Free Indie Games - This is my project !

It was not the best way to start the new year...
When things go well, no one ever thinks that it could all go wrong...

2021 had just ended, with the team on Discord, we were discussing how this year we had obtained more subscribers and views than the previous year. There were talks of new features being added, improvements being made and how they can impact the site in 2022.



Everything was going smoothly, and we did not suspect that the unexpected was just around the corner. The first days of January the site began to have problems. The server appeared unreachable, and the site is inaccessible. We start the "standard maneuvers" and after a couple of postponements, everything was back to working.

Two days pass and the site is down again. No changes had recently been applied to Indiexpo, which made it difficult to understand what was going wrong. However, this made us understand that the problem was at the server level and not at the code level.

The "standard maneuvers" didn't help this time, so we were lucky enough to have the site programmer come to the rescue. He finds a strange connection between the site and the server. He doesn't quite understand what's going on, but he finds a way to recalibrate some settings and the site is back up and running.



But after a day the site is down again, and the error seems even more serious.

Chat started to think that the site is closing. We received emails and reports of users who were unable to access the site for days. Talks on social media had everyone guessing to what was happening on the website.

We contacted the service that sold us the server. They reassured us by saying that the problem does not depend on them, and that they do not detect problems, but the site is still down. This time it cannot stay up for a few minutes without crashing, and the programmer no longer knows how to address the faults. This was seemingly impossible.



The service staff who sold us the server propose a hardware replacement. Components that should improve the performance will be presented and replaced.

We accepted and waited anxiously.

Then the news...

We are contacted again, and we are told that during the replacement of the various components, the hard drive with all the games and data appeared to be damaged.

We immediately check the backup, and we realize that it is not up to date at all and the material that we could lose would be substantial. So understandably, it resulted in the closure of the site.



The programmer explains that if the hard drive still turns, maybe we will be able to recover some files. If it does not turn, we should go to a specialized centre to try to recover the data. However, the latter option would be very expensive, risky, and extremely difficult.

It was agreed that the work would be carried out in two attempts.

The first attempt is made.

It fails...

This 12-year long work could all end. The beginning of 2022 can mark the end of a site that is now part of our daily life.

We begin to contact a specialized centre (with exorbitant costs) and we begin to think if we should start over (impossible) or change the site entirely. We were totally disoriented and helpless.

The second attempt begins.

Success! All games and data are recovered!

The site is put back online, the backup restored and enhanced.

indiexpo still lives!

Thanks guys for being close and supporting us!

We are back to stay!

Let's do it!

We didn't think the filter would work so well!

Throughout November and December we reintroduced a feature (redesigned): filters per games.

We strive to work towards site simplifications, and creating a minimalist design.

We included features to promote smoother user operations. This resulted with positive user feedback.

This is incredible!
We will continue to work and improve this function!



Other recent news:
- Fixed a bug that would send you an email notification about your comments
- added the Greek language to the site
- translated the email notifications

Hi guys! Recently another games-platform started to mail intimidations, to paralyze our services, supposing several violations.

Luckily we found very good (senior) partners that suggested us what to do. We didn't suspended our website and those "intimidations" were retired.

This 2022 is very crazy!



But probably you are here for the updates...let's start!



Latest Updates:

- you will see your own (last) comment on top in the game-pages commented;

(so you can follow the discussion easily and fastly)

- improved the design of the pages for wide screens;

(We fixed yesterday ther last graphic-bugs, tell us if you see something strange)

- Added Greek language;

(But still not Greek games)

- Added new cards when you level up.

https://blogimg.ngfiles.com/698000/iu_698356_9199917.webp

But the biggest update will come this summer (I hope). It needs a lot of tests but it will make the platform more competitive for players!

Continue to follow and support our social pages! We need your help!


Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram

Video Rewind 2022 -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYXYksidtu0

As the end of 2022 approaches, we reflect on a year that started off with a bang but ultimately proved to be a year of transition and experimentation. Despite the challenges we faced, we were able to support several talented developers and even saw the emergence of new, amazing teams, like Red Mountain and their hit game, The Crown of Wu.

Throughout the year, our main focus was on maintaining stability and looking towards the future. And while not everything went smoothly, we learned valuable lessons and made progress towards our goals.

