When you see one of those projects on the front page, you think: “Man, I wish my projects were as popular as that!”
Today, I will be giving you a step-by-step guide on how to make a popular project!

Phase 1 - Making the Project
If you want your project to be popular, you should put a lot of effort into it. Here is how:

1. Start with an idea - What should your project be? Here are some common trends that appear on the front page often:
-Platformers
-Games that are similar to mobile games
-Other games
-Animations
-Memes (where a character, usually an animal, bops to music)
-Easily remixable projects
-Unique projects
-Other High-effort projects
-Projects under the current SDS (easiest way to get a popular project)
Of course, your project can still become popular even if it doesn't fit any of the above criteria.

2. Spend lots of time on the project! - The best projects aren't (usually) made overnight, so spend lots of time on it! It's recommended to make your own sprites instead of using the ones from the library. Try to spend some time polishing it (making it look better).
There are plenty of drawing tutorials out there on this website, feel free to use them!

3. Make an appealing thumbnail - The thumbnail is the first thing scratchers will see about your project, and first impressions really count! Take some time to make the thumbnail look really good and reflect the project itself.

Phase 2 - Getting Attention
So you've shared your project. Now what? Here is what you can do:

1. Advertise, advertise, advertise! Here is the list of places you can and can not advertise your project:
Can:
-“Add/invite everyone”, “Can we get to ___ managers/projects/curators?”, Unnoticed Scratchers/Projects, and advertising studios.
-Studios that fit the theme of your project
-Your forum signature
-The Show and Tell forum
-Your own stuff (profile, your own studios/projects)
Can not:
-Other people's profiles and projects (without permission of course)
-Studios that do not fit the theme of the project

2. Ask for your project to get curated! - The easiest way to get a project popular is to get it curated! The best time to ask to do this is a Monday/Tuesday, with the newest accepted FPC. Go here to see the future FPCs.

3. Listen to feedback - Listen to feedback to make your project more popular!
————————————————————————————————————————
Of course, even with all this, it's not guaranteed that your project will become popular. But don't get discouraged, keep trying! One day, you'll finally see that project of yours on the front page, with hundreds of messages waiting to be read.

Get creative!

Guides are not allowed on the forums at the moment as there is to many and no more need to be curated. Please read this stickie for more information

dertermenter wrote:

Guides are not allowed on the forums at the moment as there is to many and no more need to be curated. Please read this stickie for more information

I just wanted this so I could put a useful guide in the signature, and I figured this was a good place to put it as many new scratchers will want to be popular.

Yellowsheep43 wrote:

dertermenter wrote:

Guides are not allowed on the forums at the moment as there is to many and no more need to be curated. Please read this stickie for more information

I just wanted this so I could put a useful guide in the signature, and I figured this was a good place to put it as many new scratchers will want to be popular.

But guides aren't allowed. However, project forum guides are allowed so if you wanted to make this into a project and put the link to it in your signature, feel free!