Itch raises funds for racial justice with a 700+ game bundle
With hundreds more to be added
This weekend, indie-centric storefront Itch.io kicked off their massive Bundle For Racial Justice And Equality. Pulling together a collection of 749 (and counting) indie darlings, hobby projects and unsung curiosities for a meagre $5, Itch's massive bundle has currently raised well over $400,000 for legal defence funds across the United States - and there's no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
The mega-bundle follows a number of initiatives on Itch raised in support of continued protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, in the face of disproportionate police violence against black communities.
Right now, the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is offering 749 games from over 565 creators, with 185 more are set to be added tomorrow. All funds raised by the bundle will be split 50/50 between the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund, providing financial support during continued protests and political action across the US.
With so many games from so many creators, the bundle also acts as a broad snapshot of everything the Itch scene has to offer. Indie favourites like Minit, A Short Hike and Night In The Woods sit nestled next to Extreme Meatpunks Forever, Eat Girl, and that gosh dang Desktop Goose. There are even a few pen-and-paper games littered in there, including brilliant mud 'n' lasers mech romp Lancer.
It would take weeks, months even, to dig into everything on show here (and you'll forgive me for not tagging every single one below this post). Admittedly, the idea of flooding your game library with 749 new games also sounds slightly unbearable. To that end, Itch creator Leaf Corcoran notes that you'll be able to pick and choose what gets added to your library.
"When you buy the bundle, 740+ games will not flood your library," Corcoran explains. "You can pick what items you want from your purchase receipt page to be put in your library at any time."
Itch's bundle follows Contigo Games' Black Lives Matter Bundle, which at time of writing has raised just shy of $65,000 for Black Lives Matter and the National Bail Fund Network with its own collection of 20 games. They're hardly alone, either, with the BLM Bundle organisers compiling a list of charity bundles currently running on Itch.
The Bundle For Racial Justice And Equality will remain live until June 16th. To get you started, Itch have put together their own personal selections from the bunch.