INDIE GAMES DESERVE A BIGGER STAGE – AND A GREENER ONE
PlanetPlay CEO Rhea Loucas lifts the lid on Project: Indie, a new green discovery initiative for smaller studios within the not-for-profit’s existing games marketplace…
I
ndie developers are producing some of the most innovative, heartfelt and culturally relevant games out there. Yet, for many of these creators, visibility remains
one of their biggest challenges. At a time when more than 1,000 new games are released each month across platforms, standing out can be tough. At PlanetPlay, we believe that part of the solution lies
in building not just visibility, but value: for developers, for players, and for the planet. We see a new kind of opportunity for indies: a stage where games are discovered not just for entertainment, but for impact. So this August, we are launching Project: Indie – a
green discovery platform for indie studios within our online marketplace at
planetplay.com. With plug-and-play integration and a clear business model, the initiative enables smaller studios to increase the discoverability of their games among an already engaged, passionate audience.
THE INDIE REALITY: DAVID VS. MANY GOLIATHS Releasing a game in 2025 is like launching a message in a
bottle into an ocean of content. Players aren’t just choosing what to buy from the myriad new releases this week: they have vast back catalogues to dive into going back decades. The recent resurgence of older titles (see Secret Mode
38 | MCV/DEVELOP August/September 2025
boxout), for example, particularly those tied into TV shows or movies has proved that timing and context can matter as much as newness when it comes to purchasing or download decisions. It’s a challenge for developers and publishers across
the market, but for indie studios, it makes discoverability harder than ever. Development time is precious, marketing budgets are lean, and audience growth often depends on platform curation, not just quality. Meanwhile, players are overwhelmed with choice and short of time.
WHAT PLAYERS WANT: MEANING X ENTERTAINMENT Here’s the good news: today’s players, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are hungry for meaning and on the hunt for impact. They’re not just looking for games to play; they’re looking for causes to stand behind. As I referenced in my last article, our Play2Act survey conducted with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), revealed that 79% of gamers who engaged with environmental messages in games made greener choices in real life. PlanetPlay’s marketplace – and now Project:Indie as part
of that ecosystem – exists to make sustainability effortless and authentic. Our not-for-profit discovery platform allows
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