Indie game creator. I need help with YouTube Shorts.

xploadercpm said:

Hello. Over the last few months, I’ve been working hard on a hyper-realistic gore game one that is extremely graphic. As far as I can tell, no other game comes close to the level of gore detail mine has. I’ve looked at some competitors, but nothing really compares. Lately, I’ve been running into an issue with YouTube Shorts, for some reason, my videos stay stuck at 0 views. This is worrying because I’m planning to launch the game on Steam, and I’m unable to promote it. TikTok won’t allow this type of content because it’s simply too graphic unlike other games that manage to pass their filters, such as GoreBox and similar titles. Anyway, I’m reaching out for some help, as I’m afraid I won’t be able to promote my game organically.
media of my game
https://prnt.sc/pQbJGUCtemRU
https://prnt.sc/84r3ikrqcmmy

the yt short video

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SIPSAMURAI said:

Interesting...Interesting. Very very interesting lol. Are you available for a partnership deal or work for hire. I want to develop a game but simply dont have the time. Or know how (fully just yet). I have some ideas, but not sure how to go about it. On the subject of, uuum youtube shorts. Uuuum maybe you just need to wait? How long has it been since the upload? Usualy takes a week for lift off for me.

And did you click not for kids and all that? Cause that will effect who the video gets pushed to. From the little i understand of youtubes AI based algo.

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LiranGrowth said:

xploadercpm - before waiting a week like SIPSAMURAI suggested, there is a faster check worth doing, because your content category is one YouTube names explicitly.

YouTube's age-restriction policy gives as an example "a video focused on violent or gory imagery, such as focusing solely on the most graphically violent part of a film or video game" - which is close to how you describe your footage. And the violent/graphic content policy says gory content intended to shock or disgust is not allowed at all, with exceptions sometimes made for educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context.

So the first move: in YouTube Studio, on the Content page, check the Notices column for "Viewable by 18+", or use the Age-Restriction filter. If your Shorts are age-restricted, that is a documented reason for limited distribution - restricted videos are not viewable to signed-out or under-18 users, and ads monetization can be limited or none. If you think a restriction is a mistake, the same policy has an appeal path. If nothing is flagged there, the cause stays unresolved - at that point look at what Studio actually shows for each video's visibility and processing, and watch whether your own Shorts feed traffic number (the one you quoted at 0%) moves across your next uploads, rather than assuming time alone fixes it.

One thing on framing: the policy's exceptions are for educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context specifically, and being a trailer for a real game does not by itself establish that context - what matters is what the footage shows and how it is presented. I have only checked YouTube's published rules here; Instagram's policies are a separate check.

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wgrigg said:

This might be a bit off-topic, but could it be more effective to promote content of this format directly to the target audience? Perhaps you could find creators on various platforms and invite them to do a review?

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huynd80 said:

you should blog, i think it better than youtube because youtube have so many rule in black cannot talk

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Garlick said:

Since Instagram is now getting views, try a separate YouTube clip showing the game's movement, physics or development without graphic scenes. That lets you promote the game without relying on gore. Track Steam visits and wishlists too—those matter more for your launch than views alone.

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xploadercpm said:

It was going well until yesterday, hahaha—but, naturally, with my usual bad luck, the views just got cut off out of nowhere. I could post it on YouTube or Discord, but the real point is to showcase the gore mechanic, which is unique; I’ve never seen any other game with a mechanic like my game.

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xploadercpm said:

Are you suggesting I run ads or something? I can’t do ads I’ve already spent tens of euros on assets for my game. My entire budget was just to ensure everything was the absolute best it could be. Now, if it’s a matter of creating videos for YouTube like a trailer or a show the game and mecanics then can work but I doubt it will make it to the homepage.

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Garlick said:

Fair point, the gore mechanic is what makes your game different. Have you considered offering a demo to small creators who cover similar games? Their audience could be a better fit than a general Shorts audience.

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Waddup said:

Get some videos going with different hooks.

- Top 5 most violent games.

- Games that should be BANNED

- Steam wanted to ban this game.

- This game got banned in "XYZ"

And so on, just posting short footage isn't really going to get you viral.

I do feel like playing this game tho from that short footage, release some stress lol.

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wgrigg said:

It’s not so much advertising as it is an exchange or barter of sorts.

There are small YouTube channels whose audiences might enjoy seeing something unique (like your game). And they won’t charge any money for this.
However, one way or another, you or your colleagues will have to look for them and negotiate.

Suggested it as another way to promote your game

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