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 December 20, 2021, that it will be entering an indefinite hiatus. The publication, which has served as a vital lighthouse for solo developers and small studios since its inception in 2017, will cease active operations later this week. While the site’s vast archive of reviews, features, and deep dives will remain accessible online, the editorial pulse of the platform is being silenced to make way for a strategic pivot by its parent organization, Game If You Are Ltd.
The Genesis of a Vision: A Retrospective
The story of The Indie Game Website began in 2017, born out of a palpable frustration within the industry. Managing Director Lewis Denby and his team recognized a systemic flaw in the media landscape: the difficulty independent developers faced in capturing mainstream attention.
In an era where the “triple-A” market dominated headlines and advertising budgets, indie creators—particularly those outside the traditional English-speaking hubs of North America and Western Europe—were being relegated to the periphery. The platform was established not as a profit-driven venture, but as a labor of love. It was designed to function as an editorial sanctuary, unburdened by the fiscal pressures that often dictate what games receive coverage in larger outlets.
Over the years, the site fostered a diverse editorial culture. Under the stewardship of various editors-in-chief—including Neil, Jon, Jason, and Khee Hoon—the site became known for its idiosyncratic voice and its commitment to highlighting titles that might otherwise have languished in obscurity.
A Chronology of Editorial Stewardship
The evolution of the site is marked by the distinct visions of those who led its editorial desk. Each transition represented a shift in tone, but the core mission remained constant: to amplify voices that were often drowned out by industry noise.
- 2017: The Indie Game Website is launched by Game If You Are, established to provide a platform for indie games that lacked traditional marketing visibility.
- 2018–2019: The site solidifies its reputation as a champion of experimental and niche indie titles, expanding its freelance roster to include international perspectives.
- 2020: Despite the global challenges of the pandemic, TIGW continues to operate as a loss-leading project, subsidized by the parent agency to ensure its editorial independence remains intact.
- 2021: Internal discussions regarding the sustainability of the project reach a breaking point. Leadership pivots from maintaining a general-interest indie site to seeking more direct methods of supporting marginalized developers.
- December 20, 2021: Official announcement of the hiatus.
Financial Realities and the Cost of Advocacy
The closure of The Indie Game Website brings to the forefront the precarious economics of independent games journalism. For the duration of its four-year lifespan, the site operated at a financial loss. For the management at Game If You Are, this was a conscious, strategic decision—a subsidy paid to ensure that underserved developers had a platform.
However, as 2021 progressed, the organization faced a dilemma common to mission-driven entities: how to maximize the impact of limited resources. The leadership team found themselves confronting a central, existential question: Is the most effective way to help indie developers through traditional editorial coverage, or is there a more high-impact path?
"The reality is that we needed to make a decision on where our investment was best spent in order to achieve this goal," stated Lewis Denby in the official farewell. "That means The Indie Game Website—for now, at least—needs to be put on the back-burner."
This shift suggests that while the publication itself was successful in its editorial goals, the resources required to maintain a daily news and review cycle might be better diverted toward direct support, mentorship, or advocacy programs for developers.
Official Response: A Bittersweet Transition
The announcement was marked by a tone of pride rather than defeat. Lewis Denby, speaking on behalf of Game If You Are Ltd, emphasized that the decision was rooted in a desire to innovate rather than a desire to exit the space.
"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.
The sentiment from the team is one of "bittersweet" transition. The closure is not viewed as a failure of the platform’s mission, but as the completion of a specific phase of that mission. By keeping the website live, the organization ensures that the contributions of their writers and the stories of the developers they covered are preserved for posterity, serving as a permanent record of a specific moment in indie gaming history.
Implications for the Indie Ecosystem
The departure of TIGW leaves a tangible gap in the gaming media landscape. As the industry continues to consolidate, independent outlets—especially those with a specific mandate to support marginalized or international creators—are increasingly rare.
1. The Consolidation of Games Media
The hiatus of TIGW highlights the growing difficulty for small-scale, high-quality editorial outlets to sustain themselves. Without the backing of a larger corporate entity or a subscription-based model, many indie-focused outlets are forced to fold or pivot, leading to a homogenization of game coverage where only the largest titles receive significant press attention.
2. A Shift Toward Direct Advocacy
Perhaps the most significant implication is the signaled shift by Game If You Are toward "supporting marginalized and minoritised indie developers." If this follows the pattern of other successful industry initiatives, we may see a transition from reporting on games to investing in the creators themselves. The promise of new initiatives in 2022 suggests that the organization is moving toward a model of active participation in the industry’s success rather than passive observation.
3. The Preservation of Digital History
By promising to keep the site live indefinitely, TIGW is taking a crucial step in preserving digital history. In the digital age, when websites go "on hiatus," they often vanish entirely, taking years of critical discourse and community history with them. By maintaining the archive, TIGW ensures that the games highlighted—many of which are now hidden gems—remain discoverable for future researchers, players, and developers.
The Road Ahead: What to Expect in 2022
While the editorial content will cease, the "ethos" of the site is expected to persist. Denby has teased that 2022 will bring new initiatives designed to provide more tangible support for developers. The gaming community, while mourning the loss of a trusted voice, will be watching closely to see how this transition unfolds.
The closure of The Indie Game Website is a reminder that the ecosystem of independent gaming is fragile. It requires constant, dedicated investment to thrive. While the digital pages may stop turning, the spirit of the project—the belief that indie developers deserve a spotlight and a voice—remains a cornerstone of the industry’s future.
For the writers, editors, and developers who found a home on the site, the legacy of TIGW is not found in the finality of the hiatus, but in the thousands of stories told, the developers discovered, and the community fostered. As the site heads into its hibernation, it leaves behind a blueprint for how independent media can function as a true ally to the creative process.
