{"games":[{"path":"/games/videoball/","rank":1,"slug":"videoball","title":"Videoball","urlSlug":"videoball","value":"Hook: “sport everyone can play,” minimalist electronic sport, comedy-pitch copy, sports/RTS/shooter synthesis. Strong as a press/design story, weaker as an obvious consumer fantasy from screenshots alone. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/277390/VIDEOBALL/; https://www.pcgamer.com/hands-on-with-videoball-a-local-multiplayer-electronic-sport-for-the-living-room/."},{"path":"/games/rocketleague/","rank":2,"slug":"rocketLeague","title":"Rocket League","urlSlug":"rocketleague","value":"Marketing/story hook: cars playing soccer, with goals that make every clip instantly understandable. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/252950/Rocket_League/; https://www.rocketleague.com/."},{"path":"/games/killerqueenarcade/","rank":3,"slug":"killerQueenArcade","title":"Killer Queen Arcade","urlSlug":"killerqueenarcade","value":"Hook: world’s only 10-player strategy arcade game; giant snail; three win conditions; strangers become teammates/rivals; a cabinet that causes a scene. Extremely legible in a venue because the crowd itself becomes marketing. Sources: https://killerqueenarcade.com/; https://bumblebeargames.com/products/killer-queen; https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/designing-i-killer-queen-i-from-playground-experiment-to-modern-arcade-sensation."},{"path":"/games/nidhogg/","rank":4,"slug":"nidhogg","title":"Nidhogg","urlSlug":"nidhogg","value":"Marketing/story hook: two fencers, one direction of advantage, and a giant myth-serpent reward at the end. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/94400/Nidhogg/; http://nidhogggame.com/."},{"path":"/games/ftlfasterthanlight/","rank":5,"slug":"ftlFasterThanLight","title":"FTL: Faster Than Light","urlSlug":"ftlfasterthanlight","value":"The hook was unusually clean: 'run a spaceship trying to save the galaxy' in a randomly generated roguelike where\nevery disaster is your problem. Kickstarter, festival credibility, and the novelty of a space-captain sim gave press a\ncompact story that was easier to understand than a generic indie strategy pitch. Sources:\nhttps://subsetgames.com/ftl.html; https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/kickstarter-contests-bring-i-ftl-i-to-life;\nhttps://www.backerkit.com/projects/64409699/ftl-faster-than-light."},{"path":"/games/rounds/","rank":6,"slug":"rounds","title":"ROUNDS","urlSlug":"rounds","value":"Marketing/story hook: the loser gets stronger, so the match keeps becoming more ridiculous. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1557740/ROUNDS/; https://landfall.se/rounds."},{"path":"/games/intothebreach/","rank":7,"slug":"intoTheBreach","title":"Into the Breach","urlSlug":"intothebreach","value":"The marketing hook was 'from the makers of FTL' plus a tactical puzzle where you can see every attack before it\nhappens. That phrase converts difficulty into fairness and gives both press and players a concise reason to try\nanother hard Subset game. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/590380/Into_the_Breach/;\nhttps://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/how-subset-games-made-the-jump-from-i-ftl-i-to-i-into-the-breach-i-."},{"path":"/games/towerfallascension/","rank":8,"slug":"towerFallAscension","title":"TowerFall Ascension","urlSlug":"towerfallascension","value":"Marketing/story hook: archery combat for friends sitting close enough to yell at each other. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/251470/TowerFall_Ascension/; https://www.towerfall-game.com/."},{"path":"/games/duckgame/","rank":9,"slug":"duckGame","title":"Duck Game","urlSlug":"duckgame","value":"Marketing/story hook: tiny ducks kill each other with ridiculous weapons in seconds. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/312530/Duck_Game/; https://www.corptron.com/."},{"path":"/games/limbo/","rank":10,"slug":"limbo","title":"LIMBO","urlSlug":"limbo","value":"The hook was minimalist and premium: a boy, a sister, a black-and-white nightmare, and no explanation. Jensen said\nthey avoided advertising and relied on PR/journalist contact, which worked because the product's imagery was itself a\nmarketing asset. Sources: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/hanging-in-limbo;\nhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/48000/LIMBO/."},{"path":"/games/inside/","rank":11,"slug":"inside","title":"INSIDE","urlSlug":"inside","value":"The hook was 'the next game from Playdead' plus a clean nightmare premise: hunted and alone, a boy enters a dark\nproject. That gave the game both brand trust and mystery, while avoiding plot-heavy marketing that would spoil the\nexperience. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/304430/INSIDE/; https://playdead.com/games/inside/."},{"path":"/games/ultimatechickenhorse/","rank":12,"slug":"ultimateChickenHorse","title":"Ultimate Chicken Horse","urlSlug":"ultimatechickenhorse","value":"Marketing/story hook: build the level together, but only win if you make it deadly enough for everyone else. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/386940/Ultimate_Chicken_Horse/; https://www.cleverendeavourgames.com/ultimate-chicken-horse."