Purchase a massive $10 gaming bundle to help Ukrainians in need!

Written By Xiao-Xiao Kingham

As the Ukraine crisis unfolds many of us are looking for ways to help while feeling helpless to do so. There is, however, always value in donating to a good cause and with itch.io’s new Bundle for Ukraine you can do just that while receiving a whopping bundle of goodies in return. 

In exchange for a minimum contribution of $10, donators will obtain a bundle of games, books, music and more that have been donated by a number of indie developers in support of the cause. Most (515) of the video games are available for Windows PC but there are 286 and 228 games for Mac and Linux, respectively, with the remainder browser-based or playable on Android devices. Just some of the amazing games on offer include Celeste, A Short Hike, Baba is You, Figment, Old Man’s Journey and Rusty Lake Hotel (all of which are offered both on Windows and Mac).

But a crucial question is, where are the donations going? Proceeds from the Bundle for Ukraine will be split between two charities: the International Medical Corps, who are providing medical assistance in the Ukraine region during the current crisis, and Ukrainian organisation Voices of Children, who help children cope with the horrors of war and the post-traumatic stress disorder that can follow. The latter also helps along with helping them re-integrate into school and society. The latter has also been helping set up shelters while the crisis is ongoing.

It almost seems too good to be true. With thousands of dollars lost by Australians to charity scams each year, we at FAME donned our detective hats and investigated the work of these non-profits so you don’t have to. We soon discovered that both charities are indeed making great strides in helping Ukrainians impacted by the war. According to a number of sources including charitynavigator.org and charitywatch.org, donators can give to both with confidence. Almost 90% of their donations go directly into their causes (rather than administrative and fundraising fees) and both operate with a high degree of transparency and accountability. Both charities have been recommended by the Guardian, Wired, NPR and more. 

If you’re still on the fence about donating, some of our FAME members have included testimonies of just a few of the many games included in the bundle. See them below!

Celeste

The story of Celeste combined with its highly challenging gameplay made me want to cry. With a stunning soundtrack and immersive mechanics, it is a comfort game that I come back to again and again and I think it’s something that everybody needs right now. Did I buy the version for Mac only to buy it on Switch a year later to relive the experience on a different platform? Yes. Is that going to stop me from purchasing it all over again in the Bundle for Ukraine? Hell no.

Baba is You

This is an extremely innovative puzzle game where the rules you have to follow are presented as physical objects in the game world. By manipulating the rules, you can change how the game works, repurpose things you find in the levels and cause surprising interactions! Baba is You simultaneously makes you feel like the smartest person in the world and a complete idiot. It is simply too good not to play.

SkateBIRD

Just a silly goofy skateboarding game with skatebirds very cool, very fun. It’s like a cross between Proskate and Goat Simulator, where you grind, kickflip and, well, skate, through different parks as a bird. It’s super fun and quirky. 10/10.

At the time of writing this piece, the Bundle has attracted over $2 million in donations. Though the Bundle can be purchased for a minimum of $10, organisers highly urge donators pay above the minimum if they can afford to do so. If you would like to contribute, you can do so here but get in quick – the campaign ends on the 18th of March: https://itch.io/b/1316/bundle-for-ukraine

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Xiao-Xiao Kingham
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