Whether you’re an avid game player or a newbie to the digital world, you’ve probably heard of itch.io. It’s an online platform for hosting, downloading, and discussing games. It features both games created by indie developers and much larger titles from larger indie publishers.

Although not as popular as Steam, itch.io has its own set of advantages. For one, it’s an open platform for anyone looking for a place to host their games. This means that not only can independent developers benefit, but so can those from much larger indie publishing companies.

Another great benefit to itch.io is what it allows developers to do. Unlike other digital gaming stores, itch.io does not restrict developers from providing complete access to their games. This means that developers can offer generous trial play time and free demos. This, in turn, encourages people to try out the game before they commit to purchase it. This can be great for drumming up publicity for the game in addition to giving players the opportunity to truly test the game and see if it is something they would enjoy.

Other benefits of itch.io include its broad range of genres, its ability to provide developers with analytics on how their game is doing, and its more lax restrictions and rules.

Overall, itch.io has become a great platform for many indie developers and games. It allows them to share their work and receive feedback from a wide audience, while also providing them with the ability to offer their product without overly strict restrictions. In addition, players can benefit from its platform by having access to more unique and varied titles alongside the more mainstream games of the digital gaming world.