A personal update: Why Indie-Games.eu has gone quiet

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If you regularly visit Indie-Games.eu or follow the YouTube channel, you have probably noticed that things have become unusually quiet. Videos have stopped, articles have become increasingly rare, and nothing new has been published on the website for roughly a week. I did not want to return with another review or news story and pretend that everything was normal. You deserve an honest explanation.

Indie-Games.eu is almost entirely a one-person operation. Every review, interview, news article, social media post and video requires time: not only to write, but also to research, edit, format, publish and promote. On top of running the website, I work as a freelance writer. That work has to take priority because it pays the bills, while Indie-Games.eu still earns very little despite the amount of time poured into it.

For a long time, I believed that I could simply work harder and somehow keep everything moving. I would finish my paid assignments, play several games for upcoming reviews, prepare interviews, manage emails, follow the latest news and then try to find enough energy to record and edit a video. Eventually, however, there was no energy left.

YouTube became more exhausting than enjoyable

YouTube production did not stop because I lost interest in the channel or because I no longer believe in it. The channel has grown to around 800 subscribers, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has watched, subscribed or left a comment. The problem is that even a relatively simple review video takes a considerable amount of work.

A script needs to be prepared, footage has to be recorded and organised, and the voice-over must be recorded and carefully edited. Much of that editing involves removing breaths, correcting mistakes and trying to make the final result sound presentable. After spending hours writing during the day, finding the motivation to sit down and record has become increasingly difficult.

I also began placing pressure on myself to upload consistently, grow the channel and reach 1,000 subscribers. Instead of feeling excited about making a new video, I often felt guilty because another day had passed without one. That is not a healthy or sustainable way to create anything.

The website has suffered for the same reason

The lack of articles is part of the same problem. There is no shortage of material. I have games waiting to be reviewed, interviews that need to be prepared for publication and more ideas than I could realistically finish. However, having ideas and having the time or mental energy to turn them into worthwhile articles are two very different things.

The past few weeks have also been dominated by preparations for Gamescom. Organising travel, arranging appointments, responding to emails, researching games and preparing interview questions has added another layer to an already crowded schedule. Something eventually had to give, and unfortunately, that something was Indie-Games.eu.

For approximately a week, I published nothing. It was not a planned break or a deliberate attempt to disappear. I was simply overwhelmed, exhausted and unable to give the website the attention it deserved. That silence has bothered me because Indie-Games.eu is much more than another task on my schedule.

I started this website because I genuinely love games, especially the strange, ambitious and easily overlooked projects that rarely receive the attention given to major releases. It has allowed me to speak with developers, discover games I might otherwise never have encountered and gradually build a small but meaningful community around that enthusiasm. At the same time, passion does not make someone immune to exhaustion.

This is not goodbye

Indie-Games.eu is not closing, and I am not abandoning the YouTube channel. However, I need to reconsider what I can realistically produce as one person. I would rather publish fewer articles that offer something meaningful than force myself to fill the website with rushed news simply to maintain the appearance of activity. Reviews, previews, interviews, opinion pieces and more personal features will remain the heart of the site. YouTube will also return, but I do not want to promise a rigid schedule that I may be unable to maintain.

This short period of silence has shown me that I cannot continue treating every missed article or video as a personal failure. Sometimes, stepping away for a few days is necessary, especially when the alternative is losing the desire to create altogether. To everyone who continues visiting the website, watching the videos or supporting Indie-Games.eu in any way: thank you. Every reader and viewer matters, particularly when progress feels slow and the future remains uncertain.

Things may be quieter than usual, but Indie-Games.eu is still here. I am still here. I simply needed time to breathe, reorganise and remember why I started doing this in the first place.