IGDB
FreeComprehensive video game database with detailed info on games, platforms, developers, and release dates — the IMDb for games, powered by Twitch.
What does this tool do?
IGDB (Internet Game Database) is a crowdsourced video game database that functions as the gaming industry's equivalent to IMDb. Powered by Twitch, it aggregates detailed metadata on thousands of games including release dates, platforms, developers, publishers, genres, and user ratings. The platform provides structured data on gaming hardware, development studios, and franchise information, making it invaluable for researchers, journalists, and developers seeking reliable game information. Unlike Wikipedia, IGDB maintains a standardized schema and API access, enabling programmatic integration for game discovery platforms, review aggregators, and analytics tools. The database covers both mainstream and indie titles across historical and contemporary platforms.
AI analysis from Feb 23, 2026
Key Features
- Comprehensive game metadata including release dates, platforms, genres, ESRB/PEGI ratings, and artwork
- Developer and publisher profiles with game portfolios, founding information, and company relationships
- Platform database covering historical systems (Atari, NES) through modern hardware (PS5, Xbox Series X)
- RESTful API for programmatic access enabling third-party integration and data export
- User rating and review aggregation with community engagement features
- Franchise and series tracking showing game sequels, spin-offs, and related titles
Use Cases
- 1Game journalists and critics researching game history, developer backgrounds, and cross-platform release information for articles and reviews
- 2Indie developers verifying competitor games, market positioning, and platform availability data during game development planning
- 3Gaming analytics firms tracking genre trends, platform adoption, and release patterns across the industry using historical game data
- 4Mobile app developers building game discovery, recommendation, or aggregation apps that require accurate game metadata and relationships
- 5Academic researchers studying gaming industry trends, developer networks, and the evolution of game development across decades
- 6Gaming retailers and platforms needing standardized game information, cover art, and classification for catalog management
- 7Content creators and streamers researching game details, developer interviews, and franchise history for video production and stream commentary
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Extensive API access enables seamless integration into third-party applications, reducing need for manual data entry or scraping
- Crowdsourced model ensures rapid updates when new games release, leveraging the gaming community for timeliness and accuracy
- Twitch backing provides financial stability and integration potential with the largest gaming livestream platform, ensuring long-term viability
- Standardized metadata structure (platforms, genres, developers, franchises) allows consistent querying across the entire database without format inconsistencies
Limitations
- Crowdsourced data quality varies—indie and regional games may have incomplete or inaccurate information compared to AAA titles
- No clear public pricing model; API access limitations and monetization strategy are not transparently documented on the main site
- Geographic bias toward English-language games and Western releases; Asian and indie markets are often underrepresented
- Rate limiting on API calls may restrict heavy analytical use or real-time syncing without premium tier information
Pricing Details
Pricing details not publicly available. The site appears to offer free access to the database and API, but rate limits, commercial usage terms, and premium API tiers are not documented on the publicly accessible pages.
Who is this for?
Game journalists, indie developers, gaming platform builders, academic researchers studying the gaming industry, content creators, mobile app developers integrating game discovery features, and gaming analytics firms. Best suited for organizations and individuals who need reliable, standardized game metadata and programmatic database access.