We all got to see the release of some hit video games this year. From Palworld to Helldivers 2, 2024 started on a great note for the players. This year also saw the release of some highly-anticipated titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Tekken 8. However, one common thing with most of these games coming out today is their high development budget.
Video games these days cost a fortune, from its development cost to its marketing cost. Even though this is true for many, some have defied the odds. Below is a list of games, that had a low development budget, however, they managed to surprise everyone with their sales.
Hollow Knight (more than 2.8 million copies sold)
It is a Metroidvania game developed by indie developer Team Cherry. Hollow Knight came out in 2017 and was made available to the last-generation consoles and PC. It became popular for its music, art style, and combat which created an exciting atmosphere for the players. The game is also set to get a sequel soon.
The game was developed at a low 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. At launch, the game was sold for $15, which is another reason behind its huge success. According to recent reports, the game sold nearly 2.8 million units by the start of 2019.
Dead Cells (more than 10 million copies sold)
It is also a Metroidvania game which came out in 2018. Dead Cells became popular because of its unique combat mechanics and gameplay elements. The game has a permadeath system where the players lose everything if they die, and need to start from scratch. Apart from coming to PC, and consoles, the game also came to iOS in 2019.
After its release, the game got several updates and expansions. This was one of the reasons for the game becoming popular. While the exact development budget of the game is not available, the indie game managed to sell around 10 million copies.
Castle Crashers (more than 20 million copies sold)
It is a 2D side-scrolling game developed by The Behemoth. Castle Crashers came to Xbox 360 in 2008 and is similar to the Super Smash Bros game. The game was very popular at launch and thus was later ported to other consoles. It also came with four-player cooperative gameplay, which was one of the main reasons behind its widespread popularity.
The exact development cost of the game is not available. Since it is a 2D game, and came to the Xbox Live Arcade, it had a very low budget. The game is currently available for $15. According to the last reports, the game sold more than 20 million copies by the first half of 2019.
Fez (more than 1 million copies sold)
It is a puzzle-platform game which came out in 2012. The game was developed by indie developer Polytron Corporation. Fez was released through the Xbox Live Arcade and players were able to change between its 2D and 3D worlds. Despite a few technical issues at launch, the game went on to win several prestigious awards.
The game had a very long development cycle when it came to indie games. This worked in its favor and the game became popular before its launch. Since it came to the Xbox Live Arcade, the game sold 20,000 copies on its first day of launch. It continued this streak and sold more than one million units by the end of 2013.
Tetris (500 million copies sold)
Like Fez, this is also a puzzle video game that was launched in 1985. The game was developed by Alexey Pajitnov and saw its release on the Nintendo Game Boy. This is a simple game and yet requires the players to have puzzle-solving skills. Owing to its popularity and addictive gameplay, it was later released on other platforms as well.
By the beginning of 2010, the game sold more than 170 million units. Out of these, 70 million were physical units and 100 million on cell phones. According to the latest reports, the game has sold more than 500 million units in total sales.
Runescape (300 million users)
It is a free-to-play online role-playing game that was released in 2001. The game was developed by Jagex and came with the multiplayer feature. The game has a fantasy open-world setting and the players need to explore them while overcoming different challenges. The game became popular because of elements such as player-versus-player combat, NPC interactions, and others.
According to the latest reports, the game generated abound $1 billion in revenue by 2018. Additionally, the game generates $125 million in revenue and over $ 62 million in profit each year.
Starbound (more than 2.5 million copies sold)
It is a 2D action-adventure game developed by Chucklefish. The game came out in 2016 and was in early access for four years. The game was initially developed by crowdfunding and as such it had a long early access period. The game finally came to the Xbox Game Pass in 2020.
The game was a huge success during its early access launch. Within a few months, the game managed to sell more than 2.5 million copies. Starbound is a must-play for those who enjoy 2D action-adventure games.
Minecraft (300 million copies sold)
It is a sandbox game which was released in 2009 for private beta tests. The original game was developed by an indie developer named Markus ‘Notch’ Persson. The game was released in 2011 after two years of beta tests.
Minecraft is the best-selling video game to date. Owing to the popularity of the game, it has also been ported to several other platforms. According to the latest reports, the game has sold more than 300 million units. Additionally, it also has 140 million monthly active users.
Stardew Valley (30 million copies sold)
It is a farm life simulation game that came out in 2016. It was created by indie developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Players take on the role of a simple farmer in this game. The game was made available on Steam, however, owing to its popularity, it was later ported to other platforms.
Indie developer Barone took four years to develop the game. However, the sales number of the game justifies this long time. The game sold around 30 million units by the beginning of 2024. This impressive number also makes it one of the best-selling video games.
Outlast (more than 15 million units sold)
This is the only survival horror video game on this list. The game was released in 2013 and was developed by Red Barrels. The game first came to the last-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The game was later ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018.
According to reports, the game’s development cost was less than $1 million. Moreover, the report also states that the game managed to earn $64 million in revenue. The game has a very well-planned horror environment that was well-liked by the players.
