Thank you to everyone who responded and gave support and feedback.

However, I still haven't received any acknowledgement / response from tech support, nor the itch.io admins themselves. 

I still think this is an issue that would ideally be adressed by changing how the current blocking and privacy settings work.

I went ahead and put together this video to attempt to explain why changing the blocking feature to protect users from harassment is essential!

Couldn't agree more!

Thanks for voicing your support!

Hello everyone!

I’m writing this because I’ve been facing an ongoing issue that I believe many other creators are likely also dealing with—the lack of a fully functional blocking system on itch.io.

The Situation

The current blocking feature on itch.io is severely limited. The 3 main concerns are:

1. Blocked users can still follow and interact with the person who blocked them [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
2.  Creators cannot remove individual followers or prevent specific users from following them [3] [4] [5]
3. Blocked accounts can continuously un-follow and follow, causing harassment through notification spam

Additional Concerns: 

• Users have no granular control over which activities are visible to followers [5] [6] [7]
• Blocked accounts can still purchase and download games from the blocker.
• Blocked users still appear in search results, potentially exposing creators to unwanted content or interactions [8] [9] [10] [13].

This system fails to protect creators from persistent harassment, allowing blocked individuals to continue their disruptive behavior unchecked.

Why This Needs More Attention

Multiple forum threads discuss the need for improved blocking and privacy features [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10].

Some of these are multiple years old, and yet there hasn't been any improvement yet, even though harassment is against itch.io's terms of service. [11]

It's possible other users already left itch.io becauseof this. I know I’m not the only one affected by this. Going public with this issue is scary and uncomfortable, it puts me in danger, and frankly, it shouldn’t have to be necessary.

I’m speaking out not just for myself, but for the many other creators who might be silently suffering from similar issues—unable to fully block someone from following them or viewing their activity, but too afraid or ashamed to speak up. We are being left vulnerable and unsure of how to use the platform without being reminded of unwanted attention.

Impact on Creators

The consequences of these inadequate features are significant:

• Creators face ongoing harassment without effective means to stop it.
•  Some users limit their activity on the platform, potentially harming their careers.
•  The fear of unwanted attention can stifle creativity and community engagement. 

Comparison With Competitors

  GameJolt, a competitor platform, offers a more effective blocking feature, highlighting itch.io's shortcomings in this area [12].

"Users you have blocked will be unable to follow you, and you cannot follow them."

The Need For Action

It's crucial for itch.io to please prioritize the safety and well-being of its creator community.

By implementing these changes, the platform can foster a safer environment for all users, encourage more creators to join and actively participate, and maintain its position as a leading platform for independent game developers.

What I’m asking for is a more robust blocking system that gives creators more control over their privacy and safety. Specifically, please consider implementing the following:

Feature Requests

1. The ability to completely block a specific user from following your account.
2.  The ability to remove individual followers.  
3. More nuanced privacy settings that allow creators to select which activity should be shared on the feed
4. Measures to prevent notification spam from repeated following/unfollowing.
5. At the very least, the ability to turn off notifications for new followers.

The time for action is now. Creators deserve a platform where they can share their work without fear of harassment or unwanted attention. Itch.io has the opportunity to lead by example and set a new standard for creator protection in the digital space.

Citations: 

[1] https://itch.io/t/3135579/question-and-concern-using-the-blocking-feature 

[2] https://itch.io/t/1103073/hello-i-have-a-couple-of-questionsconcerns-about-conte...

[3] https://itch.io/t/1579134/can-i-remove-a-follower

[4] https://itch.io/t/2131019/remove-the-follower-feature-is-need

[5] https://itch.io/t/2528716/how-to-get-rid-of-followers-on-itch

[6] https://itch.io/t/1859503/is-there-any-way-to-stop-certain-types-of-my-actions-f...

[7] https://github.com/itchio/itch.io/issues/1212

[8] https://github.com/itchio/itch.io/issues/753

[9] https://itch.io/t/2012130/blocking-needs-improved-functionality

[10] https://itch.io/t/2994767/creators-i-blocked-should-not-appear-in-search-results

[11] https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms

[12] https://gamejolt.com/help-docs/start/block

[13] https://itch.io/t/2186265/add-ignore-option-for-individual-games-or-devs

I’m hoping that by speaking out, I can get enough support to finally see some meaningful change. I understand this is a tricky issue, and I don’t want to escalate things unnecessarily. But it’s clear that this isn’t just my issue—it’s a much larger problem that impacts creators everywhere. We all deserve to feel safe when sharing our work, without the fear of harassment or unwanted attention.

