They removed my game from itch.io

Hello, again. As you can imagine, I didn't want to make another devlog about a similar topic for the second time now. Unfortunately, there's really no way to ignore this, even more so than before. I'll just cut this short: Daddy, Say My Name has been removed from itch.io. The website has removed any incest related adult games from the platform. This includes Sex Education With Richard And Mr. Dickson (a game that didn't even include incest in their most current build) by ImRikun and Short Horns by Ari Guardian. Not only that, but they've also suppressed all NSFW games in both search and recommendations.

I mentioned before that there was a movement that was targeting adult games with certain kinks on Steam. If you read the article, you'd notice that they also wanted games from itch.io. I figured something was going to happen with itch.io, but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad. Not only did this come with no warning whatsoever, but it also hurts all NSFW games, not just ones with incest or non-con in them. Most NSFW games get their traction from itch.io itself, so losing that is going to gimp the numbers for a lot of FVNs. While it's clear this is due to external factors beyond itch.io's control, it does read to me that itch holds a lot less power, so that they can't get with as many things as Steam can. So what's going to happen? Is this permanent? I don't know. Again, there's a lot of uncertainty going around here. As for how I'm feeling, I'm basically feeling the same things I discussed in my last blog (which you can read here), but to a greater extent.

If the game's removed from both itch.io and Steam, then I'll have to weigh my options. I'll probably use SubscribeStar to let people buy my game. If all else fails, I'll probably have to set up my own website where you'd buy the game. Even if the game's still up on Steam, some countries don't allow you to buy adult games on Steam, namely Germany, so it's important I have an option for people living in those countries.

So what can you do? Well, in case you haven't downloaded the demo yet, it's still on Steam for now. You can also download it here instead if Steam's not an option. Again, follow my Twitter, Bluesky, and mailing list so that you get updates from me regardless of what's going on. Also wishlist the game on Steam. I know I said the game might be removed, but right now it's the only place you'll be able to purchase the full game in the foreseeable future. If you're feeling extra generous, consider supporting me on SubscribeStar. Make sure to support basically every adult creator you enjoy. Follow their itch.io accounts, their social media, and their mailing lists. Make sure you share their stuff with other people and retweet/repost all their stuff.  Also, if you have the money, buy their stuff and support them on Patreon and/or SubscribeStar. This is probably the darkest time for any adult game creator out there, so do anything you can to support them. Special mention to both ImRikun and Ari Guardian. They probably got hit the hardest as their games were outright removed. You can still download ImRikun's game here. Unfortunately, Short Horns currently isn't accessible anywhere as of now; however, you should follow Ari so that you'll be able to know when the game is available again, and I will edit the blog to include a link when that happens. Finally, make your voice heard. Talk about the issue on social media, repost anything about the subject, and go on the itch.io Discord and let your thoughts be known (although do keep in mind that their server is currently going at a rapid pace, so you might get drowned out by the). I wish my call to action were more comprehensive, but sadly, I don't know much about the situation to really know what exactly we should do. I wish things were different in a lot of ways, but that's just the reality we live in. Stay safe out there. I'll continue working on the game as always. It's hard, but try to keep your head up for as long as possible. Bye.