AIIG is on sabbatical

But here are other newsletters you can follow.

AIIG is going on pause. It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly and has weighed on me for several months. But I simply don’t have the time and mental bandwidth that this newsletter deserves. Is this the end of AIIG? I don’t know. I’ll look at my options down the line. But for now, I need to step away from these responsibilities.

A huge thank you to you guys, the readers. AIIG celebrates great smaller games and brings them to the attention of people who enjoy such games. Your responses in reads, comments, likes, and shares validated that vision.

Also, a giant thank you to the writers who have contributed to AIIG: alphabetically they are Christena Maurer, Gonçalo Santos, Grant Wilson, Josh Vasquez, and Trip Harrison. You guys are all super-talented and really passionate about finding and profiling good games. There have been disagreements, not the least around my tendency for heavy editing, but these guys never let me down. Go check out their newsletters.

There is a legion of great gaming newsletters here on Substack. Maybe I might rise out of my sabbatical to produce a profile on some of them. But for now, here’s a list to check out:

• Just One More Turn: Part science about games, part turn-based tactics gourmand. Top of my list for a reason.

• Good Game Lobby: An indie game newsletter on the same standard and level as AIIG, if not above it.

• GameDiscoverCo: My favourite newsletter about the gaming industry.

• Infinite Lives: This newsletter is part of the future of game journalism.

• Margot Plays Video Games: Margot loves her Steamdeck and smaller games, evident through her enthusiastic reviews and game reporting.

• Reconnect Recap: There are many gaming newsletters on Substack. But only a few brings them together, and this is one of the best.

• Over Powered Game Marketing: A great source for game marketing wisdom, though it has been a bit quiet lately.

• Gamedev Relay: One of the OG gaming newsletters here with excellent news roundups and insights.

• Cybercade: Cybercade profiles upcoming games and has revealed plenty of gems to me. Currently dormant, but the archives are worth exploring.

• Exploring The Games: Plenty of news and reviews on great indie games. Another great source of info for discerning gamers.

• The Solo Gamedev: Want to make games or just curious about indie development? This is the best Substack newsletter on that topic, IMO.

• Pixels For Breakfast: Another excellent indie games newsletter with reviews, previews, and news.

• Damage Per Second: I don’t really indulge bigger games anymore unless I get them really cheap on sale, but DPS helps me keep a toe in that pond.

• Bosskey: A fun mix of mainstream gaming culture, news, and stuff about upcoming and new games.

• Game File: I admit I didn't read this newsletter often. But it is arguably the pinnacle of Substack gaming publications.

• Jesse Plays Games: Whenever I want something weird, obscure, or surprising in the indie gaming world, I found it here.

• oya’s game hub: Another indie game super fan who loves sharing her passion and discoveries.

If I skipped someone, I apologise! And if you want even more candidates for good Substack gaming writing, go look at the recommendations on these sites.

For now, thank you for patronising Adventures In Indie Gaming, and happy gaming!