So if a game gets stuck on the review queue longer than usual (not dev's fault) you're in for bad luck, and window of opportunity to show at top of newest games is gone for good. Thanks for the explanation.
Not necessarily. You can also try to make a devlog marked Major Update or Launch at the first opportunity. You should also advertise your game outside itch.io anyway. And the official social media accounts will often boost a good-looking game if you ping them.