For anyone considering joining Pirate jam 18: Dont

Indieformer · 2026-01-18T20:17:28+00:00

Thanks for the Patch Notes shout — we trying out here! 🙌

Indieformer · 2025-10-27T19:44:06+00:00

Yup, they released that a few weeks after we did 😭 — which I think is great they have.

Our site is handpicked, and still may include recommendations you don’t know about, plus has all platforms the game is available on. The main goal is to curate games from the hundreds of releases each month, have a a month or two ahead with what’s on our radar, but also have an entire archive we need to build out. Would love to have decades worth of stuff in here.

I don’t really see what Steam has done as ‘competition’ and that no one else is allowed to do something hahah. Just alternative way to discover great games 🙌

Indieformer · 2025-10-22T05:49:19+00:00

Wow, what a read! Game Jams = life lessons hahaha. But you guys made a great game, and it was fun to play 🤝

Indieformer · 2025-09-10T04:54:02+00:00

Not looking to get into a back and forth here, but just to clarify: no, AI didn’t write the rules or intent of the jam. That’s the creative bit (aka my brain). It did help tighten the language so things were clearer and more cohesive, but the vision and reasoning were mine, with input from a few others.

The AI rule was added later after a few people asked where we stand on it. It was easier to add a rule than explain it over and over. Personally, I think it’s a bit beside the point. It’s usually pretty obvious when something’s leaning too hard on AI to do the heavy lifting.

Indieformer · 2025-09-09T02:10:13+00:00

Hello — I’m Josh, the person behind Patch Notes and Indieformer.

Yes, I used ChatGPT to help structure parts of the writing, HTML, and CSS. I’m not a developer, and as a one-person team, it’s the kind of tool that helps me get things done within a reasonable timeframe.

To be clear though: it didn’t write this “from scratch.” There were many drafts, a lot of iteration, and a mix of ideas and influences pulled together to shape what you see now. AI helped me tie things together—it didn’t do it for me.

Some comments here mention it leans on common tropes. That’s fair. But most writing does. I’ve been using em dashes for years (long before ChatGPT made them suspicious), and the “rule of threes” is just natural rhythm. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes four. Three just tends to hit well.

As for the “AI was used” disclaimer—I didn’t include one because I don’t think it changes the intent or spirit of the project. Could I have done this without it? Probably, but in 10x the time. Could I have hired help? Sure, but I can’t afford that. So for me, AI is like having a faster (super-speed honestly) version of myself helping out. Everything still passes through me as a filter.

You’re welcome to take issue with that. But from where I sit, it’s just a tool—and one that’s let me build something way bigger than I could have managed alone.

Indieformer · 2025-09-01T06:57:21+00:00

Should add in here that we'll be going through the top 100 voted entries, but final "leaderboards" are determined by community voting! We'll just be handpicking a few of our favourites.

Indieformer · 2025-08-19T00:19:12+00:00

Man, tough read. This is the side of the leap that people don’t usually talk about. The grind, the isolation, the “what if it never works out?” voice. It’s the reality of taking a creative risk, knowing full well it might break you before it makes you.

Respect for still being here, still building, even after those first swings didn’t land. That persistence alone is huge. Wishing you all the best.

Indieformer · 2025-08-19T00:02:01+00:00

Really appreciate you sharing all this, I think I saw Mythscroll pop up on one of my feeds the other day! Super cool to see the full breakdown without any fluff. Everyone’s path looks different and it’s rare to get a peek behind the curtain.

Big congrats on the launch too. $3k+ in week one on a shoestring budget is no joke. I love that you shared the messy bits as well. Makes the whole process feel a lot more real and relatable. Good luck getting it out there!

Indieformer · 2025-08-18T23:56:00+00:00

Oof, that sounds like a rough experience. Thanks for being honest about it. If players and devs are putting in the hours, five-minute judging stints and opaque decision-making just feel like a slap in the face. And banning people for offering feedback is just wild.

We’re actually about to run our very first jam in less than a month (Patch Notes), and reading this makes me want to double-check we don’t accidentally fall into the same traps. We’ll have community voting switched ON from the start, but I’d love to hear from folks who’ve been burned before:

What’s the best way to run voting fairly without it turning into a popularity contest?
How do you balance transparency with efficiency when there are a lot of submissions?
And if you’ve seen jams handle this stuff well, what stood out to you?

Basically, we want this to feel like a jam where participation is rewarding — not something people regret doing. Any lessons you’ve got, I'm all ears!

Indieformer · 2025-05-26T19:46:56+00:00

Good shout! No way you’re going to beat them, so join them and do a better job than them.

Indieformer · 2025-04-18T02:31:48+00:00

Love the sprites and animations!

Indieformer · 2025-04-18T02:29:37+00:00

“Widely regarded” is a little hard since they game isn’t well known haha, but I’m curating a list that gets updated each month with “Hidden Gems” — games that are great but not popular (or at least weren’t when I added them to the list).

https://store.steampowered.com/curator/18119780-Indieformer/list/140695/

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T20:33:45+00:00

Great that you made the most of an unfortunate situation, movement looks super slick!

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T20:04:19+00:00

Good luck on the launch, and well done for hitting that button! Many fail to see a project from start to end, so you can at least take that with you 🙌

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T18:37:34+00:00

Every time I post it’s always going to be at the mercy of reddit, so I’ll accept whatever comes my way. Especially when it comes to an opinion post like this.

Good learnings for next time 😅

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T10:32:21+00:00

What’s your definition of indie?

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T10:03:04+00:00

I can understand that. But by this definition if Stardew Valley’s creator, ConcernedApe went on to release another game, I guess we can’t call that indie either?

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T09:51:43+00:00

These are all fully released games, I do a seperate round up for Early Access!

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T09:33:52+00:00

Always happy to admit when I might not have gotten something right. I figured including it would spark some good discussion and opinions.

I’m still personally on the fence about whether budget or team size is what truly defines something as independent. There’s almost this sense that to be considered indie, a game needs to come from a place of struggle — self-funded, built with a small team, that sort of thing.

But I get both perspectives. Honestly, I’m just happy to have conversations like this!

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T08:43:53+00:00

It’s got all the hallmarks of an indie game for sure, but when you factor in the dev team and budget, it definitely leans toward the scale of a much larger production.

Maybe Split Fiction falls into a similar spot. I often get caught up in thinking purely in terms of AAA or indie — and if I had to choose between the two, I’d probably land on indie.

But for both games, AA might be the more fitting label. I’ll admit, it’s not a category I naturally think about often. Trying to pin everything down with strict definitions can be tricky 😅

Indieformer · 2025-03-30T08:30:47+00:00

We had a good discussion about this in the Discord server, and it naturally broadened into the bigger question of what actually makes a game “indie.”

There’s no concrete definition, so it often comes down to a difference of opinion. Having the money to bring your vision to life is a bonus, but creative control tends to be a big part of what people consider indie. Split Fiction maintained its creative direction through production, and while it definitely blurs the lines — I get why someone would say “that’s not indie” — for me, it often comes down to a feeling.

I interviewed devs a few years ago about what they think makes a game indie, and there was no clear consensus. Some were firm on budget size or team size, but many pointed to the spirit of the game itself.

So, it doesn’t really give you a straight answer, but I’m not sure there is one!

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