We're all set to see some hit video game releases this year.from pal world to helldiver 2, 2024 has gotten off to a great start for the players. This year, several highly anticipated titles were released, including: final fantasy 7 reverseand tekken 8. However, what most of these games currently available have in common is that they have high development budgets.
Video games these days cost a lot of money, from development costs to marketing costs. This is true for many people, but some have ignored the possibility. Below is a list of games that surprised everyone with their sales despite having a low development budget.
hollow knight (Over 2.8 million copies sold)
It is a Metroidvania game developed by indie developer Team Cherry. hollow knight came out in 2017 and is available on previous generation consoles and PC. It became popular for its music, art style, and combat, which created an exciting atmosphere for players. A sequel to this game will be released soon.
The game was developed on a modest budget of $26,600. The game was nominated for several awards and won the Indie Game of the Year award at the Australian Game Awards. The price of the game at release was $15, which is one of the reasons why it was such a huge success. According to recent reports, this game sold nearly 2.8 million copies by the beginning of 2019.
dead cells (Sold over 10 million copies)
This is also a Metroidvania game released in 2018. dead cells gained popularity due to its unique combat mechanics and gameplay elements. The game has a perma-death system, where players lose everything when they die and have to start from the beginning. In addition to his PC and consoles, the game also came to his iOS in 2019.
After its release, the game received several updates and expansions. This was one of the reasons why the game became so popular. Although the game's exact development budget is unknown, the indie game managed to sell around 10 million copies.
castle crushers (Over 20 million copies sold)
This is a 2D side-scrolling game developed by The Behemoth. castle crushers It debuted on Xbox 360 in 2008. super smash bros game. The game was so popular upon release that it was later ported to other consoles. It also featured four-player cooperative gameplay, which was one of the main reasons it became so widely popular.
The exact development cost of the game is unknown. This was his 2D game and appeared on Xbox Live Arcade, so it had a very low budget. This game is currently available for $15. According to the latest reports, this game sold more than 20 million copies by the first half of 2019.
Fes (Sold over 1 million copies)
It is a puzzle platform game that appeared in 2012. The developer is indie developer Polytron Corporation. Fes Released through Xbox Live Arcade, players were able to switch between 2D and 3D worlds. Despite some technical issues at launch, the game won numerous prestigious awards.
As far as indie games go, this game had a very long development cycle. This worked in its favor and the game became popular even before its release. Since its appearance on Xbox Live Arcade, the game sold 20,000 copies on its first day of release. This momentum continued, with over 1 million units sold by the end of 2013.
Tetris (500 million copies sold)
like Fes, a puzzle video game also released in 1985. This game he was developed by Alexey Pajitnov and released on the Nintendo Game Boy. This is a simple game, but requires puzzle-solving skills on the part of the player. Due to its popularity and addictive gameplay, it was later released on other platforms as well.
By early 2010, the game had sold over 170 million copies. Of these, 70 million were physical units and 100 million were mobile phones. According to the latest reports, this game has sold over 500 million copies in total.
runescape (300 million users)
This is a free-to-play online role-playing game released in 2001. The game was developed by Jagex and had multiplayer features. The game has a fantasy open world setting and the player must explore them while overcoming various challenges. The game became popular due to elements such as player vs. player combat and interaction with NPCs.
According to the latest reports, the game generated as much as $1 billion in revenue by 2018. In addition, this game generates revenues of $125 million annually and profits of more than $62 million.
starbound (Over 2.5 million copies sold)
It is a 2D action adventure game developed by Chucklefish. The game was released in his 2016 year and was in early access for four years. The game was initially developed through crowdfunding, which led to a long early access period. This game finally arrived on Xbox Game Pass in 2020.
The game was a huge success when it launched into Early Access. Within a few months, this game allowed him to sell more than 2.5 million copies. starbound is a must-have game for anyone who enjoys 2D action-adventure games.
Mine Craft (300 million copies sold)
It is a sandbox game released for private beta testing in 2009. The original game was developed by an indie developer named Markus 'Notch' Persson. This game was released in 2011 after his two years of beta testing.
Mine Craft It is the best-selling video game to date. Due to the popularity of this game, it has also been ported to several other platforms. According to the latest reports, this game has sold over 300 million copies. Additionally, it has 140 million monthly active users.
stardew valley (30 million copies sold)
This is a farm life simulation game that appeared in 2016. Created by indie developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. In this game, the player plays the role of a simple farmer. The game was made available on his Steam, but was later ported to other platforms due to its popularity.
Indie developer Barone took four years to develop the game. However, this long period of time is justified if you look at the game's sales numbers. The game had sold around 30 million copies by early 2024. This incredible figure made this game one of his best-selling video games.
outlast (More than 15 million units sold)
This is the only survival horror video game on this list. This game was released in his 2013 year and was developed by Red Barrels. The game first appeared on the previous generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The game was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018.
According to reports, the game cost less than $1 million to develop. Additionally, the game grossed $64 million, the report states. The game had a very well-planned horror environment and was well-received by players.
