The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou #35 - Greg Lee: The Baby in Yellow: How an Indie Game Hit 300M Downloads Without a Marketing Budget
Jul 7, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Greg Lee, co-founder of Team Terrible, reveals how his indie game, The Baby in Yellow, skyrocketed to over 300 million downloads without any marketing budget. He shares insights on leveraging content creators and viral design to drive organic growth. Greg emphasizes the importance of community engagement, and how player experiences fueled word-of-mouth success. Additionally, he offers invaluable advice for aspiring indie developers on building a passionate fanbase while maintaining creativity and innovation.
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Accidental Viral Success from Game Jam
- Greg Lee shared how a mistaken game jam upload led to viral traction through early content creators playing the game.
- Smaller YouTubers helped spread the game widely before they realized its potential on mobile platforms.
Distribution Trumps Monetization Initially
- Greg Lee emphasized prioritizing distribution over short-term monetization to maximize virality.
- They kept the PC game free to maintain content creator interest and funnel players to the monetized mobile version.
Design for Minimal Player Friction
- The game’s virality was driven by ease of access and minimal friction for players and content creators.
- Simplified menus and free downloads removed barriers to playing and sharing the game.
