Advanced query syntax
The simple search box at the top of the sidebar does a full-text match against game titles, tags and descriptions. Type whole words ("horror", not "horr"); matches in the title and tags count for more than matches in the body. Pick best match in the sort dropdown to rank by relevance. Everything below is the advanced query language that lives in the second input.
The advanced query input in the sidebar accepts a small expression language. Plain words match the title; typed qualifiers like tag: and rating: match other fields. Everything combines with AND by default; || joins alternatives, and - negates.
The chip filters above (classification, include/exclude tags, platforms) are ANDed on top of whatever the advanced query resolves to, so you can mix both freely.
Operators
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
foo bar | title contains foo AND title contains bar | horror adventure |
foo || bar | OR — binds tighter than space | tag:horror || tag:rpg |
-foo / !foo | NOT | tag:horror -tag:adult |
"phrase" | exact substring (and protects spaces inside values) | tag:"open world" |
(...) | grouping | (tag:horror || tag:cats) rating:>4 |
Precedence: - binds tightest, then ||, then implicit space-AND. tag:horror || tag:cats tag:adventure means (horror or cats) AND adventure.
Field reference
Text fields (substring, case-insensitive)
| Field | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|
name: | title (alias for plain words) | name:dungeon |
description: | short description / meta-description | description:roguelike |
author: | author or studio name | author:"Daniel Mullins" |
Facet fields (slug equality)
| Field | Examples |
|---|---|
tag: | tag:pixel-art, tag:"open world" |
genre: | genre:rpg, genre:platformer |
platform: | platform:windows, platform:html5 |
lang: | lang:en, lang:de |
made_with: | made_with:godot, made_with:unity |
input: | input:gamepad |
multiplayer: | multiplayer:local-multiplayer |
status: | status:released, status:in-development |
ai: | -ai:assisted (exclude AI-assisted) |
Spaces inside quoted facet values become dashes (tag:"open world" = tag:open-world).
Numeric fields
Support >, >=, <, <=, plain equality, and ranges (a..b).
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
rating: | rating:>=4.5, rating:4..5 |
ratings: (count of ratings) | ratings:>20 |
price: (in dollars; optional $) | price:<5, price:>0 |
Date fields
Accept YYYY, YYYY-MM, YYYY-MM-DD, ranges, or relative ages (30d, 6m, 1y).
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
published: | published:>2024, published:2020..2024 |
updated: | updated:<30d (in the last 30 days), updated:<1y |
Boolean shortcuts
| Form | Means |
|---|---|
is:free | price is 0 (or unset) |
is:paid | price > 0 |
is:rated | has at least one rating |
is:released | status row equals "released" |
is:no-ai | no AI-disclosure row at all (covers older games without itch's no-ai tag) |
is:sfw | no adult-content tag — same filter that’s on by default in the sidebar |
is:nsfw | at least one adult-content tag — only meaningful with Show NSFW enabled (otherwise the default SFW filter excludes everything) |
Limit Hint
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
limit:10 | tells the server to return at most 10 results, even if the page size is larger. Useful for curated lists like "top 10 horror games" | limit:10 |
limit:1 | tells the server to return at most 1 result, even if the page size is larger. Useful for selecting a random game | limit:1 tag include=card-game sort:random |
Realistic examples
- tag:horror -tag:adult rating:>=4 — well-rated horror, no adult tag
- is:free tag:coop platform:windows — free coop games on Windows
- published:>2026 made_with:godot — recent Godot games
- tag:metroidvania || tag:platformer ratings:>50 — established metroidvanias or platformers
- author:"daniel mullins" — find by author
- -ai:assisted -ai:text is:rated — exclude AI-disclosed listings, only ones with ratings
Tips
- Quote a value if it contains spaces (
tag:"open world") or to be paranoid about characters (author:"…"). - Plain words match the title — but
name:is an explicit alternative. - Ranges are inclusive on both ends.
- Empty advanced query is fine; the chip filters and the simple title search still apply.