# How to put up your WIP on itch.io **URL:** \ **Category:** Game Development\ **Created:** [January 16, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165 "2025-01-16T14:21:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChanceOfFire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/chanceoffire/32/270002_2.png) [@ChanceOfFire](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ChanceOfFire)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/1 "2025-01-16T14:21:33Z")
In light of the recent announcement about dashingdon’s discontinuation, I am coming up with this quick and dirty guide to putting up a WIP on [itch.io](http://itch.io). This is something I learnt through trial and error very recently - I’m not an expert. If there’re any mistakes I’ve made, feel free to let me know. CoGdemos is also a good place to host WIPs, but I’m just providing this guide so that this community has access to another option. **Optional - Install the CoG save plugin.** I’ve tried this, and it’s not rocket science. Just head to [this link](https://github.com/ChoicescriptIDE/ChoiceScriptSavePlugin), download a file and place it in the folder shown. Then, change two lines in the index.html file. That’s it. You should have the dashingdon-style save system up and running, and it’ll be available on itch. **Step 1 - Run the compiler in choicescript-main to generate an output.html file.** On Windows, double-click on `run-compile.bat` On macOS, double-click on `compile.command` Or use the `compile.html` file This will give you an output.html file ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/original/3X/0/6/0663a9d4a856a3597519363b6f7da7f9d611943e.png) **Step 2 - Copy the html file and other relevant media to a new folder.** Copy output.html to a new, separate folder. Rename the file to index.html. If your game has any pictures or other media files, copy them into this same folder. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/original/3X/9/2/92bbcfd92dfb4a9ac1e6430f0105fadde113ce78.png) **Step 3 (Optional) - Deal with that annoying hyperlink under the next button.** There is a link which says ‘Make your own games with Choicescript’ under the next button. I click it by accident on my iphone all the time, and it’s annoying. Open up index.html (previously output.html) in notepad. Look for this line: `

Make your own games with ChoiceScript

` Delete this line or shift it downwards by putting `
` multiple times in front of it. **Step 4 - Send the folder to a ZIP file.** Right click the folder containing the index.html (previously output.html) file as well as any media assets, and compress it to a ZIP file. This ZIP file is what we will upload to itch. **Step 5 - Create a page on itch** Click that down arrow next to your profile picture, then click **Dashboard**. On your dashboard, click **Create New Project**. Enter a title and short description for your game. For **Classification** , you should pick ‘_Games_’. For **Kind of project** , you should pick ‘_HTML_’, or you can pick ‘_downloadable_’ if you prefer people to download your files to their devices instead. For **Release status** , I suppose you could pick ‘_In development_’ unless something else is more appropriate to your situation. For **Pricing** , check ‘_No payments_’. Unless you have a commercial license, there is no reason you should be selecting the other options. For **Uploads** , upload the ZIP file I talked about in step 4. Check the box which says that the file will be played in the browser. For **Embed options** , well, whatever works for you. My recommendation would be to select ‘_Click to launch in fullscreen_’ from the dropdown menu. For **Frame Options** , I usually check ‘_mobile friendly_’, set **Orientation** to ‘_portrait_’ and check ‘_enable scrollbars_’. For **Details** , well, type whatever you want to sell your project to the masses. For **Genre** , I’d select ‘_Interactive Fiction_’. For **Tags** , you can pick up to ten tags. I suggest having ‘_choicescript_’ and ‘_text-based_’ as basic selections. For **AI generation disclosure** , well, be honest. A gentle reminder that Hosted Games will not accept any AI content. You can probably skip **App store links** and **Custom noun**. For **Community** , it’s up to you. Note that you have the power to delete comments and ban users for any or no reason at all. 😅 For **Visibility & Access** , well, whatever works for you. ‘_Public_’ if you want a public WIP, ‘_Restricted_’ if you’re running a closed beta or patreon exclusive. For **Upload Cover Image** , follow the suggested guidelines and upload cover art. If you want to attract views from itch users, I suggest trying to upload something decent, at least. When you’re done, **Save & view page**. **Step 6 - You’re done.** You now have a page for hosting your WIP, which you can link to on your WIP thread here. You can also click **Edit theme** to mess with the display, but I won’t talk about that here. **Advantages to putting your WIP on itch** 1. More visibility from itch users. 2. Access to analytical data on the number of people who viewed/played your game. 3. Additional platform for people to leave comments. **Disadvantages** 1. More work to compile and upload a html file. 2. Not possible for players to view scene files. 3. High competition for visibility on itch. Whether this is a good or bad option depends on your needs and preferences. If anyone wants to point out any errors, improvements and so on to this guide, let me know. I am not an expert. ---
**Author:** ![HarrisPS](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/harrisps/32/240120_2.png) [@HarrisPS](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/HarrisPS)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/2 "2025-01-16T14:32:18Z")
Thanks for this! I’ve used this method with pretty reliable success; the main issue that happened with me is that players sometimes needed to clear their cache after an update. It’s also worth considering using [the `*ifid` command](https://www.choiceofgames.com/make-your-own-games/exporting-and-publishing-your-game/) so that progress will be saved if the player closes their tab. ---
**Author:** ![idonotlikeusernames](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/idonotlikeusernames/32/5993_2.png) [@idonotlikeusernames](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/idonotlikeusernames)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/3 "2025-01-16T14:43:01Z")
Good that there is a second option, but as some authors have things like Patreon too I wonder if it is possible for some of them to host their public demos there as well? Might be a potential third option for some. ---
**Author:** ![HarrisPS](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/harrisps/32/240120_2.png) [@HarrisPS](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/HarrisPS)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/4 "2025-01-16T14:44:50Z")
You can create downloadable attachments on Patreon the same way as you can on the forum, but you wouldn’t be able to host it to be playable in browser the way you can on cogdemos/your own website/itch. ---
