By Editorial Staff
December 20, 2021
In a move that has sent ripples through the independent gaming community, The Indie Game Website (TIGW) announced on Monday that it will be entering an indefinite hiatus. The publication, which has served as a critical bastion for underrepresented developers and small-scale studios since its inception in 2017, will cease active operations later this week. While the digital archive of the site will remain live, the cessation of new content marks the end of a significant chapter in indie game journalism.
The Genesis of a Digital Champion
When Lewis Denby, Managing Director of the marketing agency Game If You Are Ltd, launched The Indie Game Website in 2017, the gaming media landscape looked markedly different. At the time, the industry was grappling with a growing "discoverability crisis." As the digital storefronts of Steam and other platforms became increasingly saturated with low-budget projects, the ability for a solo developer or a small team to gain traction became exponentially more difficult.
Denby and his team, deeply embedded in the indie ecosystem, identified a specific vacuum in the media landscape: the lack of dedicated, editorial-driven coverage for developers who did not have the marketing budget to compete with major AAA publishers or even mid-tier indie darlings.
"We did so for one key reason," Denby wrote in his farewell statement. "As indie game fanatics, we were frustrated by what we perceived as an increasing dearth of opportunities for indie developers of all walks of life to gain visibility."
The site was never intended to be a profit-generating juggernaut. Instead, it operated as a loss-leader for the parent company, Game If You Are. It functioned as an editorial project where writers could spotlight niche titles, avant-garde experiments, and international projects that often failed to make the cut in larger, more commercially driven gaming publications.
A Chronology of Editorial Stewardship
Over its four-year tenure, The Indie Game Website maintained a high standard of editorial integrity, overseen by a rotating cast of industry veterans. The site’s editorial direction passed through several hands, each bringing a unique philosophy to the coverage:
- 2017–2018 (The Founding Era): Under initial direction, the site established its footprint, focusing on bridging the gap between unknown developers and a wider gaming audience.
- 2018–2020 (The Expansion): Subsequent editors, including Jon and Jason, expanded the site’s reach, moving beyond simple review-based journalism into deeper dives, cultural critiques, and long-form features that analyzed the socio-political aspects of game design.
- 2020–2021 (The Diversification): Under the guidance of Khee Hoon and later, a return to Jason’s leadership, the site pivoted toward amplifying marginalized and minoritized voices within the industry. This era focused heavily on developers outside of the traditional English-speaking core, providing a platform for global talent that often struggles to break through Western-centric news cycles.
The result was an extensive library of content that introduced many readers to titles they might have otherwise ignored. By eschewing the "hype cycle" that dominates mainstream gaming outlets, the writers at TIGW were able to foster a community of discovery.
The Economics of Advocacy: Why the Site is Closing
The decision to shutter the site is rooted in a fundamental shift in the parent company’s strategic priorities. TIGW was never a profitable entity, a fact the leadership was transparent about from the beginning.
"The Indie Game Website has always run at a loss—but we were okay with that," Denby explained. "However, as the year has progressed, we have often found ourselves returning to one central question: how can we best shine a spotlight on indie developers who would normally struggle to cut through the noise?"
This question suggests that the traditional model of an editorial website may no longer be the most efficient or effective way to provide the support that the indie community needs in the current market. The modern media landscape is increasingly fragmented, with social media algorithms and influencer marketing often dwarfing the impact of traditional written journalism.
The parent company, Game If You Are, has reached a crossroads. To continue funding a loss-making website is a finite endeavor; to pivot those funds toward new, perhaps more direct methods of supporting underrepresented developers, is a strategic imperative. The "hiatus" is a recognition that the capital, time, and human resources invested in the site could potentially yield a greater positive impact if redirected elsewhere.
Implications for Indie Media and Marginalized Voices
The departure of TIGW from the active publishing space leaves a tangible void. In an industry where "indie" is often a marketing term rather than a descriptor of production scale, TIGW stood out for its commitment to the truly independent.
The Loss of Institutional Memory
With the site moving into hibernation, the industry loses a dedicated watchdog for small-scale development. Many of the games covered by the site were not featured elsewhere, meaning that the historical record of these small, experimental titles is now effectively "frozen" in time.
The Evolution of Advocacy
However, the implications are not entirely negative. Denby’s announcement hints at a broader, more ambitious plan for 2022. The focus on "investing in supporting marginalized and minoritized indie developers" suggests that the team behind TIGW is evolving from an editorial role to a more proactive, perhaps incubator-style or resource-based role.
The industry should watch the progress of Game If You Are closely in the coming year. If their new initiatives successfully leverage the knowledge and connections built over the last four years to create tangible opportunities—such as funding, distribution assistance, or mentorship—the shift away from journalism may ultimately be a net gain for the very developers they sought to champion.
Official Stance and Future Outlook
In his final address to the readership, Lewis Denby remained resolute yet sentimental. He expressed profound gratitude to the freelance writers who served as the backbone of the publication, noting that their diverse perspectives were the engine that kept the site relevant and engaging.
"I am overwhelmed by the achievements of all of The Indie Game Website’s editors—how they have striven to expand the site’s remit, amplifying important voices—both of people making games, and of people writing about them," Denby wrote.
Crucially, the site is not being deleted. The archives will remain accessible, serving as a permanent record of the indie landscape during a critical period of its evolution. By keeping the site live, the team ensures that the work of the developers and the critics remains part of the public discourse.
Furthermore, the language used—"hibernation" rather than "closure"—suggests that the door has not been permanently shut. Should the economic or media landscape shift in a way that makes a dedicated indie-focused publication viable again, or should the company find a new model to sustain it, a resurrection remains a possibility.
Conclusion: A Bittersweet Transition
The Indie Game Website’s hiatus is a microcosm of the challenges facing digital journalism today. High-quality, niche-focused, and independent editorial work is expensive to maintain, and in a climate where attention is the most valuable currency, even the most passionate projects face the reality of limited resources.
However, as the site enters its quiet phase, it leaves behind a legacy of integrity and a clear blueprint for how to support the "little guys" in an industry that too often favors the giants. For the writers, readers, and developers who found a home at TIGW, the finality of this week is a loss. But for the broader indie movement, the evolution of the team behind it—from journalists to potential advocates—is a development worth anticipating with cautious optimism.
As Denby concluded, "It’s bittersweet. I am excited about the future, and some of the plans we have in place for 2022… Watch this space."
