How an Indie Studio Got 400-Plus Games Into a $10 Bundle to Help LA Fire Victims

Since January 7, wildfires have been burning their way through Los Angeles. The aftermath is devastating, with over 16,000 homes destroyed, drinking water contaminated, and more than two dozen people killed. As longtime residents attempt to rebuild, relief has come in all forms, from donations made to the American Red Cross to people giving to individual families’ GoFundMe efforts. Soon, those looking to help will have a new way to give: by buying a video game bundle.

The California Fire Relief Bundle is the work of indie studio Necrosoft Games and a collection of volunteers the company’s director, Brandon Sheffield, organized to compile the bundle. From January 12 through 19, they collected 422 games—including popular titles like Tunic, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and Hoa—on independent game platform Itch.io. From those, Sheffield says, the collective aims to create the California Fire Relief Bundle, which it’ll sell for about $10 a pop, a good price for hundreds of titles. Proceeds from the bundle, which Sheffield aims to launch “ASAP,” will go to relief efforts aimed at helping Los Angeles-area residents get back on their feet financially.