r/IoGames rules, stats, and what to post

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/IoGames: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Members: 7,329
Community age: Created May 2016, 10 years
To post: No minimum in the rules
To comment: No minimum in the rules
Self-promotion: Not mentioned in the rules
Links: Allowed with conditionsPosts must lead directly to the game page, unless it is a mobile game. No links through third party websites.
Promo risk: MediumFrom the rules, not from removal counts

Checked November 5, 2026 from the community's public Reddit pages:

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Subreddits like r/IoGames

Subreddits like r/IoGames are r/gaming, r/pcgaming, r/GTA, r/truegaming, r/videogames, r/gamingsuggestions, r/Workers_And_Resources and r/FiveMServers.

r/IoGames alternatives compared: members, karma to post and self-promo rules.
Subreddit	Members	Karma to post	Self-promo
r/gaming	47.4M	None listed	Limited
r/pcgaming	4M	None listed	Limited
r/GTA	3.6M	None listed	Banned
r/truegaming	1.5M	None listed	Banned
r/videogames	727.1K	None listed	Banned
r/gamingsuggestions	400.6K	None listed	Banned
r/Workers_And_Resources	40,932	None listed	Limited
r/FiveMServers	35,387	None listed	Limited

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By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.

Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.

Rule summary

Link to third party website: Posts must lead directly to the game page, unless it's a mobile game. This means no links to the game through 3rd party websites.
Not an io game: Games don't necessarily have to be on a .io domain, however, they have to follow the .io game 'spirit'.

Works well

A direct link to your playable browser game, with a short title that says what the game is.
A launch post for your own io style game where the link goes straight to the game page, with a note that you made it.
A mobile game post, which is the one case where the direct game page link rule does not apply.
A game that is not on a .io domain but clearly plays like an io game, shared with a direct link to the game itself.

Avoid

Posting a link that goes through a third party website instead of straight to the game page, because that breaks “Link to third party website”.
Sharing a game that has nothing to do with the .io style, because it breaks “Not an io game”.
Wrapping your game link in a landing page, a blog post, or a link shortener, since the post must lead directly to the game page.
Posting a browser game that is really a story game or a slow puzzle game and calling it an io game, because the spirit test will fail it.
Assuming a mobile game needs a direct game page link, since the rule carves out an exception for mobile games.

What r/IoGames Is For

This community exists for one thing, finding and sharing .io games. The description names the classics people expect here, like Agar.io, Deeeep.io, Slither.io, and Diep.io. So the people posting are players hunting for their next quick browser game, and developers or fans sharing games they found or made. The rules make it clear this is a place to post games, not a place to post news, opinions, or general gaming chat. If your post does not put a playable game in front of people, it probably does not belong here.

Rules That Matter Before Posting

Two rules decide everything here. The first is “Link to third party website”, which says posts must lead directly to the game page, unless it is a mobile game, and that no links to the game through third party websites are allowed. The second is “Not an io game”, which says games do not necessarily have to be on a .io domain, but they have to follow the .io game spirit. If you are a founder sharing your own game, both rules apply to you at the same time. Your link has to go straight to the game, and the game itself has to feel like an io game. The moderator one liner repeats both points, so you can assume they enforce both.

What To Post

The good post here is simple. You share a game, and the link goes straight to the game page where people can click and play. If you made the game yourself, say so in the post, because players in game communities usually respond well to an honest indie developer sharing their own work. If your game is on a mobile platform, the direct link rule does not apply to you, so you have a bit more freedom in where the link points. If your game is not on a .io domain, that is fine, as long as it genuinely feels like an io game in style and spirit. Think quick to load, easy to understand, playable in a browser, and in the same family as the games named in the community description.

What To Avoid

The clearest way to get removed is linking through a third party website. That means no link hubs, no portal pages, no review sites with your game on them, and no landing pages that make people click again to reach the game. The post must lead directly to the game page itself. The other way to get removed is posting something that is not an io game. Your game does not need a .io domain, but it needs to fit the spirit of games like Agar.io, Slither.io, Diep.io, and Deeeep.io. A game that has nothing in common with that style will be removed under the “Not an io game” rule.

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Common questions about r/IoGames

What subreddits are similar to r/IoGames?

Subreddits like r/IoGames are r/gaming, r/pcgaming, r/GTA, r/truegaming, r/videogames, r/gamingsuggestions, r/Workers_And_Resources and r/FiveMServers.

Can I post my own io game here?

Yes, but only if the link leads directly to the game page. No third party websites in between.

Does my game need a .io domain to be allowed?

Yes. The rule says games do not necessarily have to be on a .io domain, but they have to follow the .io game spirit.

What if my game is a mobile game?

Yes. The rule makes an exception for mobile games, so the direct game page link requirement does not apply to them.

What counts as the io game spirit?

The rules do not spell out the spirit in detail, but the community description points to games like Agar.io, Deeeep.io, Slither.io, and Diep.io, so a simple browser game in that family is the safest bet.

Can I link to my game through a portal or aggregator site?

No. The rule says posts must lead directly to the game page, so a link to a third party site will get the post removed.