FRONTLINE

Ludocene

A Better Way to Find Your Next Game—Powered by Experts

I couldn’t resist making an issue for this. Indieformer’s mission is simple: search less, play more. With thousands of games dropping every month, hidden gems are constantly getting buried. While Indieformer is making an impact on a small community, Ludocene is taking that mission and “date-ifying” it—turning game discovery into a playful, curated experience.

Built by the team behind Family Gaming Database, Ludocene is a game discovery tool that swaps algorithmic guesswork for something far more human—curation from people you trust (like us!). Backed by a roster of 20 expert curators, including Simon Parkin (The New Yorker), Christian Donlan (Eurogamer), and Brian Crecente (Kotaku, Polygon), this Kickstarter project reimagines how we find games.

It feels like you're playing a game, where winning is discovering video games that perfectly match your tastes.

At its core, Ludocene is a playful approach to discovery:

🃏 Build Your Deck – Select games you love to refine your recommendations.
🎙 Pick Your Experts – Choose curators whose tastes align with yours.
🎮 Discover Your Next Game – Swipe through a tailored selection, watch trailers, and find the best prices.

Whether you think of it as Tinder for games or a deck-building approach to recommendations, Ludocene makes finding your next game feel like playing one. And with funding, they’re committed to keeping it independent—free from corporate influence and designed around real player experiences.

🔥 Kickstarter is live! Backers get early access to the prototype, while higher tiers unlock special features and curated card packs.

⭐️ Bonus for Indieformer readers: Andy has offered an extra free copy of his book for anyone who backs.

FRONTLINE

Why Ludocene Matters

Before game discovery became a numbers game, it was built on something simpler—people who loved games sharing their favorites. That personal touch has been drowned out by SEO, storefront algorithms, and the sheer volume of releases each month.

That’s why Ludocene and Indieformer exist—to bring curation back to gaming.

Both believe in human-first discovery. Indieformer helps you search less and play more by handpicking the best indie games every month. Ludocene takes that same spirit and turns it into an interactive platform, where your tastes—combined with expert curation—lead you to your next favorite game. Instead of scrolling endlessly through generic recommendations, you’ll build a deck of games that fit you, refined by the experts you trust.

And this is just the start. With Kickstarter backing, Ludocene will expand its expert lineup, refine its discovery tools, and keep game curation independent. The first funding goal ensures every expert is paid fairly for their work, while stretch goals unlock theme-based discovery, Steam/console library integrations, and even board game recommendations.

By backing now, you’re not just funding a tool—you’re helping build a discovery platform that values taste over trends.

Happy gaming!

The Indieformer Team

P.S. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and favourite discoveries with us via the comments, Threads, or reach us at [email protected]