The One: About, History, and FAQ
Special

|| About the Hoomans connecting ||
It has taken many years to get to a state where exposing even a portion of myself was on the "to-do" list, and while this page will always make me feel 50 shades of embarrassed, it is time and had to be done. So, welcome to the nervous rambles of Indie Game Lover™ (aka Kitty).

It feels so long ago yet like it was just yesterday and I can still smell the fresh paint. Indie Game Lover™ began as a passion project in 2014 (and still is) to help the under represented. As a life long gamer, lover of creativity, and medic type personality, Indie Game Lover has always been a very direct representation of everything that I hold dear. And as the Core section below tries to explain, the passion runs deeper than games alone.

In the present time though, how do I even put into words where this newest chunk of time has taken me? Indie Game Lover™ 2.5 is now alive and kicking (something I didn't dream would be a thing).

So many changes came through 2019 and into the present 2024. I met my boyfriend Bluecoaster (now husband) who is the reason that 2.5 even exists, I embarked on a huge new related adventure co-owning Indie World Order™ and IWOCon. I am also one of the team behind #PitchYaGame & more!

There are some other gaming projects and lots of other big indie-related projects as well in various places but I won't go into detail about that side, at least not now. Needless to say, the work is never-ending as it has always been, the content is still flowing, and everything is intense.


Back to my boyfriend (now husband) Bluecoaster, who is a web developer by trade, the whole reason he has earned such a beefy placement in this about page now (versus the smaller mention he had within it before) is not simply because I am being cringy-cute but also because he took my site off of the little retro starting pads and rebuilt the entire thing from the ground up and housed it onto it's own "grown-up" server. It has all been very tailored and custom-made and I am incredibly lucky and thankful and watched with awe as he created it. No longer is it held together with janky bandaids, but is now all beautifully perfect with room to grow. Don't worry, I do lots for him too. Kitty care. ♥

Let us now take a moment and go back some...



|| Indie Game Lover Beginings ||
In the early days: there was a small handful of people that always stood out for being early popups. They ranged with a variety of things they were up talented with from relatable game dev comics and science fiction books that dazzled, to music I still play on repeat (there is another artest mentioned in IGL Visual History section). Fun fact? A couple years later, I ended up being a character voice in Neoninsect's New Moscow Underground's story portion (my chracter was Nory).




There was one other that stood out heavily (one some of you will remember)-- Oliver Snyders, for his game poems, indie aid, and book (A Gamer’s Guide to Gaming). Eventually we collided directly and even further along the line (during 2019) he became a contributor here during "Indie Game Lover™ 2.0". I was thankful for what he brought along and was sad, but understood, when he needed to depart from the IGL aid.


||A few notes about the music||

You may notice some sweet songs that circulate through the Youtube channel and if you expand the information on the videos you'll find out where it came from on a per-video basis. Even easier though is to read this quick summary:

Many videos are using songs from Indie Game Lover's friend. This is a specifically nameless person for now.

The others cropping up come from Failpositive an incredibly talented composer who is always impressing everyone so go check out their page and do things.





|| Indie Game Lover Visual History ||
I began Indie Game Lover™ in 2014 with a small start as just a Twitter account with plans on more. I didn't take long to get on top of expanding but the changes both visually and in content has changed dramatically over the years (for instance, you can now find videos). I did everything solo until 2019 when I had Oliver around and began a site overhaul into Indie Game Lover 2.0.



{The top drawn red heart logo was made for me by Steffen Wittig.}

There were many grueling months worth of prep before the visuals changed for Indie Game Lover 2.0 and went public in 2019 and even more grueling months for Indie Game Lover 2.5 in 2020 with Bluecoaster's aid. The amount of stuff being shared increased as well and has continued to grow despite being back to solo.

Oliver stayed for the year of 2019 as we tried various ideas and in 2020 it was back to just myself. Bluecoaster began working on an entire rebuild from the ground up early 2020 and 2.5 version was born in May 2020 after a LOT of work (which is what you see today).

Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date or visit Patreon to help aid the efforts.



Indie Game Lover Core
Why do I work so hard?

