hiddengems.lol
Claim #1 for your indie game. No algorithm, just the highest bid.
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Outbid for —
Last updated · Content reviewed
HiddenGems is a pay-to-rank leaderboard specifically for indie games, accepting Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, and Google Play links. 6 games were live at the time of our review with $23 bid for visibility combined and 23 players sent to games overall; SURVIVE 10 WAVES holds #1 for $10, ahead of Void Inc and Our Hero! First tied at $4 for #2 and #3.
Our take
A niche-specific board for indie games is a genuine point of difference from the generic startup and product boards elsewhere in this directory, and players sent as the tracked metric is more relevant to this audience than a generic click count. $23 total bid across 6 games and 23 players sent is a small, early sample, so treat it as a cheap discovery test rather than a proven traffic channel yet.
Key metrics
| Listings | 0 |
How does hiddengems.lol work?
Highest bid is #1 until someone pays more; the current #1 costs $10 to claim outright, or you can pay less and land at whatever rank that amount buys. At the time of our review 6 games were live: SURVIVE 10 WAVES led at #1 for $10 (8 players sent), Void Inc at #2 for $4 (7 players sent, taking it costs $5), and Our Hero! First at #3 for $4 (2 players sent). Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, and Google Play URLs are all accepted.
Bidding rules
- Highest bid is #1 until someone pays more; no ads, no upvotes, no algorithm.
- Bidding less than the current #1 still places you on the board at whatever rank that amount buys.
- Accepted links: Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, or Google Play.
- The leaderboard updates every 30 seconds.
What does a listing include?
- Your game's title, description, and genre tags on the leaderboard
- A public players sent counter
- Rank badges (Legendary, Epic, Rare) for the top 3 spots
Is hiddengems.lol worth it?
Pros
- +Niche-specific to indie games, so referred traffic should already be relevant to that audience
- +Players sent is a more meaningful metric for this niche than a generic click count
- +Accepts Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, and Google Play links directly
- +The leaderboard updates every 30 seconds and shows genre tags per game
- +Cheap floor: the #6 spot cost just $1 at the time of our review
Cons
- −Only 6 games and $23 in total bids at the time of our review
- −No stated payment processor or refund policy found
- −No minimum hold time or protection once you hold #1
- −Small player-sent counts (2 to 8) per game make the traffic signal fragile so far
Who should advertise on hiddengems.lol?
- Indie game developers on Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, or Google Play wanting niche-specific visibility
- Early movers while the board is still just 6 games deep
- Cheap discovery tests at the $1 floor
How it compares
| Board | CPC | To outbid | Traffic | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hiddengems.lol | — | — | — | — |
| bidout | $0.00/click | $8 | — | C (56) |
| hill.bid | $0.01/click | $2 | 186/mo | D (35) |
| toolarena.lol | $0.01/click | $6 | — | C (58) |
| RankAffiliate | $0.02/click | $6 | — | C (55) |
Frequently asked questions
- How does HiddenGems rank indie games?
- Purely by highest bid. Paying less than the #1 price still places your game on the board at whatever rank that amount buys.
- How much does #1 cost right now?
- $10 at the time of our review, held by SURVIVE 10 WAVES.
- What platforms can I submit from?
- Steam, itch.io, Epic, App Store, or Google Play links are accepted.
- What does HiddenGems track?
- Players sent, a public counter of how many visitors clicked through to each game, rather than a generic click count.