Let's be real here, heavy clickbait is the only way to be "noticed". Nothing to do with the quality of a game, there's plently of bad games that get extremely popular simply because they're clickbaitable. However those games die out rather quickly, clickbait attracts an audience and quality keeps an audience. The games that get popular always make use of things like buzzwords and well known ideas and topics, like being "inspired by another game". Clones of games and concepts tend to take off more than unique ones now but that's likely because that is all that's ever done now. Especially on here, you're only going to get popular right away if you make some average clickbaity horror game. The people making unique games already have a following, so they're able to do so. It's unfortunate but the only real way to be noticed right away to follow clickbaity trends.
Viewing post in Why aren't I getting noticed?
He says your game thumbnails are not clickbaitenticing ;-)
---
Hmm. Cant reply to the post above.
I believe this clickbait thing is less true for itch and more true for youtube.
It might be true for the casual gamers flocking here from some youtube videos with those thumbnails with big open eyes and shocked expression of the youtuber.
I played this game for 5 minutes and this is what happened...
Nahh, I have hopes that gamers are more resilient against clickbait. And I have not yet the impression that developers try to use clickbait. But maybe I am browsing for the wrong type of games. If this is a thing for horror games, maybe it is limited to such baity games. Usually I browse for interesting tags or related games. The thumbnail is some kind of mini trailer, and if this would spell clickbait, it typically would not be interesting, as a game. I expect a glimpse of the art style, the general setting of the game, some clues what this is or is not. Clickbait would send all the wrong signals.
Still referring to the popular section, the question was about getting attention or at least being noticed, not success. I said keeping an audience was about quality and would lead to success, but reading the question that was asked I didn't the topic of success being brought up. So I assumed it wasn't part of the question.