This guide helps you approach content creators — YouTubers, streamers, game reviewers, magazine writers, and anyone else with an audience — to cover your game project. Learn how to find the right people, craft the perfect pitch email, and maximize your chances of getting coverage — all while respecting their time and making the process as frictionless as possible.
The Golden Rule: Busy content creators appreciate emails that are ultra-concise, visually clear, and require minimal effort to evaluate. Your goal is to make it effortless for them to decide if they want to cover your game.
Not all content creators are right for your game. The key is finding people whose content and audience naturally align with what you've built — whether they're YouTubers, Twitch streamers, game journalists, magazine reviewers, or critics.
Track potential content creators with columns for:
This helps you stay organized, avoid duplicate outreach, and prepare for mass sending.
What NOT to Do:
This template is based on what busy content creators have explicitly said they appreciate: ultra-short, visual, and frictionless. It works for YouTubers, streamers, game reviewers, journalists, and anyone else who covers games.
Philosophy: Every element serves a purpose. Remove anything that doesn't directly help them decide if they want to cover your game. Respect their time by making evaluation effortless.
Subject: [Your Game Title] — [One Word Genre] Game
Hi [Name/Channel Name],
I'm [Your Name], dev of [Game Title]. Thought it might fit your channel. Free key below if you want to check it out.
---
[GAME TITLE]
[One paragraph description: What is it? What makes it interesting? What's the core hook?]
Gameplay GIF: [link to hosted animated GIF]
Steam Key: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
(or Download: [link] | Steam Page: [link])
Screenshot 1 (Gameplay): [link]
Screenshot 2 (UI/Menu): [link]
Youtube Video: [link]
Store Page: [link]
Quick Details:
• Price: [amount or "Free"]
• Release Date: [date as DD.MM.YYYY]
• Status: ["Full Release", "Early Access", "Alpha version" or "Beta version"]
• Platforms: [PC/Mac/Linux/Console/Mobile/Tablet/VR]
• Genre: [genre tags]
• Players: [Singleplayer / Multiplayer (Co-op/Collab/PvP/PvE/Async)]
• Controls: [Keyboard+Mouse / Gamepad / Touch / VR Control / Other]
• Playtime: [~5 hours / 20+ hours / Endless / Session-based (~30 min per run)] (optional)
• Languages: [English / English + Spanish + French / etc.] (optional)
• Content Warnings: [Violence / Gore / Mature Themes / Flashing Lights / etc.] (optional)
• Accessibility: [Subtitles / Colorblind modes / Remappable controls / etc.] (optional)
(Note: Only include Quick Details that are relevant to your game — don't force unnecessary items)
About: [1 paragraph about you as the developer and the project's origin/inspiration, plus info about who is publisher]
(Example: "I'm a solo developer from Portland who spent 2 years building this as a love letter to classic puzzle games. Publishing with TinyBuild or Self-published.")
---
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Optional: Twitter/Website link/Other]Plain text emails work great, but HTML emails let you add visual polish that makes your game instantly more appealing. Instead of coding HTML manually, let AI do the work for you.
The Workflow: Prepare your content once, use an AI prompt to generate formatted HTML, then mass send to your curated list. Simple and efficient.
First, upload your images to an image hosting service so they can be embedded in emails:
Create a small text file (email-prep.txt) and paste your image links:
GIF: https://i.postimg.cc/xxxxx/gameplay.gif
Screenshot A (Gameplay): https://i.postimg.cc/xxxxx/screenshot1.png
Screenshot B (UI/Menu): https://i.postimg.cc/xxxxx/screenshot2.pngIn the same email-prep.txt file, copy the plain text email template from above and fill it out with your game's details. Replace all the [bracketed placeholders] with your actual information.
Optional: You can use AI to help fill this out too. Just provide the template plus your game design docs/context and ask it to complete the template.
Fill out the following email template using the project context and documents I'm providing below.
