We're used to the idea that it takes a huge team of professionals to create a successful game that will bring in millions of dollars. However, it can be enough to triumph with just one person who went to make a seemingly simple game. For example, everyone knows the story of Tetris. Although it did not bring Alexey Pazhitnov a million dollars (there were other times and there is a separate film about it), there are examples when a lone developer created a game that earned a million dollars (and even more). The gg editorial team found 7 such games that were actually created by one person alone and managed to get a sum with six zeros in the "money earned" column. Of course, this doesn't mean that the author of the game woke up one day as a millionaire and the entire sum belongs to him or her, but you'll agree that this is a result that will satisfy any indie developer who worked on a game in a one-person team.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a pixelated farming simulator. The game starts with the protagonist inheriting an old farm from his grandfather. The player has to restore the farm, grow plants, breed animals, fish, extract minerals, and interact with the townspeople. In addition to agricultural activities, the player can participate in various festivals, solve mysteries and build relationships with other characters. The game primarily attracts players with its calm atmosphere and dozens of mechanics that allow them to spend hundreds of hours in Stardew Valley. The game received 89 points from critics and 8.8 points from players on Metacritic.
As of February 2024, Stardew Valley has sold over 30 million copies across all platforms. Thus, Eric Barone has generated $300 million in sales with his indie game.
Developer: ConcernedApe
Genre: Simulator
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Release date: 26 February 2016
Website of the game: stardewvalley
Undertale.
Undertale is a pixelated role-playing game. The player controls a child who has fallen into the underworld inhabited by monsters. The game has a combat system that allows you to either fight enemies or show them mercy. Each monster has its own personality and method of interaction, which makes encounters different from the previous ones. The player's decisions affect the plot and the end of the game. Undertale is noted for its humour, plot, music, and characters. The game received 92 points from critics and 8.6 points from players on Metacritic.
According to the Steam Revenue Calculator, which takes the number of reviews for a game and calculates the approximate price, it is known that thanks to the PC version of Undertale, its author Toby Fox generated sales of $25 million.
Developer: tobyfox
Genre: RPG
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita
Release date: 15 September 2015
Website of the game: undertale
Papers, Please
Papers, Please is a game where we play the role of a border control inspector of the fictional totalitarian state of Arstotzka. The player's task is to check the documents of people who want to cross the border and make decisions about their admission or rejection. Throughout the game, you are haunted by moral dilemmas that force you to constantly make a choice: should you work in the interests of the state or question its rules and regulations and act as you see fit? The game received 85 points from critics and 8.5 points from players on Metacritic.
According to the Steam Revenue Calculator, the PC version of Papers, Please alone helped developer Lucas Pope generate nearly $10 million in sales.
The developer: Lucas Pope
Genre: Simulator
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
Release date: 8 August 2013
Game site: papersplea
Animal Well.
Animal Well is a pixelated metroidvania where players explore huge dungeons full of secrets, puzzles and hidden treasures. We play as a small creature. The protagonist lacks powers but can skilfully use his environment and objects, so the emphasis is on tension and anticipation of the unknown. At the same time, we can interact with various animals and objects, but it's up to you to decide what is safe and what is dangerous. The game received 91 points from critics and 7.8 points from players on Metacritic.
According to the Steam Revenue Calculator, developer Billy Basso generated $4 million in sales from the PC version of Animal Well alone. The game was also available on PlayStation Plus Extra from the first day of release, but it is not known how much Sony paid for it.
Developer: Billy Basso
Genre: metroidvania
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Switch
Release date: 9 May 2024
Website of the game: animalwell
Lethal Company
Lethal Company is a co-operative horror where you and your team collect scrap from abandoned industrial satellites. There are dangers on the satellites that prey on vulnerable and lonely people, so protecting the crew is your only hope. You can control your crew members from the ship, using radar to detect traps and the ship's terminal to access remotely locked doors - or you can go all in. Along the way, you'll encounter various puzzles that also require teamwork to complete. The main thing is to do everything before nightfall and make sure that everyone gets to the ship. The game has received 97% positive reviews on Steam.
According to the Steam Revenue Calculator, Zeekerss generated sales of $47 million with its game Lethal Company.
The developer: Zeekerss
Genre: Horror
Platforms: PC
Release date: 24 October 2023
Game site: steam (the game doesn't even have a separate site)
Balatro
Balatro is a poker roguelike game where players strive to win a series of 8 antes (a form of mandatory poker bets that players must pay before they even see their cards) by collecting enough chips through poker hands. Players use their cards to make various poker combinations. Between rounds, you can upgrade your deck by purchasing items from the shop. In addition to the standard cards, there are also Tarot cards that can enhance regular cards; planet cards that will help to increase the level of poker combinations and voucher cards that will give permanent boosts to the current game. The game received 90 points from critics and 8.4 points from players on Metacritic.
At the end of July 2024, Balatro had 39 thousand reviews on Steam, so the game by LocalThunk generated sales of $8 million.
Developer: LocalThunk
Genre: roguelike
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch
Release date: 20 February 2024
Website of the game: playbalatro
Minecraft.
Minecraft is a game that even those who have never played games have heard of. It is a sandbox that allows players to create and explore an endless world of cubic blocks. The game offers two main modes: creativity mode, where you can build without restrictions and with unlimited resources, and survival mode, where players must mine resources, build shelters and fight enemies to survive. Minecraft is a simple yet flexible game where everything is limited only by your imagination. This approach has made Minecraft one of the most influential games in the history of the industry. Also, the PC version of the game has only positive reviews on Metacritic , with a score of 93.
In the autumn of 2023, Minecraft sold 300 million copies, making it the second best-selling game in the world, and Marcus Persson's project generated sales not in millions but in billions of dollars. So Minecraft is a clear example of how sometimes it only takes one small human step to create something great and impactful for millions of people.
The developer: Notch
Genre: sandbox
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3/4/5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, iOS, Android
Release date: 18 November 2011
Website of the game: minecraft
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Our game editor has been playing games since he was 4 years old and can't imagine himself without it. He has played 100+ games on PlayStation, but still considers The Last of Us Part II to be the best in the industry. In January 2022, he joined the gg team. He studies at the Faculty of Journalism at Kyiv International University.