**Author:** ![LibtechMk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/libtechmk/32/219571_2.png) [@LibtechMk](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LibtechMk)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/5 "2025-01-16T14:54:15Z")
Does itch support \*create\_array and temp\_array commands? ---
**Author:** ![ChanceOfFire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/chanceoffire/32/270002_2.png) [@ChanceOfFire](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ChanceOfFire)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/6 "2025-01-16T14:57:40Z")
> [@LibtechMk](#): > > Does itch support \*create\_array and temp\_array As long as you generated the output.html file with a version of choicescript which supports the commands, it should work. Best to download the latest version of choicescript when compiling your game. ---
**Author:** ![LibtechMk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/libtechmk/32/219571_2.png) [@LibtechMk](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LibtechMk)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/7 "2025-01-16T15:01:11Z")
Then me and itch don’t have a problem☺️ ---
**Author:** ![izzily](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/izzily/32/240931_2.png) [@izzily](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/izzily)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/8 "2025-01-16T15:12:39Z")
Thank you for this! ---
**Author:** ![fsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fsix](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/fsix)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/9 "2025-01-16T20:00:47Z")
> [@ChanceOfFire](#): > > Not possible for players to view scene files Just a note, all scene files are rolled into the resulting html file, so they can be viewed in there (with a bit of search/replace to clean up the layout). So that’s less of disadvantage that may seem at first glance. ---
**Author:** ![LiliArch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/liliarch/32/120749_2.png) [@LiliArch](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/LiliArch)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/10 "2025-01-16T20:03:24Z")
Also not all authors like testers peeking at their code, so in that case it’s a bonus for the author. ---
**Author:** ![ChanceOfFire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/chanceoffire/32/270002_2.png) [@ChanceOfFire](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ChanceOfFire)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/11 "2025-01-16T22:59:54Z")
> [@fsix](#): > > so they can be viewed in there (with a bit of search/replace to clean up the layout). True, although searching the resulting html file is a lot less intuitive than looking through the original scene files. Another way could be for the writer to make the scene files available for download separately, if they are comfortable with it. But yeah, for writers who want to hide their code from the public, you’ve got a solution right here. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/death_lord/32/240740_2.png) [@Death\_Lord](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Death_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 8:19am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/12 "2025-01-17T08:19:35Z")
Thanks for sharing that . If we did the first steps about the save system. The readers will be able to save even after puplishing ,right? ---
**Author:** ![HarrisPS](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/harrisps/32/240120_2.png) [@HarrisPS](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/HarrisPS)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 8:37am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/13 "2025-01-17T08:37:48Z")
Yes, after publishing on itchio. But not games published with Choice of Games, Hosted Games, or Heart’s Choice. ---
**Author:** ![ChanceOfFire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/chanceoffire/32/270002_2.png) [@ChanceOfFire](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ChanceOfFire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/14 "2025-01-17T08:46:02Z")
> [@Death\_Lord](#): > > The readers will be able to save even after puplishing ,right? Correct, but like what @HarrisPS said, only on itch. If you installed the save plugin and follow all the steps above, you’ll have a save system on [itch.io](http://itch.io) which allows you to save and load anywhere without logging in, similar to dashingdon. ---
**Author:** ![ClearBlueStar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/clearbluestar/32/264053_2.png) [@ClearBlueStar](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ClearBlueStar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/15 "2025-09-25T23:09:12Z")
This was here the whole time? I hate my life. ---
**Author:** ![ChanceOfFire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/chanceoffire/32/270002_2.png) [@ChanceOfFire](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ChanceOfFire)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/16 "2025-09-25T23:21:24Z")
Yep, sorry. 🥲 Are you planning to put something up on itch? 😄 ---
**Author:** ![ClearBlueStar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/clearbluestar/32/264053_2.png) [@ClearBlueStar](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ClearBlueStar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/17 "2025-09-26T00:08:08Z")
I planned on putting something on itch for months now, but it kept breaking and I didn’t understand what was causing it to break. So I kept hitting my head against the wall and asked people for help, but they weren’t getting the same problems as me. So I came malding, found the issue like five minutes before I found this thread. I didn’t do the index thing, and since my default browser wasn’t the same as my main browser, CSIDE kept bricking itself when it went on itch. ---
**Author:** ![Jacic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/jacic/32/7061_2.png) [@Jacic](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Jacic)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/18 "2025-09-26T01:18:43Z")
Is there an itch thing going on at the moment? I just referred someone else to this topic today 😄 (Edit: Actually the head hitting the wall thing. That might have been you.) ---
**Author:** ![ClearBlueStar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/clearbluestar/32/264053_2.png) [@ClearBlueStar](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ClearBlueStar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/19 "2025-09-26T02:06:54Z")
if it was on reddit, then it was me. ---
**Author:** ![ClearBlueStar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/clearbluestar/32/264053_2.png) [@ClearBlueStar](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ClearBlueStar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 11:02pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165/20 "2025-09-30T23:02:40Z")
I want to bite a bullet, I broke it somehow. @ChanceOfFire do you have any idea whats causing this? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/original/4X/9/b/a/9babb167d443576e0e42b100d0f66a31da65b279.png) Actually, I might be doing more than I need to do, brb I am completely lost and in need of your assistance [Next page](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/how-to-put-up-your-wip-on-itch-io/164165.md?page=2)