itch.io is the collective organizing platform we have, but is it the one we need?
A pattern of delays in communication and payment from itch.io have repeatedly left charity organizers and game sellers in the dark.
In October of 2023, amidst a new wave of asymmetric conflict between the Israeli government and the people of Palestine, Esther Wallace began organizing the Games for Gaza fundraiser on digital games marketplace itch.io. What occurred over the following months revealed fundamental problems in itch.io as a platform and the ecosystem of charity organizing itself.
itch.io, founded in 2013, has doubled as the hosting platform in recent years for a growing movement of philanthropic fundraising: game bundles. For these initiatives, designers donate games to be purchased for a single, low-cost lump sum. The proceeds then go to a predetermined charitable cause. The model is not unique to itch.io. Other platforms such as Humble Bundle and Tiltify have facilitated these types of charity events, but for grassroots designers in the tabletop industry, itch.io reigns supreme. Charity models such as these are often criticized as being counterproductive to systemic change, placing the responsibility of equity and communal care on individual philanthropy rather than addressing the root causes of suffering the charity hopes to mitigate.
When the tangible realities of large-scale mutual aid efforts seem impossibly out of reach (or require actions and sacrifices that would disrupt the capitalist consumer lifestyle), resorting to individual charitable donations can seem like the only option available. In the face of these seemingly insurmountable social issues, these initiatives are marketed as opportunities for those who feel helpless to contribute towards ameliorating direct suffering. Community reception to these bundles are overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and purchasing a bundle is often viewed as both a practical and moral transaction—for the low price of $15 dollars, and the simple click of a button, you receive hundreds of games while providing aid to those in need.