If you’ve faced a similar issue on itch.io or any other platform, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. This post isn’t just about me—it’s about ensuring that creators, of all kinds, feel safe and respected while they share their art with the world.

I sincerely hope that itch.io will take this issue seriously and consider updating its blocking features to help protect creators who contribute so much to this platform. 

Respectfully Yours,

IDOLL_Dev

Love the concept, and an endearing main character! Excited to see more! Anything that combines robots and magic has to be good! 🤩

Thank you so much!  That's great to hear :D

Yeah, from what I heard, encrypting the code has helped people evade antivirus, while open source programs get flagged? It's really counter-productive.

But the web version is a good idea in general, since so many people browsing itch.io are looking for browser games :D

It could be a really fun game to have open in another tab while auto-battling!

That was really fun! I love the artworks and the nicknames for the characters. I liked figuring out which pilots and mech suits to use! The setting is super interesting, it reminded me of the Wasteland series or the Brotherhood of Steel. 

Personally I think what would be cool for future versions would be more upgrades (and maybe a toggle for perma-death? 😈) I look forward to it!

It's really cool that you made this with pygame, mad respect. It's a shame so many antivirus programs seem to freak out with pygame games :/

Thank you so much! Yes I had fun making it, so I got a bit carried away there haha, I think this is also why the sync got messed up lol

I'll make a more beginner-friendly tutorial in the next version :D

Not what I expected when I typed in "big cat" lol, but I really like it it's like a bipedal werewolf but in cat form!

I think it could make for a funny enemy in an rpg, I'm imagining a scene where a kitten is upset with you and gets their "big brother", who turns out to be this OP Tank character. Good job on the model!

WOW!!!!!! Good job dude :D

I'm working on another jam submission rn but I'll make an update where you can save her later, thanks for the input!

Thank you for hosting this jam and linking that article, it was very inspiring in making my game! I need some sleep now but I'll look at what other people have made soon, the previews all look amazing 💖

Also I love Vocaloid but WOW I didn't know Teto was originally a parody / troll character :O

wow, you played it already!!! thank you so much 🥹

"32 seconds before the deadline"... whew! :')

I finally got this game and I'm planning on playing it with my sister who loves dark academia as a birthday present! I'm super excited about it, I made custom handouts with intentionally overly complicated sign up forms (she loves filling out forms haha) and for the sorting ceremony I used a golden pen to draw the symbols for the houses on acorns that we can pull from a bag. I will also set up four burning candles and we will blow out a candle for each year so it will progressively get darker!

I just played a solo session and I am blown away by the amazing prompts, setting, and atmosphere. I struggle with open-ended prompts on solo journaling games sometimes, and already use Tarot as a helpful tool a lot, so with the cards of the Major Arcana, all of a sudden the ideas just kept overflowing :D

I think my favorite are the horror aspects and opportunity for lots of ghosts and monsters, because I'm no Dark Academia expert but I'm all about that spooky stuff :)

Thank you for making this game I'm sure it will be a lovely experience of combining my interests with my sister's, and I'll let you know how it went

Edit: She loved it!

Really cool! Worked perfectly with my PS4 controller and is very juicy and responsive imho

The characters are awesome, a very good example of what can be achieved using VRoid :D

I will! I actually plan to compete as well, so I can't wait to see what other games there will be!

The monster you've chosen is such a cool idea! Just wanted to let you know that I can't download anything right now because it says your page has been quarantined for some reason? It probably just got auto-flagged because your account is new 🤔

I listened to it on your YouTube though and it sounds amazing! It felt like entering a completely different world, both haunting and yet serene.

Sorry, can't help you there. Maybe just try un- and reinstalling RPG Maker MZ?

This is SO good 🤯🤯🤯

can't believe it's free! 🥰

Yessss I was hoping somebody would make something metal like this! 🤘

The design of the harp-guitar is really cool as well 🤩

I love this!!! I'm no musician so maybe that isn't saying much but I really love the mischievous vibe 🤡🎃😈

hey there, sorry for butting in, but by NW.js, I think they mean this:

https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/how-to-update-nw-js-to-dramatic...

https://itch.io/blog/484532/how-to-update-nwjs-in-rpg-maker-mv-for-rpg-devs

Hope that helps!

Yes, thank you for your swift and thorough reply! :) 

Just tried it out and it works like a charm ^^

Hi MythAtelier! 👋

First of all, I want to say that I really enjoy using your plugin! 😊It's been very helpful in my project. However, I encountered an issue I wanted to report. In both the demo file and the empty template for RPG Maker MZ, I occasionally get the following error message after a fight:

"Failed to load img/system/CardHighlight.png."

