Independent game storefront itch.io has deleted terabytes of bulk AI-generated content and introduced mandatory AI disclosures for tabletop roleplaying games, books, comics, and soundtracks. The policy update aims to protect the platform’s grassroots indie culture from a recent influx of low-effort generative uploads.
Uploads to the platform had doubled from 3,000 to 6,000 per day over the last two months, driven largely by users flooding the system with dozens of AI-created projects. Going forward, bulk AI spam will be de-indexed, and AI-generated games will be filtered out of search results for users who prefer not to see them.
Leaf Corcoran, founder at itch.io, said in a statement, “Just because you can upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI-generated models doesn’t mean you should upload 10 terabytes of poorly optimized AI-generated models.”
For tabletop roleplaying game creators and players, the update introduces a strict administrative requirement. The tabletop category, which covers physical games and PDFs, now requires publishers to complete an AI disclosure before creating or editing a page. This extends a policy that has applied to digital game assets for two years.
Notably, itch.io is enforcing this aggressive filtering of generative AI content from its San Francisco base, the very city where many of the world’s largest AI companies are headquartered.
The storefront permits AI content only if its use is clearly stated and adds substantial value to the user experience. This proactive stance contrasts sharply with Valve. Steam has maintained a largely hands-off approach to AI spam, placing the burden on developers to build community features to stand out against copycat projects. Meanwhile, in the dedicated tabletop roleplaying game space, platforms like DriveThruRPG and Roll20 take a middle ground. They strictly ban the resale of standalone AI art but allow some AI-produced assets within products provided they are properly disclosed.
This harder line from itch.io may cement its status as the definitive premium indie marketplace, potentially pushing bulk uploaders back toward Valve’s ecosystem or testing the enforcement boundaries of digital tabletop marketplaces. It feels overdue, too, as Itch.io can hardly be both the darling of indie TTRPGs and a haven for AI content.
