Play It Forward: Level Up the Next Generation of Game Creators

Fueling the Future of Seattle’s Indie Games

The Seattle area didn’t just host the modern games industry, we built it. For years, the heart of that innovation has been the Seattle Indies community, a place where passion meets professionalism.

This year, as we face a challenging global market, our mission is clearer than ever: we must build the permanent infrastructure and strategic pathways necessary to ensure Seattle remains the global launchpad for independent game success.

Our year-end campaign is dedicated to funding the three strategic pillars that will secure the future of our creators: Talent, Infrastructure, and Global Reach.

💖 Why Your Support Is a Lifeline

Your investment isn’t theoretical; it creates life-changing impact right now. Our community is often the crucial lifeline developers and artists turn to when facing professional and personal crises.

• Professional Affirmation: For developers like Brian H, working alone on a solo project, the community provides essential legitimacy: “This community kept me working through my self-doubt… That made more concrete to me that this work is important and deserves respect.”
• Fighting Isolation: For Will T, a talented graduate struggling with career re-entry, the community restored his passion: “It’s great to no longer feel so much like a lonely island! Having a place to share progress and get actual feedback helps a lot with driving me to keep going.”
• Finding Belonging: For community members like Falkor (Dane), the community offered a safe harbor during a personal crisis: “It has been my lifeline. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the Seattle Indies for being an integral part of me getting my life back together.”

We are more than meetups we are a professional support system.

🎯 Our Strategic Pillars: Building the Future

Your donation goes directly to funding the three programs that will transform our community’s capacity in 2026 and beyond:

1. The Workforce Development Program (WDP): Investing in Talent

In a contracting job market, we are creating new, equitable pathways into the industry. The WDP is a structured program offering mentorship, high-wage digital skills training, and direct job placement support for underrepresented talent.

• The Catalyst: For artists like Kyo T (pictured above), the community provided the push he needed to move to Washington and eventually receive a scholarship from Seattle Indies and Diversity Collective+ to attend GDC. The WDP formalizes this support, ensuring the next generation starts with confidence and clear direction.
• The Goal: $100,000 to fund the initial pilot cohort, providing scholarships and expert mentorship to 20 deserving participants.

2. The Gaming Innovation Hub: Securing Our Home

We are working towards securing a permanent, physical headquarters for Seattle Indies. This Hub will be more than an event and gathering space it will be a professional resource center:

• The Creative Sanctuary: The Hub is being designed to be a dedicated home for artists, writers, composers, voice actors, and specialized creative talent. It will provide quiet co-working spaces, dedicated audio/visual equipment, and a place where non-coding creatives can easily connect with teams needing their skills.
• The Launchpad: It will be the permanent venue for our Founders Club and other meetups, providing essential, professional space for securing publishing deals and holding confidential pitch meetings.
• The Global Gateway: The Hub will serve as the official U.S. landing pad for visiting international trade missions from the UK, Malta, Europe and beyond, cementing Seattle’s role as a global connector.

3. Business Resilience & Global Reach

Through events like SLICE and our International Trade Missions, we actively work to secure financial success for local studios. We turn great ideas into viable businesses.

• Proven Success: MegaCrit’s Slay the Spire was polished through our playtesting sessions, and Aggro Crab, Unbound Creations and Stumbling Cat were built and launched using the networking, feedback and business acumen gained at our events.
• Exporting Innovation: Our trade missions directly connect Seattle studios to overseas publishers and investors, securing crucial foreign investment that grows the local economy.

📈 Help Us Hit Our $10,000 Goal

We need your help to reach our initial campaign goal of $10,000 by midnight on December 31st.

Every dollar, whether you’re a developer, a fan, or a corporate partner is an investment in real human creativity and the economic future of our city.

Click here to Level Up the Next Generation!

(Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.)