By [Your Name/Journalistic Staff]
December 20, 2021
In a poignant announcement that marks the end of a significant chapter in independent game journalism, Lewis Denby, Managing Director of Game If You Are Ltd, confirmed today that The Indie Game Website (TIGW) will officially enter a period of indefinite hiatus later this week. The platform, which launched in 2017, served as a dedicated bastion for indie developers, carving out a unique space in a media landscape often dominated by triple-A marketing cycles and high-budget coverage.
For many in the industry, the news is bittersweet. While the site’s digital archives will remain accessible, the cessation of new editorial content signals a shift in strategy for its parent company, Game If You Are, which intends to pivot its resources toward new initiatives aimed at supporting marginalized and minoritized creators in the coming year.
The Genesis of a Mission: Why TIGW Mattered
When The Indie Game Website first went live in 2017, the media landscape for indie games was fractured. While major outlets occasionally covered indie titles, the sheer volume of games released on storefronts like Steam meant that many smaller studios—particularly solo developers and those operating outside of primary English-speaking markets—struggled to achieve any meaningful visibility.
Denby, reflecting on the site’s inception, noted that the platform was born out of a frustration with the status quo. "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 within the media landscape," he wrote in his farewell address.
Unlike traditional gaming outlets that often rely heavily on advertising revenue or traffic-chasing headlines, TIGW operated under a different mandate. It was conceived as a non-profit editorial arm of the Game If You Are marketing agency, allowing its team to focus on the merit of the games themselves rather than the commercial pressure to prioritize trending titles.
A Chronology of Advocacy and Editorial Excellence
The history of The Indie Game Website is defined by its editorial leadership. Over its four-year tenure, the site saw a series of dedicated editors take the helm, each shaping the publication’s voice while maintaining its core mission of inclusivity and discovery.
- 2017: The official launch of TIGW. The site establishes its mandate: to provide a megaphone for smaller studios and global developers who were consistently ignored by mainstream gaming journalism.
- 2018–2020: A period of sustained growth. Under the editorial guidance of Neil, Jon, Jason, and Khee Hoon, the site expanded its scope. It became known for its deep-dive features, thoughtful reviews, and the amplification of diverse voices in both game development and critique.
- 2021: The final year of operation. As the industry grappled with the ongoing impact of the pandemic and changing media economics, the editorial team continued to cover an "astonishing number of titles," according to Denby, introducing readers to niche games that might have otherwise remained obscured.
- December 2021: The formal announcement of the hiatus. Denby confirms that the site will stop publishing new content, effectively shifting the organization’s focus toward direct support for marginalized developers in 2022.
Economic Realities and the Cost of Advocacy
The closure of The Indie Game Website is not a story of failure, but rather one of intentional reallocation. In his statement, Denby was transparent about the financial model of the project: "The Indie Game Website has always run at a loss—but we were okay with that, because it has always been very important to us."
Running an editorial site of high quality is an expensive endeavor. Between freelance fees, administrative costs, and the operational overhead of a professional publication, the financial burden fell squarely on Game If You Are. While the agency was happy to absorb these costs for years, the changing landscape of the industry forced a strategic pivot.
The central dilemma for the leadership team became: How can we best shine a spotlight on indie developers who would normally struggle to cut through the noise? As the team brainstormed, it became clear that the current model of a traditional news website was no longer the most efficient vehicle for their goals. To invest in new, more direct support mechanisms for minoritized developers, the company had to make the difficult decision to "put The Indie Game Website on the back-burner."
Supporting Marginalized Voices: The Road Ahead
The "bittersweet" nature of this announcement is tempered by a clear vision for 2022. Lewis Denby has signaled that the resources previously allocated to the maintenance and operation of the website will be redirected toward supporting underrepresented creators.
"I am excited about the future, and some of the plans we have in place for 2022—in particular around how we are going to invest in supporting marginalized and minoritised indie developers," Denby stated. While details remain sparse, the industry anticipates a shift from journalistic advocacy to direct institutional support.
This transition highlights a growing trend in the gaming industry: the move away from passive media coverage toward active, resource-based support systems. By stepping back from the saturated media market, Game If You Are is positioning itself to play a more hands-on role in the success of developers who face systemic barriers to entry.
Implications for Independent Journalism
The hiatus of The Indie Game Website serves as a sobering reminder of the fragility of independent media. In an era where algorithms dictate discovery and advertising revenue is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants, the "indie" spirit in journalism faces unprecedented challenges.
1. The Saturation of Media
The sheer volume of game releases makes it nearly impossible for any single website to cover everything. This creates a "noise" problem that TIGW sought to solve, yet even the most dedicated teams found themselves struggling against the tide of market saturation.
2. The Cost of Quality
High-quality, thoughtful editorial work—the kind that champions obscure, innovative titles—does not often translate into the high-click-through-rate metrics that sustain traditional advertising models. When companies fund their own media outlets to maintain integrity, the cost of that integrity is often the company’s own bottom line.
3. The Future of Advocacy
TIGW’s legacy is not just in the articles it published, but in the community it fostered. By prioritizing voices that were often left out of the "core, English-speaking game development scene," the site created a blueprint for inclusive journalism. The industry now looks to see whether Game If You Are can replicate that inclusivity through its new 2022 initiatives.
A Legacy of Gratitude
As the site prepares to enter its period of hibernation, the focus remains on the people who made it possible. Denby’s farewell was not one of regret, but of immense pride for the editorial team and the freelance contributors who defined the site’s voice.
"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," he noted.
The site will remain live indefinitely, preserving its archives as a historical record of a specific moment in indie gaming history. For many developers and readers, these pages will serve as a permanent tribute to the games and the creators that TIGW championed.
As for the possibility of a return? The door is not entirely closed. "Who knows," Denby mused, "maybe one day it’ll be the right time to resurrect it!"
For now, the site stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a team values art over algorithms and community over commerce. While the news of the hiatus is difficult, the legacy of The Indie Game Website will continue to influence how we talk about, value, and discover independent games for years to come.
