PC, Console or Mobile Players: How to Pick Subreddits by Platform
To pick subreddits for a game by platform, start with communities tied to where your players play (PC, console or mobile), add genre communities and communities for games like yours, check that each one is targetable and the right size, then group them by theme into separate ad groups. Big general gaming communities can work, but the platform-specific ones are usually the best bet.
Why does platform matter for game ads?
Gamers come in different shapes and forms. PC players might not own a PS5 or an Xbox, and the other way around, and mobile players are a different group again. A community for the wrong platform wastes impressions on people who can't play your game.
How do you build the list?
Start with platform communities: where PC, console or mobile players talk.
Add genre communities: the genres your game belongs to.
Add communities for games like yours, where players already talk about similar titles.
Use our free subreddit finder: type the phrases your players would use, and you should get 10 to 50 subreddits.
Check that each community is targetable. Reddit has about 1.1 million subreddits, and only about 143,000 can be targeted.
Group the list by theme, and give each theme its own ad group.
Should you target big or small communities?
Huge general gaming communities reach many people, but they're less precise.
Very small communities are precise, but they can't absorb a budget.
Mix them: a few large communities for reach, and several mid-size, specific ones for fit.
Big general communities like r/pcmasterrace can work, and there are plenty of indie game communities too. The best bet is communities tied to your platform.
What changes by platform?
PC and Steam: you can't install the Reddit Pixel on a Steam page, so use awareness campaigns, UTM links and Steam wishlists. See step-by-step guide to advertising a Steam game on Reddit.
Console: target console-specific communities, and keep your message clear about which console it's for.
Mobile: use app promotion with a mobile measurement partner. See Reddit campaign objectives.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Targeting only the biggest general gaming communities
Ignoring the platform and showing console ads to PC players
Choosing communities that can't be targeted, and finding out the night before launch
Putting every community in one ad group, so you can't see which ones work
How do you test the list?
Run one ad group per theme, with its own UTM.
Give each ad group about 14 days.
Compare themes using UTM visits and your wishlists or installs.
Keep the themes that work, and replace the ones that don't.
Reddit game ads and subreddits: FAQ
How do you find subreddits for game ads?
Use our free subreddit finder: type the phrases your players would use, and you should get a list of 10 to 50 subreddits.
Should you target PC and console players separately?
Yes. Use platform-specific communities and keep each platform in its own ad group.
How many subreddits can you target on Reddit?
About 143,000 of Reddit's roughly 1.1 million subreddits.
Are big gaming subreddits good for game ads?
They can work, but platform-specific and genre communities are usually the better bet.
How do you track results for a Steam game?
Use awareness campaigns, UTM links and Steam wishlists, because the Reddit Pixel doesn't work on Steam pages.
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About the author
Written by Dāvis Lejnieks, CEO of Undecided Agency and a Redditor for 15+ years. He plans and runs Reddit ad campaigns for DTC, gaming and app brands, and shares what the data shows here.
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