why even “successful” launches often just break even after a year.If you’re an indie dev struggling with marketing or festivals, this one is packed with practical lessons.🎮 Puppy Park on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2819600/Puppy_Park/Chapters:0:00 – Intro0:33 – Why He Made His Own Festival2:54 – How to Run a Steam Festival4:38 – Wholesome Underdogs Festival5:50 – 750 Games Applied8:52 – Festival Visibility Secrets15:57 – The Big Mistake17:38 – Takeaways If You Want to Run One28:54 – Puppy Park Elevator Pitch34:00 – Real-Time Game Problems38:07 – Wishlist & Sales Reality43:50 – Press Strategy (200 Emails)59:21 – His Game Dev DreamSubscribe for more raw indie dev stories → https://www.youtube.com/@DevDreamPodWhat do you think — would you ever run your own Steam festival? Drop your thoughts below!#IndieGameDev #SteamFestival #CozyGames #PuppyPark #SoloDev #SteamMarketing #NextFest #GameDev #IndieDev #CozyGame #RealTimeGame #WholesomeGames #SteamNextFest #GameDevelopment