While at the foundation of Indie Game Lover™ is a passion for gaming, the walls are built from the passion of wanting to help others and the very core is a concept of shielding that runs much deeper than games alone which is why the community is so important.

I have known many people who have been suicidal and known many deaths and attempted deaths at the hands of the dark. Don't be afraid to use the suicide prevention hotline. There is no shame in doing so as you are anonymous. They are not only there to help those on the edge, but also for those who know people that are struggling and need to talk about it from the other side.


While it isn't an easy topic, pouring out aid tries to remind as many people as possible that you are not alone. There has always been an important feelings theme behind Indie Game Lover™, one that is bigger than gaming and art. It wants people to feel a reminder of being loved in general by other humans, while somehow trying to feel like a place for escape and to not feel forgotten-- sometimes being reminded that a random stranger doesn't see you as worthless is the one thing that keeps someone from the edge.





|| Fluff that FAQ ||
The short and mighty.

To make this section easy to read, I'll cut right to the chase with short answers.

You mentioned the Suicide Prevention Hotline? Yes, they are good people and you can talk to someone no matter what your connection is to the subject matter 1-800-273-8255. Note: this is for US but I am sure there are alternatives for other countries. I recommend calling instead of waiting to chat online as you can get to someone faster. Also it is anonymous and you are in control over how much information you are willing to give.

Are you a bot? Nope, everything is lovingly by hand.
When did you start gaming? Roughly age 4-5 I have not known life without being a gamer.
How many people run Indie Game Lover™? Just me Indie Game Lover™ (aka Kitty).
Where do the graphics / design / art come from? Handmade by Indie Game Lover™ (aka Kitty).
Who developed your site? Bluecoaster did a full rebuild from the ground up in 2020.
Where did the music come from? See the music section above.
How can I be a contributor? You can not. Currently Indie Game Lover™ is not open for adding anyone.
How come on Discord I only see you play Beat Saber? This is because that is my workout and so occasionally I expose it in order to try and trick myself into sticking it out longer.
How can I be on the sidebar? Those are not paid for spots and are just personal shares for special reasons.
How do I submit my game? Submission forms are here; pick your poison.
How do I get in [insert any post type here]? Submit your games for the best chances, submissions cover all types of posts in one spot but as with any place, it does not guarantee you will be featured. If you have a Kickstarter, you can also DM or tag the link on Twitter @indiegamelover
What happens to keys you don't use? Either nothing and they just sit in the void, or I may toss them into giveaways -- never sold.
What is the best way to contact you? Twitter.
I have an odd proposition to ask? Reach out on Twitter.
How can I help? Thank you! Any type of social media you interact with is highly useful, telling your friends, following, etc. You can also subscribe to Patreon or send Kofi.


Indie Game Lover™ takes a lot of work.
If you like what I do and want to keep seeing my content, please consider visiting Patreon;
even $1 counts and the mental support it gives is substantial. ♥
You can also drop coffee bombs on Kofi. ♥
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Take Me Away
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Highlights: #PitchYaGame Direct 2024 - curated games: Gori: Cuddly Carnage, Laysara: Summit Kingdom, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina), Screenbound, Wandering Sword, Back to the Dawn, Streep, Kingdoms of the Dump, Murky Divers, Tavern Talk, Macabre, The Berlin Apartment, Dystopika, dotAGE, Cozy Dungeons, Helen, Ova Magica, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, IMMORTAL: And the Death that Follows, A Webbing Journey, Rogue Voltage, Dice & Fold, BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW, Building Relationships, Havendock, The Sacred Acorn, CRAVE, 10 Dead Doves, Cyber Paradise, Farewell North....

Highlights: New Indie Games You Missed ❤ July 2024 Week 2 - curated games: Horticular, Anger Foot, ZOMBIE RAID: No One Survives, Happy Sheepies, Ark of Charon, Once Human, Prune & Milo, The Last Alchemist, Litha and the Sunhouse, Hexpire, Super Dark Deception, Descending The Woods, Time Treker, MouseVentures, Zero Division....

To Magical Places
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