Definition:

Indie – Independent. Small. Good.
Game – Video Game, PC Game, and the like
Magazine – Print Media

The Indie Game Magazine (IGM) is an independently owned Indie Game magazine and web publication. IGM strives to highlight the artists and community behind the most creative video games. For us, the best games around are created by indie developers.

The Indie Game Magazine is a print and digital magazine which was started in October 2008 by Mike Gnade. It was the great initial surge of support from indie game developers and readers that led to The Indie Game Magazine evolving into a bi-monthly digital and print magazine. After about 18 months of steady growth and a successful ‘Pay-What-You-Want’ Promotion, the founders of IGM felt that it was time for an upgrade.

In May 2010, The Indie Game Magazine 2.0 launched with a brand new look for the website and magazine… it was costly, but we’re hoping it will help solidify IGM as a premiere source of Indie Game news and culture.

What are Indie Games?

Indie Games are video games which are made by passionate game developers who typically publish their game on their own via the internet. Indie Games are typical not funded nor published under major labels and therefore the developers are not limited in their scope of creativity. Indie Games will typically stretch the boundaries of what has been done already and sometimes even what is commonly accepted as normal practice. The one thing that they all have in common is the level of passion poured into the game by their developer, as these games are made out of a desire to make a game rather than making money.

About Our Reviews

We rate all of our games based on their graphics, gameplay, sound, and lasting appeal. Our reviews are based upon a 0 – 100%. In addition to our score, our writers will provide ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ for the game, which will help the reader understand why we arrived at the score supplied. The IGM Grading Scale is as follows:

96-100% – Masterpiece

A masterpiece may not be flawless, but it is so exceptional that it is hard to imagine a game being better. At the time of its release, this game will be on the verge of innovation and obliterate people’s perception of Indie Games as inferior to big budget games. It is far better than anything we could have expected.

86-95% – Amazing

One of the best Indie Games out there. When people make a list of the most influential Indie Games, this one will not need a second thought. It might have a few flaws, but this is a must-buy.

76-85% – Great

If you are a fan of Indie Games, then you have got to play this one. It might not be among the very best available, but it’s certainly worth your time. If this is the type of game that appeals to you, then this one should be an automatic purchase.

66-75% – Good

Sure, there are some issues, but the overall, experience is still good enough to recommend. Maybe it lacks ambition or it’s repetitive or has too many technical glitches, but we had fun playing it nonetheless and think you will too.

56-65% – Okay

No one should settle for, “just OK.” With so many Indie Games competing for our attention, developers really have to deliver something fresh and memorable when we commit to our time. While this game is passable, it’s probably worth checking out a demo or a trial before you purchase.

46-55% – Mediocre

This game is on the cusp of being bad. That means that there are one or two good things about it, but an equal, if not greater, number of issues are present. If the game sounds interesting, you might want to give it a try, but don’t expect to be wowed.

36-45% – Bad

Something went wrong during development and this egg went a little rotten. There’s nothing worse than a game that ends up as “bad” on our scale, because it usually means there was some potential that the developer couldn’t live up to.

26-35% – Awful

Bad concept, severe technical flaws, terrible design — these are just some of the characteristics of an awful game. Getting to the end just might be impossible, because the experience is just so terrible.

16-25% – Painful

It physically hurts to play this game. That’s how bad it is. No one is going to enjoy this experience, but there may be one positive peering through the stench.

6-15% – Unbearable

The more you play, the harder it gets to continue living. There’s nothing new or interesting here. Frankly, there is nothing that works.

0-5% – Disaster

One of the worst games ever made. If this game is supposed to be a finished product, someone is clearly mixing up the concept of a game with a torture device.

About You

At The Indie Game Magazine, it is essential for us to work with the community and indies out there to create great content. Our number 1 goal is to have direct interaction with our readers and indie game developers out there. The indie scene is not bustling with millions of dollars and neither is our magazine. We rely on our readers to support our site by suggesting great content, games to review, purchasing a subscription, and spreading the word.

We want the Indie Game Magazine to be the best place for indie game content. We want aspiring game journalists, game developers, and indie games to get noticed and publicized as much as possible.

How the Site Works…Ideally

It’s really easy to contribute to our website and magazine. Simply visit the Submit Section and send in your story, game, picture, video, etc. While, IGM focuses on Indie Games, we are game enthusiasts and enjoy looking at anything that is off the beaten path. Don’t be shy. As long as it’s gaming related, you’re good.

All of our user’s articles are posted to the website, but if your submission grabs our attention we’ll promote it on the front page. If your submission is good enough, it will get pushed to the top of the site for maximum exposure and could even appear in the magazine.

Submitting Content

We’re looking for witty, funny, and insightful content that is relevant to the Indie Game Magazine. Our staff focuses on previewing, reviewing and reporting news on indie games, but you can feel free to submit any gaming related articles. We like stuff that’s odd and different – that’s why we focus on indie and downloadable games rather than AAA titles.

Offensive or promotional stuff gets deleted. Pictures are always a plus. Original, exclusive content is always great. Subscriptions pay the bills and give you additional submission super powers.

Legal Jargon

If you enjoy a reading lots of text, we do have Terms of Use and Privacy policies!