Hidden object game Hidden Folks, one of the 1,704 items within Itch.io's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. — AFP Relaxnews
There's plenty to discover inside Itchio's US$8.1mil (RM35mil) bundle.
Fame
One way to tackle Itch.io's many hundreds-strong bundle is to begin with some of its most high-profile contents: jump'n'run mountain conquest/ mental outlook adventure Celeste, looping minute-long equipment hunt Minit, screen-shuddering explosion Nuclear Throne and hacking heist Quadrilateral Cowboy.
Then there's fantastical sports story Pyre, animal village mystery Night In The Woods, park ramble A Short Hike, creepy island investigation Oxenfree, reflective funeral home management sim A Mortician's Tale and puzzling story The White Door..That's a good ten to start with.
Itch Collections
Itch.io site honchos Leaf Corcoran and Spencer Hayes have their own introductory suggested collection at itch.io/c/891735, with 97 games suggested as personal preferences.
Others have been putting together their own Itch collections too, such as itch.io/c/915453 from longtime indie game supporter Toma, whose list includes short reviews and a rating for each title.
(An associated recommendations thread from the ResetEra community is also well worth checking out, while Reddit's ItchioJusticeBundle section has specific, general and weekly recommendations threads.)
Random Bundle Game
Then there's Random Bundle Game, a combined effort by two members from the Reddit and Something Awful communities.
A "Yes! Help me pick!" button serves up one random title from the bundle, complete with direct Itch.io link and other details from the official listing, including average session duration.
Alternatively, RBG's Browse feature pulls in a dozen optional filters, so that users can create their own lists according to game genre, content tag, language, input and accessibility options, mobile and computer platforms, and availability and rating through dominant PC gaming storefront Steam.
There's also a category highlighting bundle contents made by creators who identify as black, indigenous or persons of colour.
Social Media
Social networks are another good option.
For example, we found a charming bullet-pointed list from Max Turnbull, creator of the well anticipated Button City (Signs Of The Sojourner – Deck-building but with friendship, changed how I thought about communication in games, he notes; A Normal Lost Phone – A Little Too Real but in a good way).
Author and freelance writer Philippa Warr includes the adorable Pikuniku ("Dystopian deep state shenanigans via a Mister Men aesthetic") and Old Man's Journey ("takes you on a storybook-type trip through highly screenshottable scenes") among her initial selections.
Digital artist Oliverblueberry wove Pet The Pup At The Party ("my favourite kind of people are the kind that relate to this game") and Sophie Houlden's Pumpking ("a very good game, but more importantly, you play as a cute pumpkin") into his selection; Colin Spacetwinks included Hidden Folks ("all those enormous hidden object picture books, now in a gorgeous digital presentation. Nice, light and cheery") and Diaries Of A Spaceport Janitor ("one of my personal fave games of all time") within a tour of 21 notables.
Alternatively, in the words of Jack King Spooner, whose Dujanah was part of the bundle, "play something not on your radar's radar." "Find a new creator and tell them you enjoyed their work." – AFP Relaxnews
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