Day of the Devs has come a long way from its debut in 2012 as an indie games showcase hosted by Double Fine Productions and iam8bit. It’s now “a fully independent 501c3 non-profit,” which organizers say will make its fundraising efforts in support of indie developers “more transparent and public.”
The announcement of the shift to official non-profit status was accompanied by the start of Day of the Devs’ first fundraising campaign and details about its plans for 2024, including an in-person event in March in San Francisco, an online Summer Game Fest showcase, and then in winter a “Game Awards Edition” of Day of the Devs that will be both in-person and online.
“We have essentially always run things as a non-profit, but making it official—through a fiscal sponsorship partnership with Legacy Global—opens us up to better funding opportunities, makes our fundraising efforts more transparent and public, and helps our sponsors and audience understand how critical their support truly is,” the fundraising page says. “Additionally, this establishes Day of the Devs as being fully independent from other videogame related organizations, which clarifies our commitment to being 100% platform agnostic.”
There are two reward tiers currently being offered on the Day of the Devs fundraising page including game keys and physical swag, although you can pony up any amount you like as either a one-off or a monthly donation. Money raised will help cover the cost of venues, equipment, staffing, video production, and other operating costs. At this moment Day of the Devs has raised just shy of $28,000 on a $500,000 goal—not bad for the first day.
Day of the Devs has historically been an avenue for indie games to shine in showcases that are typically dominated by big-name games. Following the hype and spectacle of the Summer Game Fest in 2023, for instance, it introduced us to a bunch of intriguing indies that otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to stand in that kind of spotlight. The fundraising campaign and support from sponsors will enable Day of the Devs to continue “spotlighting unique and magical video games and the developers who make them—all completely free, with no costs to either developers or event attendees.”
“It’s a whole new day for Day of the Devs,” Day of the Devs co-founder Tim Schafer said. “It’s extremely gratifying to see this show become as fully independent as the amazing indie games it has always centered around.”
Details on the Summer Game Fest and Game Awards editions of Day of the Devs will be revealed “in the next few months.”