TEMPLATE TO FILL OUT:
---
[Paste the plain text email template here]
---
PROJECT CONTEXT:
[Paste your game design docs, pitch document, or any relevant context about your project here]
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with accurate information from the project context
- Keep the tone authentic and concise
- Only include Quick Details that are relevant (don't force unnecessary items)
- Make the description paragraph compelling but brief (3-5 sentences max)
- Keep the "About" paragraph to 1-2 sentencesNow use this AI prompt to convert your filled-out template into a beautiful HTML email. Copy the entire prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI assistant:
Convert the following plain text game pitch email into a professional HTML email with inline styles.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Use inline CSS styles (no external stylesheets or classes)
- Embed images directly using <img> tags with the provided URLs
- Images should be visible immediately when the email opens (no attachments)
- Clean, scannable visual hierarchy
- Mobile-responsive (max-width: 600px)
- Color scheme adapted to match the game's theme (use [PRIMARY_COLOR] below)
- Professional but not corporate — keep it authentic and indie-friendly
PRIMARY COLOR FOR EMAIL STYLING:
[Specify a hex color that matches your game's theme, e.g., #2c5aa0 for blue, #8b2c2c for dark red, #4ecdc4 for cyan, etc.]
PLAIN TEXT EMAIL TO CONVERT:
---
[Paste your filled-out plain text template here]
---
OUTPUT:
Provide the complete HTML email code that I can copy and paste directly into my email client's HTML composer.Once the AI generates the HTML:
Once you've verified the email looks perfect, it's time to send it to your curated list of content creators:
Important: Even when mass sending, the email should look personal and targeted. Use mail merge to at least personalize their name in the greeting.
Pick one primary color that matches your game's mood and visual theme. Here are some examples:
#5a2c5a, #8b2c2c)#ff6b6b, #ff9f1c, #4ecdc4)#6c757d, #495057, #8d99ae)#00d4ff, #0084ff, #00ffff)#6a994e, #f77f00, #d4a574)#a8652c, #5a5a5a, #7a6a55)#9d84b7, #6b8cae, #a5b3c7)#d62828, #f77f00, #c1121f)Before mass sending, verify:
If a creator covers your game and seems genuinely interested, you've started a relationship. When your next project launches, they'll be more likely to cover it. But don't abuse this — only reach out when you have something truly worth their time.
Bad: "Hi! I've been a fan of your channel for 5 years and I remember when you played [game] back in 2019 and it was so funny when you did [thing]. Anyway, I've been working on this game for 3 years and it's been such a journey. I started during the pandemic and had to learn coding from scratch..."
Why it fails: They don't have time to read your life story. Get to the point.
Bad: "Please please please cover my game! I've worked so hard and really need your help. I've sent this to 50 other YouTubers and nobody has responded. This would mean the world to me!"
Why it fails: Desperation is a turnoff. You're offering content, not begging for charity.
Bad: "Hey, I made a cool game. Want to check it out? Let me know and I'll send you a key."
Why it fails: No details, no images, no key. They have to reply just to learn what your game even is.
Bad: [Email with 6 image attachments, a PDF press kit, and a zip file of assets]
Why it fails: Attachments trigger spam filters and require downloading. Host images online and link them.
Bad: "Let me know by Friday if you're interested so I can send keys to other YouTubers."
Why it fails: You're adding pressure and creating artificial urgency. Keys don't expire. Let them decide on their own timeline.
Bad: "Dear Content Creator, We are reaching out to select influencers..." or visible CC'd email addresses
Why it fails: Shows you didn't personalize it at all. They know they're one of hundreds.
Before mass sending, verify:
The best outreach emails are effortless to evaluate. Content creators are busy people who appreciate clarity, brevity, and respect for their time. Give them everything they need to make a decision in 30 seconds, then step back and let them do their thing.
If your game is a good fit for their audience, they'll cover it. If not, move on to the next creator. There's an audience out there for every game — your job is to find the right people and make it easy for them to say yes.