Pitching journalists
Who writes about games?
Hyper Shards has a demo and a release date. Who tells the world? Creators show games on their own channels (the Creators lesson covers them). Journalists are different: they write news, previews and reviews for outlets, which are websites, magazines and podcasts about games.
A journalist is independent. They decide whether our game is worth covering and what they say about it. That is what makes press coverage valuable: readers trust it because nobody paid for it.
Find the right writers
Sending the same email to every gaming site wastes everyone's time. Instead, look for the writers who already cover games like ours:
- Read reviews of similar games, like other arcade space shooters, and note the writer's name on each article, called the byline.
- Check each outlet's contact page. Many say exactly how they want to be pitched.
- Include small, specialist and local outlets: mobile game sites, indie game blogs, a local newspaper.
Keep a press list: a spreadsheet with each writer, their outlet, a link to a similar article they wrote, and the date we contacted them.
Press pick
Kai can pitch Garden Defense to one writer first. Who is the best fit?
- A writer who reviewed two cozy tower defense phone games last month
- A writer at a huge site who only covers big console shooters
- A writer at a car magazine with lots of readers
- Every address on a list Kai found online, all in one email
Show the answer
A writer who reviewed two cozy tower defense phone games last month
The writer who just reviewed games like ours already knows their readers enjoy the genre. A site that never covers games like ours, or a mass email, almost never gets a reply.
A press kit for journalists
A press kit is a page on our website with everything a writer needs, so they never have to ask. The Creators lesson lists the basics: logo, screenshots and trailer, a short description and a contact address. Journalists also want:
- A fact sheetName, release date, price, platforms, studio name and website, in one short list they can copy without mistakes.
- About the studioA few lines on who made the game and how. "A small studio with an AI teammate" is part of the story.
- One-click downloadsEvery image in full quality in one zip file, with no login and no sign-up.
Quick check
Why does a press kit include a fact sheet?
- So writers can copy correct facts, like the release date and price, without emailing us
- Because outlets only cover games that send a 50-page document
- So the journalist knows what score to give
Show the answer
So writers can copy correct facts, like the release date and price, without emailing us
Writers work fast. A fact sheet gives them the right name, date, price and platforms in one place, so the article gets the facts right.
Writing the pitch
A pitch is a short email asking a writer to look at our game. Writers get many every day, so ours fits on one phone screen:
- A clear subject line with the name, the genre and the news, like "Hyper Shards, a browser space shooter, launches in March".
- A one-line hook: what makes the game special.
- Why it fits them: "you reviewed two arcade shooters last month".
- Links to the trailer and press kit, never big attachments.
- The release date, plus a key or a demo link.
Pitch fix
1Subject: Hyper Shards, browser space shooter, March2 3Hi Sam,4You reviewed two arcade shooters last month, so5here is one you can play right in your browser.6Dodge laser walls, chase high scores, beat bosses.7Trailer and press kit: ourstudio.com/press8Out 5 March. Your free key is at the bottom.9A 10/10 score would really help us, please!10Thanks, the Hyper Shards team
Remy drafted this pitch. Which line must go before a parent sends it?
- Line 4
- Line 7
- Line 8
- Line 9
Show the answer
Line 9
Asking for a score pressures the writer and ignores their independence. The other lines give the reason it fits, the links, the date and a key, which is exactly what a pitch needs.
Timing and embargoes
Writers need time to play, so the pitch and key go out a few weeks before launch. Reviews often appear together on launch day thanks to an embargo: an agreement that writers who get the game early won't publish before a set date and time, like "5 March, 17:00 UTC".
An embargo gives everyone time to play properly instead of racing to be first. We state it clearly in the email, with the time zone, and we respect it too.
Bolt says: Steam keys are free to request, but a studio's first game must wait three weeks after its Steam app is created. One key per writer, tracked on the press list, as the Creators lesson explains.
Quick check
A writer got an early key with an embargo of 5 March. If they finish the game sooner, they can publish their review on 1 March.
- True
- False
Show the answer
False
An embargo is an agreement not to publish before the set date and time, however early the writer finishes. Keeping it is how writers and studios learn to trust each other.
Follow up once, stay honest
No reply after about a week? Send one short, friendly follow-up with real news, like "our demo is now live". Then stop. Silence means no.
Never pay for a review or offer gifts for a good score. Steam's rules forbid asking for reviews in exchange for games, money or other rewards; sending a copy to press is the allowed exception. A bad review is feedback: thank the writer and fix what they found.
Journalists are adults we don't know, so a parent sends every email from the studio address and handles replies, while the team writes the pitch.
Bolt says: Press brings new people to our game. Next: Discord, the home where those fans can gather.
Fact-checked 9 October 2026
- Steamworks: keys partner.steamgames.com
- Steamworks: user reviews partner.steamgames.com
- Aftermath: games journalism FAQ aftermath.site