10 Game Development Business Success Stories [2024]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a game development business:
1. Stonemaier Games ($20.7M/year)
Stonemaier Games, a tabletop game company, was founded by Jamey Stegmaier after witnessing the success of crowdfunding campaigns for tabletop games. Starting with a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 that raised $65,980, the company has since experienced impressive growth, with annual revenue exceeding $18 million in 2020. Stegmaier's passion for game design and entrepreneurship, coupled with careful planning and community engagement, have contributed to the success of Stonemaier Games in the highly competitive gaming industry.
How much they make: $20.7M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.4K
Current team size: 4
How one founder turned a successful Kickstarter campaign into a $40 million tabletop game company with a focus on crafting a few special products each year and using social media to build community and relationships with customers.
2. Scirra Ltd ($1.2M/year)
Thomas and Ashley Gullen, founders of Construct 3, were passionate about computer games from a young age. Ashley's struggles to build his dream game led him to develop a general-purpose game engine called Construct Classic. They launched Construct 2 as a commercial product, focusing on HTML5, which proved to be a successful gamble. They now generate around $100k per month in revenue and have learned important lessons about running a business and listening to customer feedback.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 3
Construct 3, a browser-based game engine that allows anyone to create games without coding, has grown from a pay-once model to generating $100k per month in revenue through a subscription-based system, after launching with the help of early-adopter customers and a focus on organic growth, customer feedback, and white-hat SEO.
So... can you actually make money with a game development business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment ($300K/year)
Barry McLaughlin, along with his friend Jason, came up with the idea for their business, Barry and Jason Games & Entertainment, after hosting live game nights that offered a unique and creative experience. Inspired by their love of games and comedy, they created Game Night in a Can and successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising over $20,000 to bring their idea to life. They have since expanded their product line and partnered with other companies, and their games are now sold in Barnes & Noble and other stores across the country.
How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 1
Barry and Jason Games & Entertainment created Game Night in a Can, a party game made up of 30 different creative challenges and games of skill, which raised over $20,000 on Kickstarter, and is now sold in Barnes & Noble and independent stores across the US.
So... can you actually make money with a game development business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
4. YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE ($30K/year)
Dennis Hensley, a former entertainment journalist, came up with the idea for You Don't Know My Life! while hosting Virtual Game Nights during the pandemic. The game, which combines elements of Cards Against Humanity and personal storytelling, quickly gained popularity and now brings in about $2,500 a month in revenue.
How much they make: $30K/year
How much did it cost to start: $12K
Current team size: 0
Dennis Hensley's co-created You Don't Know My Life, a boxed party game, and host virtual game nights via Zoom, bringing in about $2,500 a month in revenue as well as being featured in The Star, Parade, and The New York Times reviews.
5. EDIIIE ($3.6M/year)
Gautam Arjun, the co-founder of EDIIIE, came up with the idea for the business after working with EdTech and health tech firms that wanted to create interactive and immersive learning experiences. The success of their first projects, including a virtual reality journey through the solar system and a VR solution to cure Amblyopia, confirmed that they were on the right path. Now, EDIIIE is India's largest solution provider for AR/VR/MR and Gamification needs, with a team of 150+ employees and a diverse portfolio of projects.
How much they make: $3.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $150K
Current team size: 150
EDIIIE is a creative technology company that uses AR/VR/MR and gamification to design and develop next-generation experiences for global brands, with over 150 experienced employees across three offices, having successfully delivered 200+ projects to businesses worldwide, including training modules for leading manufacturing firms, delivered some of the top projects to many leading firms across industries, and are currently looking to hire for senior positions.
So... can you actually make money with a game development business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
6. Dilly Dally Games ($198K/year)
The game development started as a project for Christian's masters degree in computer science, and was going to sell software licenses on eBay and ship the game via CD.
How much they make: $198K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 0
Dilly Dally Games, run by solopreneur Christian Tuskes, has over 10k daily active users and earns between $16-17k per month from ad revenue due to its unique appeal to a demographic underserved in the gaming industry, as well as its focus on long playing times.
Join our free weekly newsletter and get them right now.
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings