itch.io

I just checked Steam's year-end summary, and one statistic that caught my attention is the time spent playing games based on their release year.

The data shows that, on average, Steam players only spent 14% of their time playing games released in 2025.

I admit I never stopped to think about this. I know the video game market is oversaturated, with thousands of games released every day, but it seems the main competition isn't newly released games, but rather games from previous years.

This statistic surprised me a bit because I didn't expect it to be so low.

Perhaps you created a bundle offer instead of listing the project for sale?

If you don't push save files when you upload changes, then the Itch app shouldn't overwrite those files; that's the logic.

The normal practice is to never include any save files and instead create them at runtime on the player's computer when the application starts.

It's not necessary; you must have a problem with the file structure. But  you can use a manifest to indicate what should and shouldn't be updated, thus preserving the players' saves:
https://itch.freezing.top/docs/itch/integrating/manifest.html

Edit:

My mistake, what you really need is to ignore the files where you save the players' games:

https://itch.freezing.top/docs/butler/pushing.html#appendix-a-understanding-the-progress-b...

Yes, you need to wait. When you initiate a withdrawal, Itch must manually review the payments before transferring the money; this period is usually about 2 weeks.

Me alegra mucho que te gustara y muchas gracias por pasar a comentar.

I don't quite understand your issue.

You don't need to send anything by mail. Once you complete the interview, in your profile, under the tax section, should show something like "on file."

Validation only occurs when you request your first withdrawal, so once you complete your interview, you can request your first withdrawal.

Before people started reporting this type of problem, it was quite common for users to report that their game comments were being flooded with bots posting malware download links disguised as game updates.

I don't see these posts anymore, but I do see many complaints about being restricted. Therefore, it seems that Itch has implemented some kind of automated filter that, in addition to stopping these bots, is generating false positives. To be clear, this is just a assumption.

I'm not familiar with any of the games you mentioned, but since you're talking about DAZ3D and rendering, I think you're talking about creating a visual novel.

The best thing to do is use a specific engine for that type of game, like Ren'Py or Twine, which allow you to create a visual novel more simply and easily than if you program everything from scratch or use a general-purpose engine like Godot.

Join an active group focused on the type of game you want to create. You can search online or help out in a group at a game jam. This way, you can understand the basics of game creation, and once you have a basic understanding, you can start creating your game.

Look for tutorials on YouTube or similar sites on how to use the engine you choose. For example, there are plenty of Ren'Py tutorials for beginners.

It depends on the type of game. Some games people expect to play with a mouse, while others are played with a controller and/or keyboard. If your game is one that people expect to play with a mouse, then disabling it will likely negatively impact your game's reception.

However, if your game is the type where people typically use a keyboard or gamepad, disabling the mouse shouldn't be a problem.

That said, based on your description, I agree with @redonihunter: disabling the mouse should be a design decision, not a patch to fix a bug.

Your problem is that the character needs to interact, not the cursor. You have two solutions: check the cursor's position relative to the character. If it's over the character, the click counts as an "action"; if it's far away, it counts as a "movement."

Another solution is to leave the mouse code as is and add a condition when the "action" is executed, requiring the character's position to be over or near the object attempting the action.

To find people who can help you, it's best to write here:

https://itch.freezing.top/board/10020/help-wanted-or-offered

I've been searching and haven't found anything.

Personally, it seems more like a bug, since the page displaying the ad always does, while others never do.
If it were due to a policy change on Itch, the ad would appear randomly on any page, and that doesn't seem to be the case.

The error message says that the file "NewFolder(2).data" (note the .data extension) is larger than Itch allows.

Try manually unzipping the .zip file you're trying to upload and check the size of the file (not the folder) "NewFolder(2).data". I don't know how Unity created that file, and I can't tell you how to limit its size in Unity, but the Itch error message is clear: that file inside the zip is the problem. What you need to find out is its size and how Unity is creating it so you can optimize it.

The error message is quite clear; check the file it indicates as "NewFolder(2).data," which, by the way, is a strange name for a file you're using and seems more likely to be a file that was generated or left over from some process or error that you haven't noticed.

It's tagged as "adult," which means it's marked as NSFW.

Currently, Itch is NOT indexing any paid games that are NSFW.

https://itch.freezing.top/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content

Hi, what you're describing happens to everyone. The problem is simple: we have too many games and not enough players.

If you want your game to attract players, you need to build a community and actively promote it, not just passively wait.

Additionally, your game is only targeting one platform, Android, and Itch isn't an Android store. So, a good portion of the people who might see your page aren't going to download the content because they're not interested in downloading casual android games from Itch.

We don't have player statistics or hardware specifications, but if you look at the 1,200,000 indexed games, only 90,000 have an Android version. This also indicates that it's not a store focused on Android.

Furthermore, no matter how accessible your games are, Google is constantly adding barriers to installing apps from outside the Google Play Store, so not just anyone can install your apps.

If you're only going to create games for Android, it's best to try to publish them on Google Play, but you'll have the same problem there; these days, you need to do active promotion.

Total of the individual files, Itch has no way of knowing that 20 files are actually a single game, so it doesn't make that distinction.

Also, that counter is for each time someone clicks to start the download. So, if someone clicks twice and cancels one, you'll see two downloads on your dashboard.

In the "Analytics" section below the graphs, you have an individual counter for each file.

This is the first time I've ever heard of that game. I don't deny that it might be popular within its niche, but it's not a game that everyone knows, so I wouldn't assume the staff is familiar with it.

You can check the exact rules here:
https://itch.freezing.top/docs/creators/faq#is-adult-content-allowed

Over the years, what I've seen is that Itch has several rules, but they don't actively enforce them. For example, the rules state that you must have all the necessary copyright permissions for the games you publish, and if you search, you'll see many games based on content from companies like Nintendo, which obviously aren't uploaded by the people who have the copyright permissions.

I'd say the staff trusts that people will follow the rules and tend to act more when someone makes a report than actively searching for those who don't comply with the Terms of Service.

Itch's staff is very small; on the one hand, I doubt they have the human resources to actively enforce the rules, and on the other hand, it also gives developers some freedom, since it wouldn't be pleasant to have the staff reviewing every illustration or line of dialogue in your games.

If you believe a game violates Itch's TOS, you should report it using the button at the bottom of this page.

Asking the community won't help, because the community doesn't make the rules or enforce them.

It could be a mistake, and your report might result in the game or account being deleted. Alternatively, you might believe the game violates Itch's rules, but the staff disagrees, and even if you report it, nothing will be done.

You answered yourself.:

I've read different durations from a few days up to a full month

There's nothing more to add, it depends on how busy the staff is and other factors; under normal conditions, a one to two week wait is not unusual.

To use the money you have in Itch, you must first complete a withdrawal process that will transfer it to PayPal or Payoneer (depending on your choice), and only then can you use it to buy something in Itch.

It's entirely up to the creator to disclose whether their project contains AI-generated content, and to my knowledge, Itch does not conduct any kind of confirmation or testing.

I don't know if Itch takes action when users report a game that's been mislabeled in this regard.

I've been using Itch for several years. It's true that games with sexual content have always existed, but I hypothesize that when other sites started banning this type of content, while Itch has never prohibited it (despite a couple of instances where they had issues), Itch has become a place where people can publish and play this content with a certain level of confidence. This obviously attracts more creators and players looking for that kind of content, resulting in a sizable community within the rest of the Itch user base.

Edit: 

With the problem of indexing paid games that contain NSFW content, I don't know what will happen in the next year, but lately I've seen quite a few games publishing free content or demos, and in some posts, some creators have hinted that publishing this type of content on Itch still gives them a lot of exposure.

Hi, let me try to clarify my point so we don't get into a pointless argument.

I haven't played your game and I don't know the criteria the staff used to ban it (and they'll probably never tell us the reason). So I can't say whether the staff made a mistake in your case or your friend's.

All I'm saying is that Itch doesn't ban games JUST for being NSFW. Proof of that is if you go to the main games page, and you'll see it's full of games with NSFW content, many of which were there before the issue. So no, Itch didn't ban NSFW games, but they did ban those they thought violated the Terms of Service.

Could they have made a mistake? I'm sure that's the case, and that many games that shouldn't have been banned were. I'm also certain there are indexed and functioning games that violate the Terms of Service and haven't been banned, but those errors are NOT the norm. They are isolated cases, and that's the difference I'm emphasizing.

I sincerely hope the staff reinstates your game or at least explains the reason. But again, I'm not saying anything against your game. All I'm saying is that your case is an exception, and the proof is simply to look at the "popular" page.

Itch and any other store have always removed games that, in their opinion, violate their Terms of Service or the law.

The difference, and a very important one, is between removing games for being NSFW versus removing games for violating their Terms of Service.

If I check Itch's homepage, it's full of games with NSFW content, many with quite explicit images, and they're there; the staff hasn't banned them.

So no, Itch is NOT banning games for being NSFW, and that's what's been said in many posts, but this doesn't mean that a number of games aren't banned for violating Itch's Terms of Service, which is very different.

Regarding your particular case, I don't know the reason, I don't know if the staff made a mistake or not, and I'm sorry for your situation and understand your frustration. I hope the staff can review it and give you a solution.

El horror de lo cotidiano y el peso de nuestras decisiones, esperar o actuar, un dilema muy cercano a todos y que se narra muy bien.

Estoy haciendo algo mal o este juego no se puede ejecutar dentro de Itch?

Le doy a ejecutar y me aparece un mensaje que dice que necesito el interprete y que puedo jugarlo descargando o mediante un link a otra página.

Tiene un estilo visual muy logrado, lo mismo la calidad de la producción, la música y la forma de narrar la historia, sobre todo la inicio, me parecieron muy buenos.
El final, es una sorpresa y un giro, pero de deja "plop" porque no hay un contexto que le de peso o significado y solo queda como un "chiste".