It seems like the file CardHighlight.png is missing, and the code might be referencing an incorrect path. In the "highlights" folder, I found CardHighlightSheet.png, but not CardHighlight.png.🤔

I tried to recreate the issue in RPG Maker MV, and in the demo game, I got the error during a fight (not afterwards). I noticed you mentioned updating the highlight spritesheet, so I assume it's related to that. 🙈 However, I’m not updating from a previous version—I purchased and downloaded the latest version directly.

I also tried replacing the script and image files with those from the Plugin Suite, but the error still occurred. It’s possible I made a mistake there, haha

Just thought I’d let you know. Please let me know if there's a fix for this or if there's something I can do on my end. Thanks again for your awesome work! 🌟

Best regards,
IDOLL Dev

Yessss, I'm super happy that you like it! 🤩

Hi, I love your game! I used the SRD to make a Halloween-themed game. (It's one of two card-sized games for a Halloween jam).

I had to make the text shorter so it would fit on a business card, I hope that's okay? The full text from the credits layed out in the SRD is included on the game's itch.io page:
https://idoll-dev.itch.io/patchy
I'm assuming it's fine, but just in case it isn't, please let me know so I'll update it in a way that you prefer! 💕
Again, awesome game and awesome SRD, big fan of your work!

I agree! Thank you so much.

I never got to go trick or treating as a kid, so I am living vicariously through this jam, haha :')

The thought of somebody playing my game makes me super happy 🤩💕

You are most welcome! 🤗

Finally, my favorite movie got a DS tie-in game! 😄

Alien Cake 👏 Alien Cake 👏 Alien Cake 👏
Jokes aside, this is super charming and fun!

I was almost disappointed because I was so excited for this jam and I really love DS games, but didn't have time to participate. But OMG this is so good. This more than makes up for the fact that it's the only game, I love everything about this! You really nailed the feeling of playing a DS game imho

This is sooooo cute ♥ 🦎

The 3 hour limit is really hard, especially if you're a beginner, but I like that you uploaded it even though you didn't get to do everything you wanted. Especially because seeing Sally stretch out the limbs like that was goofy and funny 😂♥

The gameplay loop was fun - adding the music and the crying girlfriend, plus the background (looked a bit like a padded cell) made it feel surreal. Part of me felt like I had just discovered a tongue-in-cheek easter egg in a psychological horror game about addiction, something akin to the dog in Silent HIll.

You used the time constraints really well and I like how you designed it. You said on your page that you like making horror games and quirky games, and I was not surprised to read that when I checked you out after playing - this definitely fits that description :D

I adore the art style! It’s a nice blend of adorable designs that still fit perfectly with the darker themes. Even without music, I found Erik’s facial expressions very impactful.

There were a couple of moments where I had some trouble understanding the text, but that could just be me! English isn’t my first language, so it might have contributed to that. For example, the line "I look at the foot. Something pulls it over, softly." left me a little unsure of what was happening, but it added to the mysterious, dream-like atmosphere. If that was your intention, it really worked to enhance that surreal feeling. The premise has really stuck with me and left me intrigued.

As for the puzzles, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the first one ("How many odd things stick out?"), but I might have missed a clue. The second puzzle, though, was well designed, and the foreshadowing there was such a nice touch! I really loved that part.

Overall, I think this Visual Novel has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see what you create next! :)

I agree with everything Fluburbio said and I just want to add that the "dual screen" aesthetics made me super happy inside, reminded me of a DS game - in a good way! I really adore this game ♥

great! I'm happy to hear that :D

Glad you liked it! I hope dinner was good :D

This is so cute!

Gambling away all of Elon Musk's money because he fired me is a fantasy I didn't know I had... until now. Best endscreen ever! lol

It took me a while to figure out the UI and how to play, but after I did, it's really fun. I love games like this where you have to lose on purpose! I think it's very hard and luck-based, but that just adds to the overall message of the game.

It reminds me of the "Riches To Rags" challenge in The Sims, where it's hard to become rich but even harder to become poor again.

I can see myself returning to this game a couple of times! The music is such a perfect choice btw, and the premise is a really smart way to perfectly incorporate the theme.

I really love this! Coin Lover's design is adorable and the sound effects are perfect. It really made me smile. I love the gameplay it's so fun!

At first it's just funny to collect all the coins and go game over, but once you try to take advantage of the mechanic where slower coins are better than faster coins, it becomes actually challenging and addicting. You really have to keep your brain from wanting to collect everything at once.

It reminds me when I saw a game called "Coins Are Bad" on YouTube many years ago!