With the colossal amount of games submitted to this jam, it's so easy for your game to get buried. Because of this, I notice some jammers have difficulty getting to the minimum required amount of 20 ratings.
Well, I would like to share how I, a solo dev, with no online following, on my second Ludum Dare, got 50+ ratings in less than one week. (For comparison, my last LD game got 21 ratings in the full 20 day period.) It's not the biggest achievement, and most of these points may be obvious to some of you, but for the rest hopefully my experience will help you in the 10 days that's left for this jam, and in your future jams as well.
1. Rate, rate, rate!
The Smart Balance system works! I didn't care much about it on my previous (first) Ludum Dare, and combined with getting burnt out from two sleepless nights I couldn't rate many. And like I mentioned, I only got 21 ratings. This year is different. I'm sure Mike Kasprzak, our host, has been tweaking away at the balance systems, and it shows. My game shows up on the first page as soon as I rate more games than I get ratings.
Try to get in on it early as well; as a Compo-ist it was a lot harder to get your game up there once the Jam entries flooded in. That's why sleeping enough and getting less burnt out did way more wonders for my game than staying up all night. I was able to rate, rate, and rate!
Even if you wake up three days later, there's still time to get your game out there, via rating and commenting. I make a point to rate everyone that rates my game; it's the best way to assure people that their time is appreciated and get more ratings. And I don't mean giving a generic "Good game" comment. Put thought into it, mentions pros and cons, praise specific details (developers love it when little details they put in are noticed), point out the bugs, and give suggestions as to how they can improve their game. Constructive criticism is what all devs crave, and most of them will be thankful enough to rate your game back with the same constructiveness!
2. Make your game accessible
It's no coincidence that a large portion of previous LD jams' winners were games that can be played in browser. Of course, browser games aren't necessarily better, they're just more accessible.
It goes without saying that if it takes more than 2 or 3 steps to get to playing your game, your game won't be played at all. I don't remember how many times I see a game that looks really interesting but can't play it because it's Windows only and I can't get to a Windows rig soon enough for it to matter.
Your game doesn't have to be browser-based to be accessible. My game doesn't have browser support (:cry:), but I made up for it by porting to all 3 major OS: Windows, Mac and Linux. If you're making a game in Unity for example, it's not much extra effort but yields a lot of result. Plus, porting is something that can generally be done after the deadline without being frowned upon as much as fixing bugs or adding content. Many devs are on Mac or Linux, so if something that takes you a few extra minutes can give your game even just one more rating, why not do it?
2.5. Make your game straight to the point
A bonus point: Make your core game visible on the surface. Make it so I have to press at most one or two buttons to start the actual gameplay. Design it so the gameplay is obvious to the average gamer, if not, give comprehensive explanation of the controls and objectives in the form of tutorials, or if you're strapped for time, put it in as game text / descriptions. Players aren't stupid for failing to figure your game out. They'll say your game is confusing, and I'll have to agree.
That leads us to the very related and pertinent point...
3. Make your game marketable
I know, I know, as a developer I also just want to make good games and not have to go into networking or marketing. But the truth is, gameplay alone won't sell your game.
Spend time making a nice clean cover art. Extra points for good looking art, but it's not necessary. It just has to be readable. A jumbled mess of a cover image doesn't just reflect badly on your game, players's eyes will automatically skip your game for the next black cover with readable white font.
Which one will you play first?
(Look, I'm not saying minimalism is the way to do it, and personal preference matters too. I'd hate to see every game with white text and black background. I'm saying generally graphic design helps in marketing, and you should do your own research in that field, especially if you want to become an indie gamedev.)
In your description (and blogposts), make a point to add images and gifs. Bonus point for interesting gameplay snippets. Most players don't have time to read everything, and you have a minimal window to get a hold on their attention. That's what I've been doing with this post, and it must be working since you have read this far.
Give your game a catchy tagline, and make it somewhat accurate. "Faster Than Light meets Farmville!" guarantees fans of those games will be interested, but also sets expectations. "No one has gotten to Level 3 in my game!" triggers player's competitiveness. Choose your tagline wisely, and don't just submit a one-line post that says "Play my game please I'm desperate". (See also point 5: Be proud.)
4. Get streamers on it
'But Gastric,' you say, 'my game is hard to market and you must play it to get it!' Well, you're in luck. Streamers and Let's Play-ers are there to help you sell that gameplay. Streamers often promote themselves on the LDJam front page with a link to submit your game and a time. You can't catch them all, but you sure as hell should try. My friend (who also joined Compo) and I, we share streamers' links with each other and it helps a lot. You'll get that extra attention from a pre-established community. Some of them will come play your game, and the extra hype from seeing a streamer play it will make it better to them as well. (Also, be there when the streamer plays your game, or they may skip it.)
Credit: Game Dev Underground (Tim Ruswick)
When there, just be yourself, and be helpful to the player. Spend a little time to interact with people in the community. The game is an extension of yourself, so be nice and proud. Which leads us to...
5. Be proud!
So you finished a game, and it wasn't what you intended. You think it's a mess, it's full of bugs and it looks like a Picasso painting splashed with acid. So what? It's something you made in two or three days, which is a legitimate achievement, and you should be proud. Don't act like you failed. It may gain you some pity points, but also make sure people stop taking you seriously. Who knows, some people would have liked your game if you didn't drive them away by sulking. Say you tried your best and you had fun, because that's the point of Ludum Dare! And come back next time with an even more fiery desire. The LD community is always welcoming.
If you find this helpful, you could show me some love by playing my game. I hope I've been helpful. Best of luck with your entry!
Working on update for my ldjam entry https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/41/sword-step And i'm very interested in some feedback about it and some stars maybe =)
And of course, if you want to see my LD41 entry, you can find it 
The second act takes place in a forest
Answer "Not at all" and she'll reply something nice almost instantly, while "Yes" will start a 15 seconds long awkward silence
Which one will you play first?
Credit: Game Dev Underground (Tim Ruswick)
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