Steam removes ownership. itch.io is honest but invisible. Physical indie editions — limited runs from Fangamer, Limited Run, Special Reserve — are quietly the most aligned-incentive corner of the games industry.
The deletion problem
In 2024 Sony pulled hundreds of bought-and-paid-for Discovery Channel shows out of PS5 libraries. Steam de-listed Hatred for years. The same thing can happen to any indie title that the platform-holder decides is awkward — and you, the buyer, have no contract that says otherwise.
Why Limited Run actually pays studios
Most physical indie outfits sign one-shot deals with the studio: an advance against a percentage of the print run. The studio gets paid before the disc leaves the factory. Steam pays 70% net of refunds 30 days after the sale. That gap matters when you are two coders in a flat.
The cartridge is the receipt
If Valve closes Steam tomorrow, your account is gone. If Sony decides Hades is offensive in five years, the digital version vanishes from the PS Store. The cartridge in our bench cannot be remotely deleted. The disc on your shelf is yours.
Where the secondary market fits
Once Limited Run sell-through is done, the only way to buy a physical indie is the secondary market. Bench-tested second-hand is what we do. We pay collectors honestly when we buy, and we charge a margin that reflects 30 minutes of hardware time per item — not the 300% mark-up that some London shops manage.
A worked example · Cinco Paus
Michael Brough's Cinco Paus is iOS-only. There is no physical edition. Nobody will ever ship you a cartridge of it — yet Brough's design language is one of the cleanest in the industry. Sometimes physical is impossible. The point is: when it is possible, take it.
Written from the bench in Hoxton. The Tavern dispatches indie & hardcore titles Mon–Sat. Browse the shelf.
