itch.io Game Scraper

Extract game listings from itch.io with flexible URL and keyword inputs. Collect clean, structured game data for research, cataloging, market monitoring, and trend tracking. This scraper supports pagination and returns ready-to-use dataset records.

Features

• Flexible input mode — Use a direct itch.io browse URL, a keyword, or both in one run.
• Paginated collection — Crawl multiple listing pages with configurable page limits.
• Clean output records — Dataset items skip null and empty values for cleaner downstream usage.
• Keyword discovery support — Gather quick game matches from keyword-based lookup.
• Duplicate protection — Repeated items are automatically removed within a run.

Use Cases

Market Research

Track popular or niche games across browse categories to identify trends, genres, and creator patterns.

Lead Generation

Build targeted lists of games and creators for outreach, partnerships, publishing, or influencer scouting.

Catalog Building

Create structured game datasets for internal tools, dashboards, curation apps, or recommendation workflows.

Competitive Monitoring

Monitor category pages over time to detect new releases, pricing signals, and listing movement.

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Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
url	String	No	https://itch.io/games	Any itch.io browse URL such as /games, /games/free, or /games/tag-horror.
keyword	String	No	"horror"	Optional keyword for quick game lookup and tag-style fallback.
results_wanted	Integer	No	20	Maximum number of game records to return.
max_pages	Integer	No	3	Maximum number of listing pages to request.
proxyConfiguration	Object	No	{ "useApifyProxy": false }	Optional proxy settings for request routing.

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Output Data

Each dataset item may include:

Field	Type	Description
game_id	Integer	Internal game identifier from listing data.
title	String	Game title.
url	String	Game page URL.
description	String	Short listing description.
author	String	Creator name.
author_url	String	Creator profile URL.
genre	String	Genre shown in listing.
cover_url	String	Cover image URL.
price	String	Visible price value when present.
is_free	Boolean	True if no price is shown.
play_in_browser	Boolean	True when browser-play badge is present.
platforms	Array of Strings	Platform labels from listing icons.
source	String	Source route used for the item.

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Usage Examples

Default Browse Run

Collect games from the main browse page:

{
    "url": "https://itch.io/games",
    "results_wanted": 20,
    "max_pages": 3
}

Category URL Run

Collect free horror games from a category path:

{
    "url": "https://itch.io/games/free/tag-horror",
    "results_wanted": 50,
    "max_pages": 5
}

Keyword + URL Run

Use keyword lookup and keep browsing a specific listing path:

{
    "url": "https://itch.io/games",
    "keyword": "cozy horror",
    "results_wanted": 30,
    "max_pages": 4
}

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Sample Output

{
    "game_id": 2521127,
    "title": "HORROR/ROMANCE a slasher dating simulator",
    "url": "https://vital-bones-studio.itch.io/horrorromance",
    "description": "A slasher dating simulator with horror and romance themes.",
    "author": "Vital bones Studio",
    "author_url": "https://vital-bones-studio.itch.io",
    "genre": "Visual Novel",
    "cover_url": "https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzE0OTk2NTE4LnBuZw==/60x60%23c/c19Opl.png",
    "play_in_browser": true,
    "source": "autocomplete_api"
}

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Tips for Best Results

Start with Working Browse URLs

• Use known browse paths like /games, /games/free, /games/tag-horror.
• Keep URL inputs inside itch.io browse routes for predictable output.

Tune Volume Settings

• Start with results_wanted: 20 for quick checks.
• Increase max_pages only when you need deeper coverage.

Improve Reliability

• Enable proxy settings for large runs.
• Schedule recurring runs to track listing changes over time.

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Integrations

Connect your dataset with:

• Google Sheets — Build lightweight research trackers.
• Airtable — Create searchable game databases.
• Make — Trigger automations from new records.
• Zapier — Route records into business workflows.
• Webhooks — Push records into custom services.

Export Formats

• JSON — For APIs and development workflows.
• CSV — For spreadsheet analysis.
• Excel — For business reporting.
• XML — For legacy integrations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use only a keyword without a URL?

Yes. You can run with only keyword, and the scraper will still return game data.

Can I scrape specific browse categories?

Yes. Provide a category URL such as https://itch.io/games/free or https://itch.io/games/tag-horror.

How do I avoid large runs?

Lower results_wanted and max_pages to keep runs short and focused.

Why do some fields appear only on some items?

Different listings expose different metadata. Missing values are omitted to keep output clean.

Will duplicate games be returned?

No. Duplicate entries are removed within each run.

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Support

For issues or feature requests, use the Apify actor issue tracker or contact through the Apify Console.

Resources

• Apify Documentation
• Apify API Reference
• Scheduling Runs

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Legal Notice

This actor is intended for legitimate data collection. You are responsible for compliance with itch.io terms, applicable laws, and local data regulations.