An End of an Era: The Indie Game Website Enters Indefinite Hiatus

By Editorial Staff
Published December 20, 2021

In a poignant announcement that marks a significant shift in the landscape of games journalism, Lewis Denby, Managing Director of Game If You Are Ltd, has confirmed that The Indie Game Website (TIGW) will cease active operations and enter an indefinite period of hiatus effective later this week.

For four years, the platform served as a vital sanctuary for independent developers, particularly those operating outside the traditional, English-centric gaming hubs. The decision to "put the site on the back-burner" follows a strategic reassessment by its parent company, as they look to pivot their resources toward new initiatives centered on supporting marginalized and minoritized voices within the industry.

The Core Facts: A Strategic Pivot

The closure of The Indie Game Website is not a sudden reaction to failure, but rather a deliberate reallocation of assets. Since its inception in 2017, the publication was operated by the marketing agency Game If You Are. According to Denby, the site was intentionally run as a loss-making venture—a "labor of love" funded by the agency to ensure that smaller, experimental, and international titles received the critical coverage they were otherwise denied by mainstream gaming outlets.

"The Indie Game Website has always run at a loss," Denby wrote in his farewell address. "We were okay with that, because it has always been very important to us, and we were happy to take a monetary hit in order to keep it afloat."

The pivot marks a transition from journalism to direct advocacy. While the website will cease publishing new content, the digital archive will remain live indefinitely, preserving years of reviews, industry analysis, and developer spotlights.

A Chronology of Advocacy: From Inception to Hiatus

2017: The Launch

Founded in the wake of a growing frustration within the industry, The Indie Game Website was established to address the "dearth of opportunities" for indie developers to gain visibility. The media landscape at the time was heavily focused on AAA releases, leaving solo developers and international studios struggling to "cut through the noise."

2017–2021: Editorial Evolution

Under the stewardship of a rotating cast of editors—including Neil, Jon, Jason, and Khee Hoon—the site cultivated a reputation for high-quality, diverse, and thoughtful coverage. The editorial team focused on amplifying voices that were often overlooked, creating a platform where indie games could be evaluated on their merits rather than their marketing budgets.

Late 2021: The Strategic Reflection

As the year progressed, leadership at Game If You Are began to re-evaluate how they could most effectively serve the indie community. The question, "How can we best shine a spotlight on indie developers who would normally struggle to cut through the noise?" became the primary catalyst for the site’s closure.

December 20, 2021: The Announcement

The official confirmation of the hiatus was delivered by Managing Director Lewis Denby, signaling the end of the site’s active lifecycle and setting the stage for a new phase of company initiatives in 2022.

Supporting Data: The Value of Niche Media

To understand the impact of The Indie Game Website, one must consider the structural challenges of the contemporary games media landscape. According to industry reports from 2017 to 2021, the consolidation of media outlets and the reliance on algorithm-driven content created a "winner-take-all" environment.

• Visibility Gap: Smaller studios with limited marketing budgets were often invisible to major outlets that relied on high-traffic titles for ad revenue.
• The "Indie" Definition: TIGW bridged the gap between niche experimental projects and the wider public consciousness. By removing the pressure of "budgets," the site allowed freelancers to write about titles that lacked the polish or viral marketing of major indie hits like Hades or Among Us.
• The Cost of Journalism: Operating an independent, high-quality editorial site in the current digital advertising climate is notoriously difficult. The fact that Game If You Are subsidized this operation for four years highlights the severity of the financial barrier to entry for independent media.

Official Responses and Reflections

The response from the community has been one of gratitude and reflection. The editorial team, whose work defined the site’s voice, was lauded by Denby for their "unique perspectives" and their dedication to "amplifying important voices."

"I am overwhelmed by the achievements of all of The Indie Game Website’s editors," Denby noted. "They have striven to expand the site’s remit, amplifying important voices—both of people making games, and of people writing about them."

For many freelance writers, TIGW represented a rare space where the art of the game was prioritized over the commercial viability of the article. By providing a home for long-form essays, critical reviews, and developer interviews, the site helped launch the careers of several writers who have since gone on to become influential voices in the gaming press.

Implications: What This Means for the Future

The hiatus of The Indie Game Website leaves a vacuum in the indie gaming sphere, but it also signals a broader shift in how advocacy is performed.

1. The Shift to Direct Support

The most significant implication is the move toward 2022 initiatives focusing on "marginalized and minoritized indie developers." By pivoting away from media, Game If You Are appears to be moving toward a model of direct investment or consultancy. This suggests a belief that in the current climate, direct support (funding, mentorship, or structural resources) may be more effective than media exposure alone.

2. The Fragility of Independent Media

The closure underscores the fragility of independent gaming journalism. Without a diversified revenue stream or the backing of a larger entity, even the most respected sites are vulnerable to the changing priorities of their parent companies. The "bittersweet" nature of the announcement reflects a wider industry truth: that even with the best intentions, maintaining a platform dedicated to the "long tail" of the gaming industry is a financial challenge that few can sustain indefinitely.

3. A Legacy of Accessibility

By keeping the website live indefinitely, the company has ensured that the historical record of this indie era remains intact. This is a critical move for researchers, developers, and historians who rely on such archives to track the evolution of indie game design.

Conclusion: A New Chapter

As the curtain falls on The Indie Game Website, the industry is left to consider what comes next. While the loss of a dedicated editorial platform is a blow to the indie ecosystem, the focus on supporting marginalized creators remains a vital mission.

"I am excited about the future, and some of the plans we have in place for 2022," Denby concluded. "We will have more to share on this in the New Year and I can’t wait to get stuck into these new initiatives when the time comes."

For now, the community watches and waits. The closure of the site is not merely an ending; it is a transition—a recognition that the tools used to support independent development in 2017 may no longer be the most effective tools for the challenges of 2022. The ethos of The Indie Game Website—a commitment to the underrepresented and the overlooked—will continue to influence the work of Game If You Are, even if the digital pages of the site itself have ceased to grow.

As Lewis Denby put it, "Who knows, maybe one day it’ll be the right time to resurrect it!" Until that day, the legacy of the site stands as a testament to the importance of championing the voices that define the creative heart of the gaming industry.