studios and gamers to make real-world impact just by making games and playing, respectively. Buying a game, buying a skin, unlocking an achievement or completing a challenge results in trees being planted in Timor-Leste, or clean cookstoves being funded in Kenya, all as part of Gold Standard environmental projects. No tokenism. Just real, verifiable impact. Rather than compete directly with the larger stores, we simply want
to offer a parallel channel where games can be discovered for both their entertainment, and for their environmental contribution. For indie developers, that means a fresh way to stand out and connect with values-driven players. Many of the studios we work with initially say that they want to be
part of the sustainability conversation, but that there are limits to what they can achieve with a small team. So we provide a simple, no-code solution that doesn’t eat into dev time or disrupt roadmaps.
Project: Indie enables smaller studios to contribute to climate
solutions without adding to their workload. From asset bundles to seasonal events, we help studios turn gameplay into climate action – and in turn increase the discoverability of their games among an already engaged, passionate audience.
PROOF OF POSSIBILITY: THE GREEN GAMES SHOWCASE At Summer Game Fest 2025, we premiered the first-ever Green Games
Showcase, hosted by esteemed journalist formerly of this parish, Will Freeman, and spotlighted a wide range of indie and major studios united by purpose. The ultimate aim was to plant 50,000 trees in support of reforestation and the restoration of endangered animal habitats in Timor-Leste, through a partnership with leading local nonprofit WithOneSeed. For us, the showcase proved what we’ve long believed: there is a global appetite for games that don’t just entertain, but inspire. Moreover, especially when it comes to marketplaces, sustainability
doesn’t need to come at the expense of commercial performance. One studio experienced a 400% increase in wishlisting and more than 7,000 installs for one of its games after featuring as part of the Showcase, while others saw 50% more installs and 75% more store impressions over the same period. Whether it’s by watching a Showcase or by visiting an online
store, players are responding to purpose, while studios are earning recognition and being discovered by more players – in turn, environmental projects are receiving the funding they urgently need.
A PARALLEL PATH, NOT A COMPETING CHANNEL Indie games are bursting with creativity, but often find it difficult to gain the discoverability support they deserve. PlanetPlay is here to champion them, not compete with existing platforms. We like to think we offer an alternative stage, one where your game isn’t just another listing, but a meaningful choice. If you’re an indie studio ready to do good while doing what you
love, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can help players discover your game not just for what it plays like, but for the difference it makes.
Secret Mode’s triple BAFTA award-winning Still Wakes The Deep will be one of the major indie titles featured as part of Project: Indie on the PlanetPlay marketplace from August. Here, the firm’s Chief Publishing Officer James
Schall explains what having a green store presence means to the studio…
What are the biggest challenges facing indie games right now, particularly when it comes to discoverability? Being seen and understood. Players are overwhelmed with choice and content, all while having less time and less money to spend on new games. A 15-year-old game is just as relevant to players as one that was released 15 minutes ago – that’s a huge change for the industry. See how Star Wars BattleFront 2 shot into hyperspace: right time, right place, but not many folks aligned to the game knew that massive boost was coming. All this maturity means that it’s harder to make your money back quickly; you’re not just competing with the 300 games released this week, but with the 250,000 games that have been released since PONG.
How did the collaboration with PlanetPlay come about, how do you work together, and what value did you see in aligning Secret Mode with the platform? One of Secret Mode’s core values is to give back where we can. We have created some great charity partnerships already with the likes of Access Sport, Special Event, Autistica, Whale and Dolphin, Safe in Our World amongst others. We want our industry to be aware of not only our strengths, but also with some things we should be a little bit more responsible for. The conversation with PlanetPlay came about due to that desire.
The fact that any profits from PlanetPlay’s store are invested in green projects is unique. What would you say are the biggest benefits of this to Secret Mode and why would you encourage other publishers and studios to embrace this opportunity? Allowing consumers to be a little bit more charitable with their shopping habits is a tool that works across a wide range of industries, adding in extra chances at being noticed, while helping charities is of real interest to Secret Mode.
PlanetPlay is a not-for-profit platform that empowers gamers worldwide to contribute to environmental action and biodiversity protection through in-game purchases and gameplay with our affiliated game studios. Find out more at
partners.planetplay.com.
August/September 2025 MCV/DEVELOP | 39
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