We are grateful to all of the amazing developers who have supported this project. Yor contributions have helped to improve the gaming experience for so many people, and we look forward to continuing to work with you as we tackle the challenges of 2023.
Here's to a new year filled with exciting gaming adventures!

... 2022 vs 2021!

indiexpo saw approximately a 20% decrease in users and new users in 2022 compared to the previous year. This means that there were fewer people visiting or signing up for the website in 2022 compared to 2021. One possible reason for this decrease could be the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in many parts of the world in 2021, which may have resulted in more people staying at home and spending more time online.
However, despite this decrease, the number of sessions increased by 20%, with more visits to the website in 2022 than in the previous year.



This suggests that even though the number of users and new users may have decreased, those who did visit the website were returning more frequently.

The average duration of sessions increased by 26%, meaning that users spent more time on the website during each session. This could be a sign that users found the indie games interesting and decided to spend more time browsing it. The bounce rate, or the percentage of users who visit the website and then leave without visiting any other games, decreased by 11%. This means that users showed more interest in the website and browsed more games before leaving.
Direct traffic, or the number of users who type the website's address directly into their browser, increased by 39%. This means that there was an increase in the number of users who visited the website by typing the address directly, likely because they already knew about the website or had heard about it previously. Referral traffic, or the number of users who reached the website by clicking on a link on another website, increased by 43%. This means that there was an increase in the number of users who discovered the website through links on other websites.



When analyzing the geographic location of indiexpo website players, it is observed that traffic from China decreased by 28%, while traffic from America, India, Germany, and France increased by 12%, 53%, 112%, and 15%, respectively. These data show the website's spread to different parts of the world!

Additionally, the number of online games played increased by 24% in 2022 compared to 2021, and also the games downloaded increased by 35% in 2022!
In terms of analyzing traffic acquired by the Indiexpo website, it is important to mention the sources from which the majority of users come and how these sources have changed over the two years. For example, there has been an increase in direct and referral traffic, while organic search and social network traffic have decreased. By providing more detailed and complete information about the indiexpo website's situation and its performance over time, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the website's progress and identify potential areas for improvement.

Talking about specific games, we can see that games like Kingdom of Pixels 2D MOBA, Towerland,  uploaded during the 2022, were the most played during this year. Also Il Viaggio del Saggio, a Rpg Maker game still only in italian, gained a lot of players!

Overall, the data for the indiexpo website in 2022 shows a mix of both positive and negative trends compared to the previous year. While there was a decrease in the number of users and new users and a decrease in organic search and social network traffic, there were also increases in the number of sessions, games per session, average session duration, and direct and referral traffic.

By considering all of these factors and taking into account possible external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to get a more complete picture of the website's performance and identify opportunities for growth and improvement!

During this first semester, besides fixing a few things (such as the Advanced Search, which now has a better design and a new filter for searching games by year), we have finally released a new important feature that we are excited about: Quests!

What are the Quests? How do they work?
We have revolutionized the Events section!

You can go to the event page, "Accept" the mission assigned (which can be to "find an object", "survive as long as possible", "get a certain number of points", etc.), then play the game and receive 100 gems as a reward!



Why this new feature?
Many sites similar to ours often organize events/jams for developers. We didn't want to follow this path, which has already been widely used by others (also because in the end, a contest can be organized very well on a forum, social media, or elsewhere). We wanted to focus more on games and players.



How to create missions linked to your own games?
The fundamental thing is that the game is playable online. Then just contact the staff (by email or on Discord) to enable the scoring system and create linked missions!

A more effective notification system has not yet been integrated, but every day we are refining and perfecting this feature!



Try to win some missions and let us know what you think!

We are sure that players will love this new gaming experience, where they can accept fun challenges and win gem prizes!

Original post on the blog

Here we are at the end of an incredible year!
Our rewind video with the best games is online, and we can't wait for you to watch it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HDeKdhZhS4

It's been an exciting year, and we look forward to reflecting on everything in January, with an analysis of what has been done and what will be done to improve the site.
Thanks to everyone for making this community so special, from a small union of Italian forums to something grand!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
And Merry Christmas to all!

