Source: Aftermath
Itch.io removed terabytes of AI-slop games this week and implemented stricter filtering. The move exposes a gap: indie platforms lack the infrastructure to prevent low-effort content at scale. Itch—already positioned as a curator of experimental and marginal games—risks losing its distinct identity if spam overwhelms the signal. Smaller platforms face a choice: enforce curation manually (expensive), price out spam through fees (risks excluding genuine creators), or accept degradation as the cost of openness.