DEMO PERFORMANCE TRACKER
Grade your demo or Next Fest performance against 2026 indie benchmarks. Get a graded readout on conversion, wishlist uplift, and review reception, plus specific recommendations on what to fix next.
Your demo / Next Fest numbers
Total unique downloads / Steam installs of the demo
Wishlist count the day before demo/Next Fest started
Wishlist count 7 days after event ended
Steam reviews + Discord/forum feedback if tracked
Reviews you'd classify as positive (count by hand if needed)
How your demo performed
What to do next
- 1Strong review reception. Capture positive review quotes (with author permission) and add them to your Steam page's review block. Free credibility.
- 2Conversion this strong means your demo is doing the heavy lifting. Apply this learning back to your launch trailer and Steam page — what's hooking demo players should hook page visitors too.
Why these three metrics
Demo → Wishlist conversion tells you whether your demo is doing what a demo is supposed to do: turn curiosity into commitment. Below 10% almost always means a first-60-seconds problem. Above 30% means you have a hook that's working, repeat the formula.
Wishlist uplift measures the visibility boost from the event itself. A great demo with poor Steam page visibility will underperform; an OK demo with a viral moment can spike 300%+. This is the metric most affected by your trailer, capsule, and community building outside the demo.
Review score is your honest feedback signal. Demo reviews are harsher than full-game reviews on average (since players aren't invested yet). Anything above 80% is launch-ready territory; below 70% means there's a fundamental friction the demo is exposing.
These metrics ignore second-order effects: streamers covering your demo, press writing about it, paid acquisition during the event. Real launches integrate all of these, use this tracker as a starting diagnostic, not the full picture.
Want help running your next Next Fest?
Mad Octopus has run dozens of Next Fest campaigns for indie devs. We coordinate the demo timing, livestreams, asset push, and influencer outreach so you can focus on the build.