},{"path":"/games/lethalleagueblaze/","rank":13,"slug":"lethalLeagueBlaze","title":"Lethal League Blaze","urlSlug":"lethalleagueblaze","value":"Marketing/story hook: a fighting game where the ball is the attack and every rally gets more dangerous. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/553310/Lethal_League_Blaze/; https://team-reptile.com/lethal-league-blaze/."},{"path":"/games/planetoflana/","rank":14,"slug":"planetOfLana","title":"Planet of Lana","urlSlug":"planetoflana","value":"The hook is easy to communicate: a girl and her loyal creature companion cross a beautiful planet under machine\ninvasion. That relationship, plus Ghibli-like color in a genre dominated by darker Inside/Limbo references, gave the\ngame a softer and more marketable emotional entry point. Sources: https://www.planetoflana.com/;\nhttps://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/exploring-the-art-and-animation-behind-hand-painted-odyssey-i-planet-of-lana-i-;\nhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/1608230/Planet_of_Lana/."},{"path":"/games/killerqueenblack/","rank":15,"slug":"killerQueenBlack","title":"Killer Queen Black","urlSlug":"killerqueenblack","value":"Marketing/story hook: bring the cult arcade team sport home. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/663670/Killer_Queen_Black/; https://killerqueenblack.com/."},{"path":"/games/brawlhalla/","rank":16,"slug":"brawlhalla","title":"Brawlhalla","urlSlug":"brawlhalla","value":"Marketing/story hook: free Smash-like platform fighting with lots of characters and cross-platform friends. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/291550/Brawlhalla/; https://www.brawlhalla.com/."},{"path":"/games/amongus/","rank":17,"slug":"amongUs","title":"Among Us","urlSlug":"amongus","value":"Marketing/story hook: one of us is lying, and we have to figure out who before we all die. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/945360/Among_Us/; https://www.innersloth.com/games/among-us/."},{"path":"/games/repo/","rank":18,"slug":"repo","title":"R.E.P.O.","urlSlug":"repo","value":"Marketing/story hook: carry valuable physics junk very carefully while monsters make your friends scream. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3241660/REPO/; https://semiwork.se/."},{"path":"/games/peak/","rank":19,"slug":"peak","title":"PEAK","urlSlug":"peak","value":"Marketing/story hook: climb the mountain with friends, then watch everyone fall apart. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3527290/PEAK/; https://www.aggrocrab.com/."},{"path":"/games/mecchachameleon/","rank":20,"slug":"mecchaChameleon","title":"MECCHA CHAMELEON","urlSlug":"mecchachameleon","value":"Marketing/story hook: a chameleon paints itself to disappear in plain sight. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4704690/MECCHA_CHAMELEON/; https://store.steampowered.com/app/4704690/MECCHA_CHAMELEON/."},{"path":"/games/balatro/","rank":21,"slug":"balatro","title":"Balatro","urlSlug":"balatro","value":"Marketing/story hook: poker, but every joker can break the rules until the score explodes. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/; https://www.playbalatro.com/."},{"path":"/games/vampiresurvivors/","rank":22,"slug":"vampireSurvivors","title":"Vampire Survivors","urlSlug":"vampiresurvivors","value":"Marketing/story hook: move around while the game turns you into an unstoppable bullet storm. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794680/Vampire_Survivors/; https://poncle.games/vampire-survivors."},{"path":"/games/slaythespire/","rank":23,"slug":"slayTheSpire","title":"Slay the Spire","urlSlug":"slaythespire","value":"Marketing/story hook: climb a spire by drafting a deck that may become broken or doomed. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/646570/Slay_the_Spire/; https://www.megacrit.com/games/slay-the-spire."},{"path":"/games/hades/","rank":24,"slug":"hades","title":"Hades","urlSlug":"hades","value":"Marketing/story hook: escape the Greek underworld, die, and come home to more story. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145360/Hades/; https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/."},{"path":"/games/noita/","rank":25,"slug":"noita","title":"Noita","urlSlug":"noita","value":"Marketing/story hook: every pixel is simulated, so every spell can accidentally destroy the world or you. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/881100/Noita/; https://noitagame.com/."},{"path":"/games/laserleague/","rank":26,"slug":"laserLeague","title":"Laser League / Laser League: World Arena","urlSlug":"laserleague","value":"Marketing/story hook: Tron-like team sport where the lasers you activate become the battlefield. The hook works when a viewer can explain the clip to another person without learning the full rules first. Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/570460/Laser_League_World_Arena/; https://www.505games.com/games/laser-league/."}],"group":"market","kind":"dimension","label":"Marketing / story hook","paths":{"html":"/dimensions/marketingstoryhook/","json":"/dimensions/marketingstoryhook/index.json"},"presets":["business"],"rank":24,"schemaVersion":1,"slug":"marketingStoryHook","urlSlug":"marketingstoryhook"}