Indie game marketplace Itch.io has launched a bundle which, aside from being absurdly good value, helps support Ukraine.
The bundle, dubbed Bundle for Ukraine, features 572 PC games, some of which are also playable on Mac. It also features 317 paper-based role-playing games, as well as a handful of soundtracks and assets. How much does this bounty cost? According to Itch.io it’s worth just over $6,500 but you can nab it or a measly $10.
You can donate more, with the average donation currently sitting at $15, but whatever you pay, all the proceeds are split equally between two charities, both working to help war-torn Ukraine. And yes, that’s proceeds, not profits, so if you pay $20, each of the two charities will get $10.
The first charity is International Medical Corps, who (amongst others) are currently providing medical assistance in the region. The second is Voices of Children, an organisation that helps children traumatised by war and, in the charity’s own words, “…getting back to being kids.”
All the games are downloaded from Itch.io’s website, there are no Steam keys which, on reflection, is a smart move – you just know they’d end up on some shady key reselling site. There are too many games to list here, and it’s a great way to experience some great little indie titles. But if you want to know where to start, here are a few of our picks:
- Superhot – a shoot-em-up where the enemies only move when you do.
- Sundered – a Metroidvania inspired by Norse mythology.
- 2064: Read Only Memories – a retro-styled cyberpunk adventure.
- Bury Me, My Love – an emotional adventure which casts you as a desperate refugee.
- Night Call – a taxi-based detective story where you interrogate your passengers.
- Cook, Serve, Delicious 2 – a high-speed restaurant management game.
- Celeste – a platformer about a mountaineer facing her inner demons.
- Minit – an adorable but taxing game where your character lives for one minute.
There’s a real range of genres here, from action games through to visual novels and beyond. Will you get round to playing all these titles? Maybe not, but as a chance to dip into something new, as well as pick up a few higher profile titles, it’s worth $10 of anyone’s money. And, given that your money will be doing some real good, what more could you want?
Bundle for Ukraine can be found here and is available for the next nine-and-a-bit days. If you’re looking for other ways to support the people of Ukraine, read this.
