There are over 750,000 games on itch.io. That number matters, because it changes what a name has to do. On a shelf with 750,000 other games — most of them free or pay-what-you-want — your title isn't competing against Assassin's Creed. It's competing against the game right below yours in a jam results page, thumbnails at 200 pixels wide, half a second of attention.
Naming an itch.io game is a different problem than naming a studio release. Here's what actually works.
Itch.io Has Its Own Naming Register
The titles that find audiences on itch.io — not just jam completions, but games people bookmark and share — tend to share something: they feel like they were made by a person, not a product team. "A Short Hike." "Anatomy." "Baba Is You." "Everything Is Going to Be OK." Each of those names tells you something specific before you read a single word of the description.
What they avoid is the generically-epic register: no "Shadowfall Chronicles," no "Legends of the Forsaken Realm," no "Strike Force: Nexus." Those names could belong to any of ten thousand games. The itch.io register is more particular, often quieter, sometimes deliberately odd.
Genre Changes Everything
The same naming instincts don't transfer across genres. A cozy farming game named something clinical and cold will lose players before the trailer loads. A horror game with a cheerful, bouncy title might work — but only if the contrast is clearly intentional, not accidental.
Warm, place-based, nature imagery — names that feel like somewhere you'd want to be
- Stardew Valley
- Spiritfarer
- Cattails
Slightly wrong, clinical, or quietly unsettling — not gore-branded, just off
- Anatomy
- I'm on Observation Duty
- Signalis
Absurdist, hyper-literal, self-aware — the weirdness is the hook
- You Have 293 Keys
- Please Wake Up
- My Father's Long Long Legs
Horror is worth dwelling on. The best itch.io horror titles don't signal "this is a horror game" with a skull or the word "dark." They use mundanity — clinical understatement, bureaucratic language, something too specific to be comfortable. "I'm on Observation Duty" sounds like a job description. "Faith" is a one-word title that could be a hymn book. That contrast between innocuous language and unsettling content is part of the genre's power.
The Thumbnail Test
Before committing to a name, picture it on a 200×150 pixel thumbnail beside forty other games in a jam results page. Can you read it? Does it look distinct? Does it suggest a mood or genre without requiring a description?
- Use specific, surprising words that create a single strong image
- Test the name at thumbnail size before deciding
- Let the title hint at genre without being on-the-nose about it
- Embrace deliberate understatement — "A Short Hike" does more than "Epic Mountain Adventure"
- Use "Chronicles," "Legacy," "Nexus," or any other game-title-generator cliché
- Stack three generic adjectives: "Dark Mystic Shadows"
- Name after a protagonist nobody knows yet: "Marcus's Quest" means nothing at launch
- Add a colon-subtitle unless the main title already earns attention on its own
Word Count and What It Buys You
Single-word titles are the hardest to pull off. When they work — Celeste, Undertale, Thumper, Signalis — they're iconic. When they don't, they're generic. The single word has to do all the work alone: it has to be memorable, hint at tone, and stand out from every other one-word game.
Two words is the itch.io sweet spot. Enough room for contrast (a noun that describes the game, an adjective that colors it) without becoming a mouthful. "Shovel Knight." "Gone Home." "Dear Esther." Each has one anchor word and one that changes how you read it.
Three words creates a complete thought. It's the territory of phrases and fragments: "A Short Hike," "What Remains of Edith Finch," "Everything Is Going to Be OK." These feel more literary — they're almost sentences, which makes them feel like a story you haven't read yet.
A Short Hike — two words that tell you exactly the kind of game this is before you read anything else
Jam Games Play by Different Rules
A 48-hour jam entry doesn't need a name that will carry a franchise. It needs a name that communicates the premise or gimmick in a thumbnail — something that makes a voter pause while scrolling through 1,200 submissions at 2 AM.
Jam names can be more literal, more absurdist, more personal. "You Have 293 Keys" tells you the mechanic. "My Father's Long Long Legs" tells you the vibe. "POOM" is a sound. None of those would work for a commercial release, but they're perfect for what they are.
If your jam concept is strange, let the name be strange too. The worst jam titles are the ones that try to sound like a real release when the game itself is clearly experimental. Authenticity reads through, even at thumbnail scale.
For solo developers planning a bigger project, our video game studio name generator covers the full spectrum from cozy indie handles to prestige studio brands.
Common Questions
Should my itch.io game name include a subtitle?
Only if the main title earns attention on its own first. A subtitle like ": A Cozy Cat Puzzle" adds nothing if the main title is already specific and memorable — it's padding. Subtitles work when the main title is intentionally abstract and needs grounding, like "Disco Elysium: The Final Cut."
Should I avoid names already used by other itch.io games?
Yes, for practical discoverability reasons: itch.io search is title-based, so sharing a name with another game splits your search traffic. Search your intended name on itch.io before committing — and check Steam too, since players often cross-search between platforms.
Do I need to trademark my itch.io game name?
For a jam entry or small release, almost certainly not. Trademark makes sense if you're planning a commercial release with real revenue, a sequel, or merchandise. For most itch.io projects, the energy is better spent on the game itself.