Hello everyone, I'm delighted to share with you our plan for 2024 and to outline some of the initiatives we've already undertaken. This year, instead of focusing on comparing the statistics from 2022 and 2023, I want to concentrate on the future and the operational excellence that awaits us.

Our unquestionable priority for 2024 is speed. We must ensure that our website provides a smooth and responsive experience for all our users.

To that end, we're working on several initiatives:
- Improving the mobile-friendliness of the site (which may include launching an app)
- Creating a quicker and more intuitive contact area for our staff (already operational)
- Implementing a new section on the homepage dedicated to online games, optimized for mobile devices.
- Introducing new medals to reward games and players achieving significant milestones.

Additionally, we'll continue to actively engage players through the creation of Challenges and the introduction of new exclusive games, always with the aim of providing them with an unparalleled gaming experience.

I'm confident in what the future holds for us and grateful to have such a talented and dedicated community! Together, we'll accomplish great things!

The latest updates! Speed, Challenges, Medals and so on!
We are excited to announce a series of updates and improvements on indiexpo! These changes are designed to make the site experience even more enjoyable and functional for both players and game developers. Here are the latest updates:

1. Improved Event/Challenge Pages

   You can now view the player leaderboard. This allows participants to track their progress and compete to reach the top!



2. New Area for Upcoming Events/Challenges

   We have created a dedicated section for future events and challenges, so you can plan your participation and never miss an opportunity to play.



3. Game Size Visible Before Download

   Before downloading a game, you can now see its size. This helps better manage the available space on your device.



4.New User Medals

   New medals for users have been introduced. These recognitions make the gaming experience even more rewarding, encouraging participation and interaction.



5. Improved Notifications for Mentions in Comments

   Notifications when you are mentioned in a comment have been improved, making it easier to follow conversations and respond promptly.



6. Upload Images in WEBP Format

   Developers can now upload images in WEBP format for their games. This format offers better compression without losing quality, optimizing site performance.



7. Introduction of ARIA Attributes for Accessibility

   We are beginning to implement ARIA attributes to improve site accessibility.



8. Improved Site Speed

   We have worked to improve the site speed, especially in the Levels area, User Pages, and with the use of Caches. Browsing indiexpo is now faster and smoother. There will be future updates to further enhance loading times.



9. Increased Social Media Activity

   Our activity on social media is increasing, with new videos in a new format to engage young gamers more effectively. Don't miss our updates and exclusive content!



These updates are designed to improve the usability and functionality of the site, offering a better experience for everyone. Stay tuned for more news and, as always, enjoy indiexpo!

I know this post is pretty old, but I just came across Indiexpo and it's still a great spot for finding cool indie games.

Thank you so much Osteerha!

We are continuing to improve it... so we’re excited to announce the latest improvements on indiexpo, designed to make your experience faster, smoother and more enjoyable. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new:

- Improved Site Speed: Thanks to a server upgrade, the overall loading speed of the site has been significantly enhanced, ensuring a quicker and more responsive browsing experience.

- Sleek New Slideshow: Our slideshow has been revamped with a modern, animated design. It features quick-slide indicators and is fully optimized for mobile. The games showcased in the slideshow will be updated, as always, weekly, keeping the content fresh and exciting!



- In-Game Challenges Access: You can now view ongoing challenges directly within a game's page. This update makes it easier to participate in challenges without having to leave the game page you’re interested in.

- Language and Content Filters: We’ve added a convenient feature in the game description area. By clicking on the language tags, you can instantly search for other games available in that language. The same applies to the “Adult Games” tag, making it simpler to find exactly what you’re looking for.

- Updated News/Updates Section: The news area in the game pages has been overhauled with a window-style interface that’s faster and easier to scroll through. We’ve removed the old pagination system and introduced a “Show More” button for a smoother, infinite-scrolling experience.



- Icon Updates: We’ve refreshed several icons across the site, giving them a more modern look and feel.

- Email Change Bug Fixed: We’ve resolved the issue that was affecting email changes. Updating your contact information is now hassle-free.

In the coming months, we’ll be focusing on improving site security and we’re also planning to introduce a brand-new feature for both players and developers by the end of the year.

Thank you for being a part of the indiexpo community and happy gaming!