Steam isn’t the only digital storefront for gamers. Indie marketplace itch.io lets any developer set up an account, put together a portfolio, and upload their own games. That includes porn games, of which itch.io hosts a ton.
The following article contains sexually explicit material.
Up until recently, itch.io was one of the few major gaming storefronts that even let users upload 18+ material. The site’s Creator FAQ says there are “no restrictions” for adult content as long as it’s legal (in other words, no illustrated child porn). Just tag your adult games as NSFW material, make sure your project’s cover image isn’t too explicit, and you’re good to go.
It’s just one of many reasons to host your porn games on itch.io–not to mention the site is easy to use, SEO-friendly, has zero ads, and puts a ton of control into the creator’s hands. “In an age of platforms that are too enormous to be controlled, supervised, or to extend empathy to all users, [itch.io] is the rare tech creation that puts humans, rather than products, at its forefront,” The Verge’s Patricia Hernandez wrote in November 2018.
There is so, so much porn on itch.io, and that means it can be tough to separate its high quality content from the fluff. For the best paid and free porn games available, keep reading.
The best porn games on itch.io
Best free porn game: NSFWare
Developer Pierrec describes NSFWare with three words: “WarioWare meets Pornhub.” Just like Nintendo’s Wario-themed marathon minigame series, players are given an assortment of short challenges to complete, such as “GAG” or “PUNISH.” It’s up to players to figure out what to do to fulfill the command. If they fail, they lose one of their three lives. Sexy, frustrating, and somewhat challenging–NSFWare captures the awkward, but ridiculously hot fun that comes with bodies making love.
“The fun isn’t always in getting it right, but in getting it wrong together—jamming your fingers on all the keys and yelling I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to make you come but I’ll keep trying!” Kotaku’s Kate Gray wrote.
Best furry porn game: After Class
After Class is a natural recommendation for two of the internet’s most popular (and controversial) niches: furries and yaoi fans. In this gay visual novel, players star as a college student who has “just moved to the city for a fresh start” and makes friends with a wide range of characters. As it turns out, the cast seemingly resurrects a forgotten dream inside the main character, pushing forward the story’s plot.
Developer Andy “andehP” Peng is behind the game, which promises five main characters to meet, interact with, and romance. The game teases that “every choice you make has its consequences” and will “change the outcome of the story.” Demo builds are available for free on itch.io, although Peng’s Patreon subscribers receive access to WIP releases and new updates a little sooner.
Best queer adult game: Hardcoded
The Daily Dot previously recommended Ghosthug Games’ Hardcoded as one of the best porn games for queer trans women. So it comes as no surprise that it’s also one of the best adult titles for queer players on itch.io. The game follows HC, a trans girl gynoid who escapes from her human owners and finds refuge in a cyberpunk dystopia’s kinky queer community. Plenty of lesbian fun follows, in part because the entire city is plagued by an epidemic causing every other person to become horny (including HC).
As this reporter wrote for Fanbyte in June 2019, Hardcoded captures “sapphic desire between trans women” in a way that celebrates trans women’s bodies for their transness, not in spite of it. The game’s demo is available now on itch.io, and Hardcoded’s Patreon backers receive periodical work-in-progress builds for the full game.
Best parody porn game: Innocent Witches
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of the most popular YA stories on the planet. But did you ever stop and think what sex must be like for Hogwarts’ magical wizards and witches? If Harry Potter got laid, how would it happen? Sad Crab Company considered these pressing issues, and the end result is its tongue-in-cheek porn parody visual novel Innocent Witches.
In Innocent Witches, players journey through a smutty and slutty version of Hogwarts complete with snarky humor and subtle jabs at the Harry Potter universe. The game features multiple fan-favorites straight from the Harry Potter universe, including Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley, who are all depicted as 18 or older. With its strong writing and incredibly detailed art, Innocent Witches is an easy adult recommendation for Harry Potter fans, plus its builds are free to play on itch.io. For more information, check out Sad Crab’s Patreon.
Best gameplay-centric adult game: Lewd Leaf Land—Maple Tea Ecstasy
Platformer Lewd Leaf Land went live for the aptly-titled Lewd Jam 3, and it has remained one of the best adult games on itch.io ever since. Developed by AheGames, Lewd Leaf Land casts players as Molly, a sleepy tanuki looking for maple leaves to brew some tea. Once she has at least 24 leaves, players receive their very own “lewd reward” for their hard work. The game includes three dozen leaves to collect and two 18+ routes. With a variety of adult illustrations, “bouncing tanuki tits,” catchy music, and ridiculously hot sex scenes, Lewd Leaf Land is a stellar adult game in its own right.
But unlike many of the titles on our top recommendation list, Lewd Leaf Land isn’t just for playing with one hand. The game features a beautiful art style and challenging platforming segments that test players’ reflexes. Besides purchasing the game on itch.io for $4, AheGames also runs a Patreon where fans can receive bonus sketches, unreleased music, WIP game builds, and more. The studio also has a free demo available on itch.io for curious players.
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