# self-publishing guide that helped my game app reach 100k+ downloads
**作者**: anul agarwal
**日期**: 2026-04-20T11:02:12.000Z
**来源**: [https://x.com/anulagarwal/status/2046182641763033487](https://x.com/anulagarwal/status/2046182641763033487)
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my mobile game, squishy cats, was shipped 1 year ago.
i had the idea of building a game around cute/liquid cats and softbody physics.
i am a solo-dev, i prefer speed and quick validation over everything.
my small guide for solo-devs self-publishing mobile games that helped me reach 100k+ downloads:
1) don't 1:1 clone trending puzzle games
pixel flow was a recent hit - copy it, run paid ads, and you'll most likely burn money
why?
those games have big publishers running endless a/b tests and spending hard on UA behind them.
you're not racing a game, you're racing money entirely
if you think hey i can be the 'first' to clone - so are 100 other Turkish and Vietnamese studios with better infrastructure and systems that allow them to make clone of mobile games in <1 week.
go after fresh ideas inspired from proven ideas/mechanics.
they are less competitive and easier to 'stand out'.
2) for paid UA - google ads is the easiest place to setup and start with
android to understand if your game has decent metrics or not
>ROAs campaign > install volume
>they also get on a call to help you setup everything in 30 mins
>firebase is used to track
>leverage your best performing organic videos
3) be a content marketer
pre-2020 to get organic installs just Google Store or App Store was enough but today you need to be on socials
>market your game/app on socials - it forces you to see it from different angles & makes you a better storyteller
>hook is the most important bit, it will make or break your traction
>keep analysing video KPIs - where the drop-offs happen, how many people stayed to watch etc.
>and the organic videos that get traction - push them into paid ads.
it drops your CPIs
i stopped organic TikToks because 100% focused on paid-ads now!
3a) also leverage reddit/x/linkedin
if you can make appealing videos for your game - reddit/x/linkedin is a great place to post and see if the video is actually appealing enough and the idea sticks with viewers.
in #3 & #3a -> your goal is not to validate your actual game but just the concept of you making appealing videos and being a great marketer.
because paid UA is expensive and in early days you need a lot of players to check engagement data, solving for in-expensive marketability in early days is a great success.
4) leverage AI into everything
>all system/tech related tasks like:
remote configs, faster builds, level editors - automate every repeatable task
it saves you a ton of time
AI is the only moat left in dev. it's what gives you speed
develop fast, iterate with patience
>i am integrating Claude Code with Google Ads now to automate more stuff and bring me daily reports!
5) keep learning
once your game is live and tests are running, you're mostly waiting.
use that time to upskill and bring it back into your next game (or this one) - play more games, explore ideas, etc.
because of my last post on LinkedIn, plenty of indie-devs DMed me asking on how to self-publish and run paid-ads
^i hope this served as a guide!
I will cover monetization in a 2nd part - follow/stay tuned :D
i also write about making $$$ from games/apps/content:
https://gameplaydev.substack.com/
## 相关链接
- [anul agarwal](https://x.com/anulagarwal)
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- [my mobile game, squishy cats, was shipped 1 year ago.](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squishy.cat)
- [#3a](https://x.com/search?q=%233a&src=hashtag_click)
- [https://gameplaydev.substack.com/](https://gameplaydev.substack.com/)
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- [7:02 PM · Apr 20, 2026](https://x.com/anulagarwal/status/2046182641763033487)
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*导出时间: 2026/4/21 18:57:39*