Traté de ver si había algún final oculto, si fallaba de forma deliberada las rondas,  pero llegué a la 12 sin que pasara nada, me da la sensación que no hay oculto por ese lado.

Lo había jugado al inicio del mes, no sé porque no dejé un mensaje (aunque sí estaba el voto).

Me gustó el descubrir las diferentes historias, cada una muy imaginativa y única. Si le busco un pero, es que en un inicio no entendía que las líneas eran puertas y hasta que no me puse a recorrer toda la pantalla, no me di cuenta que se podía pasar por esos puntos.

Muchas gracias por tu comentario.

Tu juego fue de los primeros que jugué, pero no sé porque no dejé un comentario (pensaba que lo había dejado, pero no lo veo ahora que estoy revisando).

Blocking the task manager isn't illegal in itself.

What is illegal is doing it without the user's consent. Furthermore, this type of behavior is typically associated with malicious programs, so your application will trigger antivirus software, be blocked, and possibly quarantined by Itch.

You might think it's a good idea and a great way to break the fourth wall, but trying to limit the basic functionality of someone else's computer is rude. There's no justification for doing so, and in the long run, it will only cause you problems.

Why should anyone trust you to block basic security components of their computer?

All you're doing is raising suspicions and raising concerns that will lead to your program being flagged as malware.

Okay, my PC isn't showing me the ad because Firefox is blocking Google Ads, but I don't know why that page has that advertising. I haven't read anything about Itch adding this type of advertising, and other pages don't seem to show anything. Could it be something to do with that developer's CSS?

I just tested it from my Android phone, where I'm not logged in to Itch, and I can confirm that the page is showing me an ad.

It's really strange, because even using an incognito account, I can't get it to show the ad on my PC, so I really don't know what's going on. Hopefully, someone can help us figure this out.

EDIT: 
Okay, my PC isn't showing me the ad because Firefox is blocking Google Ads, but I don't know why that page has that advertising. I haven't read anything about Itch adding this type of advertising, and other pages don't seem to show anything. Could it be something to do with that developer's CSS?

I just tried the link and several other jams in incognito mode and didn't get any ads.

I've never read about anyone reporting anything similar; it seems to be something on your end.

why you posted this without being investigated?

Excuse me, I think this is a translation error, but why should I be investigated for answering a question in a public forum? 

Edit:

I think you're asking if I investigated the executable?

If that's what you mean, no, I don't investigate executables. It requires having certain applications installed and running the program in a controlled environment, and I don't have those tools installed.

The link you posted leads to a blog page, and that page has an external link. The associated account has no games created, and that alone is a major red flag. No one who cares about their computer's security should download and run the application from that link. It's a basic security concept: if something seems suspicious, don't hesitate to treat it as malicious unless you can prove otherwise.

Basic security tips: games should be hosted on a project page, NOT in a blog.

If it's a blog with a link to an external site, it's almost certainly malware.

If you check the username, you'll see that they haven't created any games.

All these signs lead me to believe with complete certainty that this account is NOT legitimate and the game is posible malware. If you ran it on your PC, it's best to run antivirus software, malware removal tools, and also change all the passwords for sites you can access through your browser using cookies.

The problem is that this isn't real protection; it's very easy to hack. But depending on what you want to implement, it might be enough..

On Steam, everyone uses the Steam launcher to play, but on Itch, using the Itch launcher is optional. So you can't always verify the account of someone playing on Itch, and that's a problem if you want to sell your game here.

I am genuinely asking what's wrong with support

Short story: they're outnumbered.

If you look at the numbers, Itch has over a million games, with hundreds, if not thousands, uploaded every day. A huge number of people request support, but the vast majority of games are free, so they don't generate enough revenue to maintain a large staff capable of answering all the questions. It's that simple.

Their policy is to respond only when absolutely necessary. If you ask something that's already covered by the rules, they most likely won't answer. If you request something, it's possible that when they see your ticket, they'll review it and take action. However, it seems that in many cases, the person isn't informed, especially if their request is rejected. This leads to the main problem: people don't know if their case was denied or if it's simply lost in the system. I agree that this is the most frustrating part, but if it's any consolation, they don't do it to make us suffer. They're just humans with very few people to handle the volume of support requests.

Over the years on the forum, I've seen people ask the exact same questions over and over again—questions that can be answered by reading the documentation or searching the forum. And from that perspective, I understand the policy of not answering unless necessary, especially since there are other, much more important aspects of support, such as payments, combating spammers, and dealing with people who upload malware.

I already sell a DRM-free game within Itch.
https://hechelion.itch.io/evorales

I also sell the same game on Steam, and it's integrated in such a way that you can't play it without an account, but I integrated it to take advantage of what Steam offers, like achievements, and not as DRM.
That protection is not considered invasive; what is considered invasive is what other applications, such as Denuvo, do.