[RPG] Where did the concept of community copies originate in the indie scene

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Community copies are now a regular feature in the indie scene. Can we trace back to where this movement originated in the indie ttrpg scene in particular?

I'm also curious about the transition from direct contact to distribution-platform inclusion of community copies. So I'd appreciate any answers that additionally touch on the development of that subject.

Best Answer

It started before me, but I was the one who gave it the name and wrote enough of a tutorial that people could replicate it. I wrote a bit about it on my site:

It used to be that if you had a price on your game, you also had a note in your store that said people could email you or message you on Twitter to ask for a free copy.

What I heard from people who did this was that it was fine for a bit, but eventually the load of fielding requests for free content became a source of stress.

Matthew Balousek wrote a quick explanation of his solution: to use itch’s Rewards system to supply a limited pool of freely available copies that anyone could claim. No emails, no messages, just a field in the dashboard that could be updated manually when the pool ran out.

I can only speak to the history within the indie ttrpg space I inhabit, but the name was chosen because it resonated with folks who had experience with similar models outside of indie games.

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