Open-source game discovery sites

Last verified July 24, 2026

Short answer

One platform rarely covers every job

If the job is discovery around public source, Vibe Arcade is the option that makes a public GitHub repository a hard listing requirement while hosting stays elsewhere. Use itch.io or Game Jolt for marketplace hosting with optional source files and no public-repo gate. Use GitHub Pages to host a public static build from a repository, then add a separate discovery channel. Newgrounds is community judgment, not open-source discovery.

Verified platform options

The baseline comes first. Vibe Arcade is one later option, not the automatic winner. Unknown means the cited primary source does not state the answer.

Vibe Arcade

Who it is for: Creators with a public GitHub repository and optional external live build who want an additional moderated, player-facing discovery listing.

Files and binaries: No. Vibe Arcade does not host or copy game files or binaries; the code stays on GitHub.
Play model: Play is a real external link that opens the creator's live HTTP(S) build in a new tab. Source-only listings have no Play action.
Repository: A public GitHub repository is required, the signed-in creator must be able to push to it, and one listing is allowed per normalized repository.
Payments: Vibe Arcade does not provide payments, advertising, or revenue sharing.
SDK or exclusivity: No Vibe SDK or exclusivity term is part of the current listing requirements.
Discovery: A moderator checks every submission against the public repository and any live build. Approved playable listings can enter public discovery, Play now, and chart competition.

Official source: Vibe Arcade listing requirements

Verified 2026-07-24

itch.io

Who it is for: Creators publishing indie projects, including browser HTML5, who want hosting plus Search and Browse discovery without a public-source mandate.

Files and binaries: Yes. itch.io hosts uploaded project files and browser builds.
Play model: HTML5 projects run in an iframe on the project page; downloadable releases are also supported.
Repository: Not required. No public-repository requirement is stated in the official creator documentation.
Payments: Sales and revenue share apply to downloadable projects; HTML5 browser projects currently take payments as donations.
SDK or exclusivity: No SDK or exclusivity requirement is stated for a basic publish in the cited documentation.
Discovery: Publishing is separate from indexing. Discovery Pages have quality and moderation gates, and a moderator can remove a page from the discovery index.

Official source: itch.io HTML5 publishing guide

Verified 2026-07-24

Game Jolt

Who it is for: Creators who want to share content, grow a following, and sell games through an approved Marketplace account.

Files and binaries: Yes. Game Jolt packages contain versioned builds, including browser-based game files; additional downloads can include source code.
Play model: Store packages can be free, fixed-price, or pay-what-you-want, with store filters that include browser and HTML5 games.
Repository: Not required. Source code is documented as an optional additional file type, not a public Git repository gate.
Payments: An approved Marketplace account can offer packages for free, at a fixed price, or pay-what-you-want. Unknown — the current official pages do not expose the marketplace platform cut or the game-sale payout threshold.
SDK or exclusivity: The Game Jolt Game API is optional, adding trophies, leaderboards, cloud data storage, and sessions. No exclusivity requirement is stated for listing or selling.
Discovery: Store charts for trending, best, and new games with genre filters including browser and HTML5, plus paid Boost placement into user feeds. No dedicated open-source discovery program is documented.

Official source: Game Jolt sell-games help

Verified 2026-07-24

GitHub Pages

Who it is for: Creators who need repository-backed static hosting, not a game discovery directory.

Files and binaries: Yes. GitHub Pages publishes a static site from a GitHub repository.
Play model: The game runs at the public site URL that Pages assigns or the custom domain.
Repository: A repository is required, and it must be public on GitHub Free plans.
Payments: Not a game storefront — the Pages limits forbid using it as free hosting for a primarily commercial business.
SDK or exclusivity: No game SDK or exclusivity requirement is stated.
Discovery: Unknown — the GitHub Pages documentation does not state a game catalog or discovery system.

Official source: GitHub Pages overview

Verified 2026-07-24

Newgrounds

Who it is for: Creators who want community judgment on an uploaded browser game. Ownership is required; a public repository is not.

