Concept
Hidden Game — A Telegram channel dedicated to lesser-known indie games featuring interesting and unusual mechanics that are easily overlooked among the flood of releases and major titles.
The media concept is built around finding interesting game projects that stand out through their mechanics, visual style, and atmosphere. Instead of posting all the news from the gaming industry, the channel focuses on specific games that can offer players a novel experience and showcase unconventional solutions that large companies typically avoid.
Data Sources for Media
Game platforms, developer resources, social networks, and video hosting sites will be the primary sources of information. Each source will be used to search for new games, verify information, study gameplay, and prepare recommendations.
Steam
Steam — a primary source of information. The platform allows users to find indie games by genre, tag, release date, and other characteristics.To search for projects, we will use categories of indie games, sections for new and upcoming releases, demo pages, and festival materials.
Core data retrieved from Steam1. Game title, developer, and publisher 2. Genre, tags, and description 3. Release date and development status 4. Screenshots, trailers, and gameplay demos 5. User reviews and ratings 6. Links to game pages
itch.io
itch.io is a platform for independent developers where you can find small and experimental games, including projects that are not available in digital storefronts.
For me, this is an especially vital resource because the concept of media requires searching for games that might have gone unnoticed by a broad audience.
Project Overview:
- Project Title and Description
- Author or Development Team
- Genre and Gameplay Features
- Game or Demo Availability
- Screenshots and User Comments
- Project Page Link
Official websites and social media of the developers
Developers' websites, Discord communities, video channels, and social media pages will be used to track news regarding development and game releases.
Data schema separated for human and machine processing
Data work in Hidden Game will proceed in stages: from searching for potentially interesting games to publishing final materials and analyzing audience reaction. The main goal of automation is to reduce the time spent on collecting, systematizing, and preliminary processing of information. However, the author retains the final decision on the project’s value to the audience.
Game Information Collection
Machine Processing:
Automated services gather available information from selected sources. This can be done using RSS feeds, official APIs, monitoring tools, or other data retrieval methods permitted by the platforms.
Human Processing:
The editor can manually add projects to the list following game festivals, after viewing trailers, or upon receiving recommendations from subscribers.
Project Pre-Screening
Machine Processing:
An automated service sorts the collected games based on specific criteria.
1. Genre and game mechanics 2. Release date and demo availability 3. Presence of visual assets 4. Indicators of the project’s low profile
Human:
The editor reviews the list and selects games that potentially align with the Hidden Game concept.
Information Structuring
Machine Processing:
For approved projects, a card is created containing the core information:
1. Game title and developer
2. Genre and platform
3. Release date or current development status
4. Brief description
5. Links to original sources
Feedback Collection and Analysis
Machine Processing: After publication, available statistical data is collected: view counts, reactions, comments, and other engagement metrics.
Human Review: The editor analyzes which materials generate the most interest and which games the audience discusses or recommends most frequently. Based on these observations, the thematic plan is adjusted, and directions for future publications are chosen.
Guidelines for Automated Services
The project requires the use of several types of automated tools: a data collection service, a data classification service, and publishing and analytics tools.
Indie Game Information Collection Service
Task: Automate the search for games and collect core data from selected sources.
- Use only open-source data.
- Prioritize tracking indie games, demos, experimental projects, and independent developers.
- Collect factual information: title, genre, description, developer, release date, availability, and source links.
The service must not independently determine the artistic merit of a game, invent its characteristics, or make the final decision about including a project in the content plan.
Data Filtering and Classification Service
Task: To organize discovered projects and help the editor find games for specific categories more quickly.
- Categorize games by genre, gameplay mechanics, and visual characteristics based on descriptions.
- Specifically tag released games, upcoming releases, and available demos.
