As far as deals go, getting over 120 games for less than the cost of a Cantina Chicken Rolled Quesadilla Combo from Taco Bell is up there among the best, especially in light of recent news. The fact your $10 will go to a fantastic cause is even better — and you can thank itch.io for the bargain.
The Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle, hosted by Necrosoft Games, has been whittled together by creators to drum up cash that’ll be dispensed by United Videogame Workers, a 501 (c)(5) organization that aims to support laid-off developers in the U.S. and Canada. While itch.io is clear that it will only assist “in some small way,” individual out-of-work or under-employed devs — not companies — can apply and use money to support food, healthcare, and rent needs.
Says itch.io: “The game industry has a problem. Too many people are out of work. Reports say 33% of the industry lost their jobs in the last two years, and the jobs they could fill are disappearing as CEOs try to replace them with AI. It’s hard for companies to adjust to the new shape of the game industry, but even harder for the people they should be employing.”
Highlighting layoffs at Ubisoft, Microsoft, and many others, the fund has already raised over $163,000 at the time of writing, and hopes to reach its admirable but most definitely gettable goal of $200,000.
The games themselves are a mixed bag of madness — very on brand for itch.io, which is honestly one of the most delightfully creative hubs for indie devs online (I’ve been a convert ever since Art Sqool) — but with 127 to choose from, you’re bound to find something fun. You could argue that the bundle’s worth it for A Short Hike alone — lauded by John Romero — while I have a lot of time for A Dream About Parking Lots.
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
Some of the more interesting titles in the bundle include:
- Wheels of Aurelia, a half-fiction, half-racing narrative road trip game “set in the roaring Italian 70s”, created by Santa Ragione, they of Saturnalia brilliance;
- SkateBIRD, essentially Tony Hawk if you’re a bird;
- Super Slime Arena, a multiplayer party fighting game that supports up to 50 people and looks like a LAN classic;
- Holedown, a genuinely arresting casual puzzler that’s reminiscent of Tetris, Peggle, and Mr Driller; and
- Drywall Eating Simulator, which promises to “simulate the delights of late capitalist life”.
Most of the games are direct downloads, meaning you won’t be able to enjoy them on Steam, but even if that’s a deal-breaker, $10 is a very small amount to spend when you could discover something completely new, ridiculous, or genuinely special. And, y’know, supporting creators feels more important than ever before. You can buy the Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle on itch.io