Review Request Email Templates

     Getting reviews is endlessly important, but you need to contact people to get them to see your stuff. Even when you do there's only a 1% chance they'll even notice you unless you have something mind-blowing to show off. When requesting reviews it's important to provide all the info reviewers would need, along with some spare download codes if necessary. Instead of giving friends & family freebies, this is where your free copies should be given out.

     I follow a basic structure just barely under the character limit. I try to keep it polite, humble, and easy to read. I'm  no gaming giant so I assume my emails merit an eye-roll when someone first sees my request. I really am just some kid submitting one out of a thousand apps that day. Someone has to sift through all those emails and I want mine to leave a good impression. Take a look at what I send out to people. It might give you a starting point or something to compare with.

     I'm no expert on landing reviews, it mostly comes down to your game being more interesting than everything else. This is just what I'm using to get started. You can compare what I write to your own or use my templates as a place to grow from.

Here is a basic example of a review request message. I used this for Candy Shop Catch.

********************************

Review Request

App Review Request: Candy Shop Catch

Dear ??? of ???,

I am Anthony Pendley, a college student and author of the yotesgames.com game development blog. I'm trying to build up the skill and reputation needed to make my dream game for mobile devices. Candy Shop Catch is the third game I've made so far.

It's a fast-paced arcade game where you catch falling candy in a bowl while avoiding the rotten ones. The candy falls faster over time and you’ll find yourself in a trance trying to keep up with the frenzied pace.

You have 60 seconds to get the highest score possible but can almost infinitely extend the time by catching candy quickly and building up a score multiplier.

It's a free game for Android devices and you can find it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yotesgames.candyshopcatch

I hope you'll consider my app for review on your site.

Thank you for your time,

Anthony Pendley

********************************

With some places, you'll have to write about why they should care about your app. Here's what I did for Candy Shop Catch. You'll notice that it's just a shorter version of the review request.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Why Should We Care?

I am Anthony Pendley, a college student and author of the yotesgames.com game development blog. I'm trying to build up the skill and reputation needed to make my dream game for mobile devices. Candy Shop Catch is the third game I've made so far.

It's a fast-paced arcade game where you catch falling candy in a bowl while avoiding the rotten ones. The candy falls faster over time and you’ll find yourself in a trance trying to keep up with the frenzied pace.

I hope you'll consider my app for review on your site.

_______________________________________________________________________________

For a full example of an email with all the important points the reviewers want, I made this press kit email for TriGrid and sent it out to the sites that only accept email requests.

Dear ??? of ???,

I am Anthony Pendley, a college student and author of the yotesgames.com game development blog. I'm trying to build up the skill and reputation needed to make my dream game for mobile devices. TriGrid is the second game I've ever made.

It's an action puzzle game where you guide a white arrow through a maze to pierce colored triangles from behind to make them explode.

There is an endless Evolution mode with a layout that changes randomly, a Survival mode where you ward off waves of enemies, a Challenge mode where you have to clear all triangles within a time limit, and a Shooter mode where you can blast triangles from a distance!

It's a free game for iOS and Android devices and you can find it here:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/trigrid/id715405778

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yotesgames.trigrid

Gameplay footage is also available on YouTube.

*****************************************************************

Description:

Hunt down neon triangles in a small maze while avoiding ones that are hunting you!

     TriGrid is an action puzzle game where you guide a white arrow through a grid to pierce colored triangles from behind to make them explode. The white arrow explodes if it touches a triangle's colored side.

Challenge - Defeat enemies quickly and light up dark squares to earn power cells that unlock new game modes!

Evolution - Play an endless game on a randomly changing map with whatever enemies you like!

Survival - Avoid being blown up by the growing number of triangles by constantly popping new ones that spawn!

Shooter - Blast swarms of triangles from a distance in this action-packed game mode!

    Set records in the Challenge, Survival, and Shooter modes to prove how much better you are than anyone else. Victory doesn't come easy in this chaotic arcade game and quick but careful thinking is the only way to overcome the deadly neon triangles.

Can you outsmart and outmaneuver a bunch of triangles that want you to explode?

*****************************************************************

I hope you'll consider my app for review on your site.

Thank you for your time,

Anthony Pendley