|| 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™.
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 (and still is) to help the under represented in a field so full of creativity (in all forms from art and programming, to music, writing and everything between) yet constantly working against a tide that is always there trying to pull them under. As a life long gamer, lover of creativity, and medic type personality, Indie Game Lover has always been a verydirect representation of everything that I (Danelle) hold dear. And as the Core section below tries to explain, the passion runs deeper than games alone.
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 also one more mention about an artist/dev in the IGL History section). While this is only a tiny selection of all the people, they were some of the main.
But, no matter what was happening, there was always one that stood out heavily-- Oliver Snyders. From the very first time I was tagged with one ofhis poems I could only hope we would collide directly. Eventually that happened and we started to slowly build our foundation. Fast forward a couple years and BAM magic happened: at the time I was in route of plotting for"Indie Game Lover™ 2.0" (more on this below) there was a load of stuff I was poking at and debating changing and he was hearing about related bits and bobs. Then, during a random moment in a random conversation we discovered that we had both been secretly wanting to join forces for ages. And poof just like that a wild Oliver appeared.
He is a talented writer, like his A Gamer’s Guide to Gaming (and all of his poems), and a trusted source in general. I didn't hesitate to bring him in. The rest is history but has been better than I could have possibly hoped for.
I also want to take a breath to appreciate my core friend who played a heavy role in helping me stay sane, acting as a soundboard for my relentless idea trains, offering whatever was possible to help from their end whenever I requested something, and being a needed cheerleader from the start. While this person needs no full linking, Indie Game Lover wouldn't be so far without them and they know who they are. Also one more vitally important nameless person who has altered so much and means the world to me. And family, but that feels pretty weird sticking in here. I shall write these two sentences anyways as they have always been my biggest supporters.
And-- my boyfriend Blue Coaster, an amazing streamer and someone who motivates me to grow even stronger.
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||A few notes about the music|| You may notice somesweet 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 (if you are reading this page early in creation, these songs have not been used yet but they will be soon enough).
|| A Historic Heap ||
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 (check out one of the earlier about pages here) 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 the very end of 2018 when I began to introduce Oliver into the system while beginning site overhaul intoIndie Game Lover 2.0 . The amount of stuff being shared has been increased as well.
{The drawn logo was a time I used something someone made for me, that someone being Steffen Wittig who also stood out from the early days for comics, art, & dev}
There were four grueling months worth of prep before the visuals changed forIndie Game Lover 2.0 and went public to what it is today. Even something like this about page took over a week and many hours to take to completion. There are still things to come (some small and some massive) and older posts to cleanup but all the hours since the start has always been worth it to help share indie games to as many people as possible and with hopes of making as many indie developers as possible feel like someone cared about them. So, 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 thefoundation of Indie Game Lover™ is a passion for gaming, thewalls are built from the passion of wanting to help others and the very core is a concept ofshielding that runs much deeper than games alone which is why the community is so important.
I haveknown many people who have been suicidal and known many deaths and attempted deaths at the hands of the dark. And not so long ago I sat for a good hour on the suicide prevention hotline trying to figure out what more I could do for my ex (they don't bite, don't be scared to reach out to them as there is no shame in doing so as you are anonymous after all. 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.
You do matter to me and what you look like, are going through, where you are located, or your past mistakes don't make you any less of a person than someone else. It is never too late to start being kind to others.
|| 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. I am very socially anxious so if I could call them, I promise you can too. Take it seriously.
♥ 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.
♥ Since you have a contributor now, who am I talking to on media? Indie Game Lover™ (Danelle).
♥ Where do the graphics / site / art come from? Handmade by Indie Game Lover™ (Danelle).
♥ 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. Only special case reasons may land an exposed other game. You can also watch me play it sometimes (and other games) in Twitch.
♥ How can I be member of the time? Join Discord and be friendly and active to put you into the pool with others.
♥ How can I be on the sidebar? Those are not paid for spots and are just cool things I have picked to put there for various reasons (so there is no "true way").
♥ 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, yyou 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 that link to you. I do not resell, trade, give keys to friends or anything else sketchy.
♥ What is the best way to contact you? Twitter and Discord.
♥ I have an odd proposition to ask? Reach out on Twitter or Facebook.
♥ 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 join Discord for some fun, or subscribe to Patreon.