Files and binaries: Yes. Newgrounds accepts HTML5 games as ZIP files with index.html at the archive root.
Play model: The uploaded game runs in an iframe on the Newgrounds view page.
Repository: Not required. No repository requirement is stated in the submission guidance.
Payments: Unknown for an active creator storefront — the official monetization wiki records its documented revenue systems as legacy and no longer active.
SDK or exclusivity: The Newgrounds API is an optional integration for medals and scoreboards.
Discovery: New games enter public judgment, where votes can keep or blam a submission and moderators can remove rule-breaking work.

Official source: Newgrounds game and movie submissions

Verified 2026-07-24

This guide is not for

01A creator who needs one platform that requires public GitHub and hosts the binary. Vibe requires public GitHub but does not host; itch.io and Game Jolt host but do not require public source.
02A creator who treats GitHub Pages as a game discovery site. Pages is static hosting, not a playable catalog.
03A private repository that must appear on Vibe Arcade. A public GitHub repository is mandatory.
04Anyone expecting itch.io or Game Jolt to be an open-source-only store. The official documentation does not support that claim.
05A creator who expects automatic ranking or guaranteed traffic on any option.

Choose a path

Choose Vibe Arcade

Choose Vibe Arcade when a public GitHub repository, human moderation, and external Play links are the product fit.

Choose a hosting marketplace or host

Choose itch.io or Game Jolt for hosted builds and site discovery, or GitHub Pages for repository-backed static hosting.

A + B

Use both

Keep the source on public GitHub with an optional static build URL, list on Vibe Arcade for moderated discovery, and also publish an itch.io or Game Jolt page when terms and goals allow.

Continue the decision

Compare Vibe Arcade and itch.io directlySee the detailed hosting, community, payment, moderation, and player-signal differences.Choose from the wider publishing mapCompare hosting, portals, syndication, self-hosting, and discovery by the job each path does.Browse the live arcadeSee the approved playable catalog before deciding whether another discovery listing fits the game.

Official sources

Page verified July 24, 2026

Vibe Arcade listing requirements
Verified July 24, 2026
The public GitHub gate, moderation flow, and no-hosting boundary.
itch.io HTML5 publishing guide
Verified July 24, 2026
Hosted HTML5 uploads without a repository mandate.
itch.io Search and Browse indexing
Verified July 24, 2026
Discovery Pages rules separate from publishing.
itch.io quality guidelines
Verified July 24, 2026
Discovery-index removal for quality and spam rules.
Game Jolt sell-games help
Verified July 24, 2026
Marketplace account approval and free, fixed, or pay-what-you-want pricing.
Game Jolt game store help
Verified July 24, 2026
Store charts, genre filters, and browser/HTML5 filtering.
Game Jolt Game API
Verified July 24, 2026
Optional trophies, leaderboards, cloud data storage, and sessions.
Game Jolt packages help
Verified July 24, 2026
Official help source for versioned builds, browser files, and optional source-code downloads.
GitHub Pages overview
Verified July 24, 2026
Repository-backed static hosting, not a game catalog.
Creating a GitHub Pages site
Verified July 24, 2026
The Free-plan public-repository rule.
Newgrounds game and movie submissions
Verified July 24, 2026
Community judgment portal contrast without a repository requirement.

Questions, answered

Answers use the same verified platform facts as the comparison above. Recheck current terms before signing a deal or integrating a portal SDK.

What is an open-source game discovery site?

In this guide it means a surface that helps players find games whose source is public. Vibe Arcade requires a public GitHub repository for every listing. The other platforms reviewed host or list games without requiring public source.

Does itch.io require a public GitHub repository?

No official HTML5 or terms page reviewed states that requirement. itch.io hosts uploaded project files and indexes eligible public pages.

Does Vibe Arcade host my repository or build?

No. Code stays on GitHub. Play links to your external live URL when you provide one.

Is GitHub Pages a game discovery directory?

No. The official Pages documentation describes static site hosting from a repository, not a game catalog or judgment system.

Can I put source code on Game Jolt?

The official packages help lists source code as an additional downloadable file type. It is not documented as a required public Git repository gate.

Which options moderate listings?

Vibe Arcade requires human approval before public discovery. itch.io can remove pages from its discovery index for quality or spam rules. Game Jolt publishes site guidelines with removal consequences. Newgrounds uses public judgment plus moderator removal.

Want an additional Vibe Arcade listing?

Check the public repository, external build, player-facing content, and moderation rules before starting a submission.

Listing requirements Start submission