Instinct3 on Their First Published Game and the Credibility of Creators

With TerraScape, influencer marketing agency Instinct3 has launched its first game as co-publisher - together with Stray Fawn. GamesMarkt spoke to Melvin Frank, Product Manager Publishing, about the successful launch, influencer credibility and the future of their publishing ambitions.

TerraScape left Early Access almost two weeks ago, on the 17th of July 2024. The cozy city puzzler from Bitfall Studios in Petersberg and Berlin got off to a strong start on Steam thanks to the support of publishing duo Instinct3 from Berlin and Stray Fawn Publishing from Zurich. TerraScape entered Early Access at the beginning of April 2023 with 353 concurrent players (at that time with a different publishing partner), a number that was easily surpassed by the end of Early Access. One day after release, the CCU peaked at 1,128, and on 21 July (Sunday) it reached 1,627.

Instinct3 is actually an influencer marketing agency with its own artist agency and creative agency units, but in December 2023 Maximilian Knabe (HandOfBlood; also co-founder of Instinct3) announced on his second channel "HandOfUncut" that he wanted to become an indie publisher and that interested developers should get in touch (publishing@instinct3.de). He often discovers and streams indie games himself, bringing them to a wider audience. Within a short time, the influencer marketing agency behind HandOfBlood received 300 requests.

The first game published by Instinct3 is TerraScape. The mix of city builder and puzzle game is popular, even with some influencers from the portfolio of influencer marketing agency Instinct3, such as creator Maxim Markow and HandOfBlood. Instinct3 will focus on marketing in the GSA region, while co-publisher Stray Fawn will concentrate on international PR, platform curation and developer consulting. GamesMarkt spoke to Melvin Frank, Product Manager Publishing at Instinct3, about the successful launch, influencer credibility and the future of their publishing ambitions.

GamesMarkt: To begin with: How did Stray Fawn Publishing and Instinct3 work together? How did you divide up the tasks?

Melvin Frank: "The collaboration was specifically designed so both partners could leverage their individual strengths best. We focused on influencer marketing, generating reach and PR-work in the GSA region. Stray Fawn brought extensive expertise and their network in international marketing and PR, but also in particular their knowledge of mechanisms and events within the Steam ecosystem."

"In general, both partners supported wherever possible and deliberately utilized this as a case to learn from each other. We aimed to provide the best possible support to Bitfall Studios, emphasizing synergies over strict responsibilities."

GamesMarkt: Are you happy with the TerraScape launch?

Melvin Frank: "Very happy! Even after the first week, we remained around the top ten of Steam Topsellers in Germany and peaked in the #40s globally. I think everyone involved can be proud of that. The announcement of our publishing itself also generated a very positive response in the industry and in our communities. This aspect was especially important for us as this was our kick-off project, laying the foundation for everything else to come."

GamesMarkt: How exactly did you accompany the launch with your influencers? Could you elaborate on that? What worked well and what could you do better next time?

Melvin Frank: "We chose to hold off on any promotion until the last moment and then release everything at once. One of the reasons for that was that the game transitioned from Early Access to Full Release."

"This included content on YouTube and Twitch as well as short content covering different aspects of the game. We also integrated other creators next to HandOfBlood to ensure continuous new content across various platforms. Together with the Developers, we designed in-game events specifically for our creators to play and interact directly with their communities."

"What we can do better is to optimize the availability of our creators and ensure more flexibility in their calendars around the launch. Especially with big creators like HandOfBlood, their schedules can fill up quickly, limiting post-launch content, even if they want to look into the game more."

GamesMarkt: Credibility is one of the key elements for influencers. How do you try to maintain that credibility when Instinct3 also has an interest in the game selling well?

Melvin Frank: "Next to absolute transparency, we also integrate this into the selection of games were working with. Already when scouting games, we attach great importance to finding the best possible match between the game and our creators. Although we select titles according to many criteria, this match is the most important for us since it’s the only way to ensure authentic content and promotion."

"It wouldn't work the other way around to promote a game with creators who don’t naturally align with the game and therefore not having a suitable community too. I believe one of our strengths lies in identifying these matches, given our background in influencer marketing."

GamesMarkt: TerraScape was your first title as a publisher and hopefully not the last, right? How do you see the future of publishing at Instinct3?

Melvin Frank: "We already have other titles in the pipeline for Instinct3, but we prefer to make on step at a time. However, you can expect to hear about new releases from us in the next months. At the same time, we are also developing another publishing brand dedicated to HandOfBlood and his personal preferences and expertise, allowing him to fully express himself together with his community under this brand. Meanwhile, Instinct3's publishing can operate independently of his availability, enabling us to publish titles without his direct involvement."

GamesMarkt: Can you see this co-publishing model continuing in the future?

Melvin Frank: "Definitely. We believe this model does not take anything away from each other, rather the opposite. If designed to leverage each partner’s expertise, everyone benefits at the end of the day. Especially the indie studios and developers."

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