An Era Ends: The Indie Game Website Enters Indefinite Hiatus

By Editorial Staff
December 20, 2021

In a move that has sent ripples through the independent gaming community, The Indie Game Website (TIGW) announced today that it will be ceasing operations and entering an indefinite period of hiatus effective later this week. The decision marks the end of a four-year chapter for the publication, which carved out a distinct niche as a champion for underrepresented developers and small-scale studios.

While the site will remain online as a living archive of its extensive library of reviews, features, and guides, the news signals a strategic pivot for its parent company, Game If You Are Ltd. Managing Director Lewis Denby framed the closure not as a failure, but as a calculated reallocation of resources toward more direct support systems for marginalized creators.

Main Facts: The Closure of a Passion Project

Since its inception in 2017, The Indie Game Website served as a counter-narrative to mainstream gaming journalism, which often prioritizes high-budget, "AAA" titles. The publication was founded on the principle that the indie landscape was suffering from a lack of visibility, particularly for solo developers and those operating outside of traditional English-speaking hubs.

The core facts regarding the closure are as follows:

• Status: The publication will enter "hibernation" by the end of the current week.
• Archives: The website will remain live indefinitely, preserving years of editorial content.
• Financial Context: TIGW has operated at a consistent financial loss since its launch. While the parent company was willing to absorb these costs for years, the decision was made to shift investment toward new initiatives for 2022.
• The Mission: The focus of the parent company, Game If You Are, is shifting toward direct investment in marginalized and minoritized indie developers.

Chronology: A Four-Year Journey

The trajectory of The Indie Game Website is a testament to the volatility of independent media.

2017: The Launch

The site was launched in 2017 with the express goal of democratizing game coverage. The team, already operating an indie-focused marketing agency, recognized a critical gap in the market: small developers were struggling to "cut through the noise" of an increasingly saturated industry.

2018–2020: Editorial Evolution

Under a revolving door of talented leadership—including Neil, Jon, Jason, and Khee Hoon—the site cultivated a reputation for insightful, diverse coverage. The editorial team moved away from traditional, budget-driven reporting, opting instead to spotlight projects based on their artistic merit and potential impact. This period solidified the site’s identity as a discoverability tool for players and a lifeline for niche developers.

2021: The Pivot

As the pandemic shifted the landscape of game development and media consumption, the leadership team at Game If You Are began reevaluating their internal metrics. The central question became: How can we best shine a spotlight on indie developers who would normally struggle to cut through the noise? By late 2021, the company concluded that a traditional editorial website was no longer the most efficient vehicle for achieving this goal.

Supporting Data: The Cost of Visibility

The economics of indie media are notoriously difficult. For The Indie Game Website, the model was never based on profit maximization, but rather on cultural contribution.

The Financial Burden

The management explicitly acknowledged that the site "always ran at a loss." In the world of digital media, where advertising revenue is increasingly concentrated among a few tech giants, sustaining a publication that prioritizes indie, experimental, and non-English titles is a significant challenge. The overhead—including freelance contributor fees, hosting, and editorial management—was sustained by the parent agency, Game If You Are.

The Reach and Impact

While the site may not have reached the multi-million monthly visitor counts of major corporate gaming outlets, its impact was qualitative. The site became a "tastemaker" for indie fans. By providing a platform for voices that are often ignored by traditional media, TIGW provided a tangible boost to the games it covered, helping solo developers gain the traction necessary to secure publishers or find their initial player base.

Official Responses: A Bittersweet Transition

Lewis Denby, Managing Director of Game If You Are, issued an emotional, transparent statement regarding the closure. He described the process as "bittersweet" and emphasized that the decision was driven by an "excitement for the future."

"We’ve made the decision to put The Indie Game Website on hiatus," Denby wrote. "The reality is that we needed to make a decision on where our investment was best spent in order to achieve this goal [supporting marginalized developers], and that means The Indie Game Website—for now, at least—needs to be put on the back-burner."

Denby praised the editorial team, noting that he was "overwhelmed" by their achievements in amplifying voices from all corners of the industry. He explicitly credited the site’s freelance contributors for making the publication what it became, acknowledging that the platform introduced readers to titles that otherwise would have been lost to the void.

Implications: What Happens Next?

The closure of The Indie Game Website is a bellwether for the broader indie gaming ecosystem. It highlights a recurring theme: the difficulty of maintaining a high-quality editorial platform dedicated to the "long tail" of the industry without significant venture capital or corporate backing.

The Shift Toward Direct Advocacy

The most significant implication of this news is the strategic pivot at Game If You Are. Denby indicated that the company is preparing for a new phase in 2022. While specific details were not disclosed, the focus will be on "investing in supporting marginalized and minoritized indie developers." This suggests a transition from reporting on the industry to actively participating in its growth through mentorship, grants, or direct marketing support.

The Void in Coverage

The departure of TIGW leaves a measurable void in the media landscape. There are few outlets left that offer the same level of granular, non-commercial focus on indie games. For developers, this means the challenge of visibility has become slightly steeper. For players, it means losing a curated filter that helped separate innovative art from the noise of the Steam storefront.

A Potential Resurrection?

Perhaps the most optimistic takeaway from the announcement is that the site is being placed in "hibernation," not being deleted. Denby noted that the team intends to keep the site live indefinitely, leaving the door open for a potential return. "Who knows," Denby wrote, "maybe one day it’ll be the right time to resurrect it!"

The Future of Indie Media

The legacy of The Indie Game Website will likely be measured by the success of the developers it helped champion. As the industry moves into 2022, the conversation regarding how we support small-scale creators will continue. Whether through media platforms or direct advocacy, the need to protect the creative diversity of indie gaming has never been more urgent.

For now, the digital pages of TIGW remain open—a testament to a four-year commitment to the "little guys" of the industry, and a signal that while one chapter is closing, the mission to elevate indie voices remains as vital as ever. The community awaits the New Year with curiosity, eager to see what new initiatives will emerge from the silence left in the wake of the site’s hiatus.