Have you ever heard of indie.io? It is a publisher that focuses on indie games. Any independent video game developer can join them, as long as everything is in order. After all, they do need to screen out if the games are good enough to be published by them. They are releasing something called Indie Pass, and you might be interested.
What is Indie Pass?
The trailer below will tell you everything, but allow us to give our take. Indie Pass is a subscription service where you pay for a fixed amount to enjoy the available games under indie.io and more. Not all games may be there, but for a low amount, you can play as many as you want and for as long as you want, as long as the subscription is still active. This pass is set to launch on April 13, 2026, so it’s still a couple of days off.
Is this a good idea?
For the consumer, if the games are good, then that might be a good take. The price isn’t that high, and it is actually the same price as other indie games. We’re not sure how the developers get a cut, but from what we’ve gathered, they earn percentages the more their games are played by the subscribers.
When the subscription ends, players can keep their progress for the games the played until the next time they subscribe. If they do buy the game from another platform outside of indie.io, then their progress won’t be there. It can be a good subscription to have, especially if you love indie games.
What is indie.io?
The history is a bit simple, indie.io began its journey in 2020 under the original name of Freedom Games. The company was founded by Donovan Duncan and Ben Robinson, two industry veterans with a combined experience of around 40 years in video games and media. Both were lifelong gamers who had previously played key roles in building Gamepedia for Curse, Inc., and later worked through its acquisitions by Twitch and Fandom.
By the time they left Fandom in 2020, Duncan served as chief business officer and Robinson as vice president of gaming. They officially launched Freedom Games in early August 2020 with a clear mission: to provide meaningful support to independent developers where it was most needed, offering hands-on publishing services, marketing, and strategic guidance without the heavy-handed approaches common in the industry.
Indie.io being rebranded
A major milestone arrived on June 3, 2024, when Freedom Games officially rebranded to indie.io. The change reflected the company’s evolution into a more comprehensive full-service developer support and release management platform. Rather than operating solely as a traditional publisher, indie.io positioned itself as an all-in-one ecosystem designed exclusively for independent game creators. This included enhanced tools for game management, marketing, QA, and distribution to over 60 platforms, including major consoles.
Today, indie.io continues to focus on accelerating the success of independent developers through technical know-how, strategic vision, and a passionate team of gamers and specialists. Its growth from a quick-start publisher in 2020 to a multifaceted platform in 2026 underscores a consistent dedication to elevating unique, artistic, and unexpected games created by small teams and solo developers.
