Tiktok’s significant role in The Exit 8’s viral success cannot be overlooked. In today’s fiercely competitive gaming market, simply creating a good game is no longer sufficient.
Every game must find a way to differentiate itself and attract attention amidst a sea of other exceptional games. This has led many to leverage social media for virality, with platforms such as Twitch and YouTube playing instrumental roles in propelling games like QWOP, Dark Souls, Undertale, Untitled Goose Game, and Helldivers 2 to success, largely due to their meme-worthy nature.
Over the past few years, TikTok has emerged as a pivotal hub for online culture, prompting game marketers to scramble to find ways to showcase their games in a manner that resonates with the TikTok generation. Ben Maltz-Jones, the creative content director at Larian, achieved significant success with Baldur’s Gate 3 by capitalizing on popular TikTok trends.
Similarly, games such as Lethal Company, Only Up, and My Singing Monsters have reaped the benefits of TikTok virality. However, it is The Exit 8, a micro-horror game, that owes a major portion of its success to TikTok.
The platform’s potential outlawing could have a profound impact on the gaming medium. The Exit 8 encompasses the characteristics of numerous grassroots micro-horror games found on Itch.io – minimal budget, familiar assets, lack of a narrative, and short completion time.
Players navigate silently through underground environments in search of Exit 8, encountering subtle anomalies along the way. What sets The Exit 8 apart is its perfect alignment with TikTok’s essence.
Its straightforward premise, brief gameplay loop, and ability to immediately captivate through its liminal spaces have contributed to the game’s impressive performance in TikTok videos. Notably, The Exit 8’s speedrunning community has also garnered attention on TikTok, with the current speedrun record of one minute and nine seconds – an ideal duration for TikTok content.
The game has amassed tens of millions of views, paving the way for a forthcoming launch on the Nintendo Switch. It is challenging to envision a game like The Exit 8 breaking free from Itch.io’s confines without the aid of TikTok.
As a result, developers are likely to take note of its success and seek ways to make their games more TikTok-friendly.
