Gaming News

By Deimos EMK · Published Sep 19, 2026 · Updated Sep 29, 2026 · 3 min read · Sourced & fact-checked

Via "Alex Mahan and the story of yandere simulator" All clips and posts below are embedded from their original sources.

By the numbers: this timeline documents 5 events from Jul 20, 2022 to Sep 22, 2026, drawn from 3 sources.

“Definitely not worth it in my opinion.”

via gsmgotech.com

Background

Indie game development faces intense market saturation, with SteamDB estimating that thousands of new games launch yearly and the vast majority receiving fewer than ten reviews. Because getting visibility is notoriously difficult, independent creators frequently resort to self-publishing, traditional publishers, or paying independent influencers for marketing assistance.

Industry figures have long scrutinized alternative publishing and promotional avenues. Tim Bender, CEO of Hooded Horse, has previously characterized many indie publishers as predatory and opportunistic, while developer Tyler Glaiel has criticized standard revenue splits demanded by third parties.

The timeline

1. Jul 20, 2022

   Tyler Glaiel Criticizes Indie Publishing Models

   Game developer and programmer Tyler Glaiel reportedly criticized indie publishers on X for taking large revenue shares from developers who spent years working on their games.[1]

   Being an "indie publisher" must be the best job in the world. You do no work and just take 50% (or more) of the rev from games talented people spent years of their lives working on. But it's cool cause you're "indie" just like they are!

   — Tyler Glaiel (@TylerGlaiel) Jul 20, 2022

2. Sep 17, 2026

   Devoriahub Posts Unconfirmed Promotional Pricing Breakdown

   X user devoriahub posted an unconfirmed breakdown of alleged prices charged by Clemmy, owner of the Best Indie Games YouTube channel, reporting a base package cost of $2,228 and $380 for a single post.[1]

   Here is an example from clemmy. One of the devs that i shared sent me this. This is crazy. They also want 380$ for one twit. @IndieGameJoe

   — devoriahub (@devoriahub) Sep 17, 2026

3. Sep 19, 2026

   Indie Developers Voice Dissatisfaction on Social Media

   Several indie developers reportedly claimed in replies and on communities like Reddit that they could corroborate the figures regarding the Best Indie Games channel's advertising packages.[1]

   If you're an indie dev considering paid packages from ClemmyGames (Best Indie Games), here’s my take. This isn't an attack or a pile-on, just an honest breakdown of real pricing, data, and experiences shared by fellow indie devs

   — Indie Game Joe (@IndieGameJoe) Sep 18, 2026

4. Sep 21, 2026

   Best Indie Games Channel Accused of Inflating Prices and Promises to Creators

   According to a Portuguese-language article, the YouTube channel Best Indie Games, run by Clemmy, is accused of charging high promotional fees that deliver little return, with developers alleging inflated pricing and unmet promises.[2]

   

5. Sep 22, 2026

   YouTube Channel Accused of Exploiting Indie Developers

   An English-language article reports that indie game developers are alleging the channel ran an exploitative advertising scheme, paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for promotional packages that delivered almost nothing in return.[3]

Our read of the evidence

Partly documented. As of the timeline, none of the five events have been verified by a primary source; each is based solely on reports from outlets such as kotaku.com, tugatech.com.pt and gsmgotech.com. Because the allegations rely entirely on secondary reporting with no direct confirmation, the evidence is only partly documented.

Our rating counts evidence, not opinions about anyone: events confirmed by a primary source (the person's own post, their official site, a court or government record) weigh most, then how many independent outlets report the story.

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