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[brimby]

I run an indie news site called IndieRuckus.com and tomorrow I'm unveiling a new feature on the site called The IndieTron.

Basically what it is is an automated game release feed that users can sort and filter to keep track of all the upcoming and new releases on Steam, PS4, PS3, Wii U, 3DS and even Kickstarter projects (I'm still working on getting Xbox on there). I'm also doing a huge giveaway (almost 30 different quality games with around 140 game keys total) to promote it all next week. If you want to read about it, here's the announcement post: http://indieruckus.com/the-indietron-is-launching-with-a-140-game-giveaway/ There's also a link at the bottom of that article that will give you a bonus 15 entries into the giveaway if you like free stuff.

But what I'm wondering is, what do you guys use to keep track of upcoming and released games? I have to admit that I didn't do a lot of research as to what competing systems there are. I was just already relying on a large army of bots that I made to collect game news for me to write about on the site, so I figured I might as well turn it into something useful for the public. And I have a TON of features I'll be adding to the thing over the next few weeks. I just wish I could clone myself so I could actually get everything done that I think up. But then again I'd probably have more ideas coming out of my clones and it would still be a neverending cycle of feature bloat, but alas.

[Schoq]

I daily check the front page of The Independent Gaming Source dot com for the latest happenings in the world of indie games

[brimby]

I daily check the front page of The Independent Gaming Source dot com for the latest happenings in the world of indie games

Guess I could have expected that to be a popular choice around here. Oh, and thanks for finally cluing me in on the acronym. I guessed what the "IG" was, but I always figured the "T" was something a bit more fanciful. Like "Total", or "Tenacious". "The" works, though.

[Mittens]

I ignore them all until there is some kind of consensus that one is worth playing, like you'll currently see around Undertale

[cynicalsandel]

i don't. most aren't worth my time or money, though this doesn't just apply to indie games. i have specific taste, and if i hear about or see something that falls into that taste, i'll pay attention.

but i'm not actively searching through piles of games to find ones suited to me. it's not my job to curate indie games, nor do i care enough to find things when my backlog exists. almost anything worth playing usually plops itself in front of you at some point through word of mouth. this is especially true on twitter, where following other devs who either make things i already like or have similar taste to me leads me to new games.

i've heard of people looking through #screenshotsaturday on twitter, but that mostly applies to games currently in development.

ultimately, this is a forum about game development. while many here do play other indie games, i wouldn't say there is a large focus on playing the majority of indie releases. most here probably don't even know how to get the word out about their own work.

[Daruman]

Check out whats new on steam. Talk to friends. I trawl through the devlogs in these forums. I find that you see a lot of "eh"looking things, but occasionally something catches your eye.

[brimby]

Ok, this seems to be exactly what I thought. Most people just let them tumble into their life. I totally understand how that could be a preferred method for many people, but I think there is also a large portion of others who like to have things organized for them. The completionists, the perfectionists, the OCD---call them what you want but a lot of people just like to see things lined up square for them.

But I would disagree that everything worth playing---or listening to, or watching, or just doing---will plop itself in front of you. I have a theory that the album/game/movie/show/book I would consider to be my favorite in the world---had I hypothetically experienced everything in the world---I will never know during my lifetime. It may be a pessimistic theory, but it's what I believe. I mean, how many of your favorite stuff is some obscure thing that you almost never found out about? I hope at least something. But I'm okay with never discovering my true best *whatever*. The effort of combing everything is not worth it past a certain point. But I'm just hoping to create a tool that makes it that much easier to comb, if someone feels the urge.

[Daruman]

I think it's a good idea, and I'm sure there would be people who would use it. I might if it existed and I was aware of it. The only thing I can offer is maybe adding tags or brief descriptions.

[Superb Joe]

i sift through tim wee's garbage for clues

[Cobralad]

i read all games beta, rock paper shotgun and look at "upcoming" section on steam

[Netsu]

I don't.

[brimby]

Lol. I'm surprised at the pessimism toward indie games from an indie dev forum, but I suppose I shouldn't be.

[brimby]

Oh and by the way, The IndieTron is officially launched as of now. Go to http://indieruckus.com if you want to check it out. There's also a giveaway system embedded in it where I'm giving out 140 or so keys over the course of the week, if anyone cares. I think the way I set up the giveaway system is kind of cool, for any web dev guys out there.

[plump]

i dont. im too invested in creating my own stuff.

[Superb Joe]

Lol. I'm surprised at the pessimism toward indie games from an indie dev forum, but I suppose I shouldn't be.

i don't think they are being pessimistic, i think it is an impossible task to keep up with everything since "indie games" are no longer the domain of a small, interlinked niche community

[Dacke]

It's impossible to keep up with everything that's released for other artforms, unless you specifically focus on a specific genre. I can't imagine anyone trying to keep track of all new music or all new books being published. I think it's a positive that games have reached the point where it's becoming impossible to keep track of "all" indie releases.

But it also means that we need better tools for discovery.