there is a pretty "easy" way for a higher chance of success. all you need is a game that has a very high quality in one category.
doesnt matter if its the storyline, the gameplay, the genre. it just needs something really special.
if the game has something like that, you can find a big streamer on Twitch or Youtube who will check it out for sure.
there is a very new example - the game Outward released by Deep Silver just one week ago.
this game was a failed Kickstarter project. Deep Silver came on board after that and funded the game.
Outward is a super small indie survival RPG made by TEN people. its a super oldschool RPG with no help mechanics.
by the time of the release the developer had the OK from Deep Silver to provide review codes for
streamers on Twitch and Youtube.
the very first Steam reviews from normal buyers were like "meh" / "okayish", i think the score was something like 55%.
but then the content creators on Twitch and Youtube who have a special interest in the genre started with their content.
a guy called ESO made review and tipps videos which have hundred thousands of clicks
and a guy on Twitch called Cohh did like five live streams 5 hours each day with 20.000 people watching
and because the guys on Youtube and Twitch really really liked the game, you could easily see
that it made the people in the comments and in the chat curious. when a big streamer plays an indie game for 4 hours a day and enjoys it more than a AAA game - its the best promotion you can get.
and suddenly the Steam reviews became way more positive. right now the score is at 75% with 1600 reviews.
again, this is just a indie game made by 10 people.
Twitch and Youtube can make a huuuuuge difference if you provide free copies for the right people.
a positive and serious recommendation from a streamer who people trust
has way more value than any 3 minute trailer.