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itch.io

The indie storefront where thousands of experiments run free in the browser, and where the deeply strange ones are the point.

Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.

How to get the most from it

itch.io sits in Arcade Hubs under Play, filed as rabbit hole.

  • Open it when the evening is free. It has no natural stopping point.
  • Use a laptop or desktop computer — we file it as desktop only.
  • It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
  • No account needed — you can start without signing up.
  • Go in expecting something weird and clever.

About this category: The large portals. Less curated than everything else here, but when you want volume rather than a recommendation, this is where volume lives.

Good for

  • A long evening with nothing planned
  • Seeing the internet at its least explicable
  • Being impressed by a clever idea
  • A quiet break at your desk
  • Trying it with zero commitment

itch.io: quick answers

Is itch.io free?

Yes. itch.io is free to use and needs no account.

Do I need an account to use itch.io?

No. You can use itch.io without signing up for anything.

Does itch.io work on a phone?

Not well. We file itch.io as desktop only, so open it on a laptop or desktop computer.

Is itch.io safe for work?

Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.

How long does itch.io take?

We file it as "Rabbit hole": Clear your evening. We warned you.

More in Arcade Hubs

All 19 in Arcade Hubs
  • A tidy portal of casual browser games with an unusual amount of care given to which ones are actually finished.

  • What remains of the great Flash portal, plus a badge system that once made people finish games out of pure spite.

    • 10 min
    • Desktop
  • The 2000s browser giant, now mostly a mobile publisher but still hosting 8 Ball Pool and a shelf of its own history.

  • The chaotic original, still hosting animation and games uploaded since 1999, and still the least sanitised corner of the web.

    • 1 hr+
    • Not at work
    • Sound on
    • Desktop

Same mood: weird

All weird sites
  • Every point-and-click game indie developers have uploaded to itch, most playable in the tab, most made by exactly one person.

    • 1 hr+
    • Desktop
  • Kaomoji, dongers and text faces sorted by category, with a copy button attached to every single one of them.

  • Net art from 1995 that looks precisely like your computer failing. View the source: the mess on screen is hiding the actual work.

    • 2 min
    • Desktop
  • Drags the guts of a JPEG around with three sliders, producing the smeared colour blocks that only broken files make.

Keep exploring

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