How We Actually Find Indie Games Worth Covering

People ask how we dig up the small games we write about, expecting some clever pipeline. The honest answer is that it's mostly stubborn digging. We scroll past the front page, follow tiny developers, and trade tips in group chats until something looks worth a real look.

Store charts are almost useless for this. They surface the loudest games, not the best ones, and a one-person project rarely has the marketing to climb them. So we go sideways — forums, niche communities, and the occasional random recommendation that turns out great.

Once a game lands on our radar, someone plays it properly before it earns a mention. Plenty don't make the cut. For every review you see, there are a handful of games we tried and quietly set aside because they didn't have enough to say about them.

If you've got a hidden gem, tell us. Some of our favorite pieces started as a stranger's email pointing at a game we'd never have found on our own.