Video Game

5 Video Game Success Stories [2024]

•

Updated: July 23rd, 2024

Looking to dive into a lucrative and ever-evolving field? Consider starting a video game business. This industry allows you to combine creativity with technology to design, develop, and distribute interactive entertainment.

You'll need a mix of coding skills, artistic talent, and storytelling prowess. Platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine make the development process more accessible, especially for beginners. Your first steps involve brainstorming unique game concepts, assembling a dedicated team (or going solo), and creating a development roadmap.

Monetization strategies range from direct sales to in-game purchases and subscriptions, offering multiple revenue streams. While the competition is fierce, the rewards can be significant if you succeed. Start small with indie games before scaling up to larger projects.

If you’re passionate about gaming and have a knack for creativity and tech, this business offers a fulfilling path to entrepreneurial success in a thriving market.

In this list, you'll find real-world video game success stories and very profitable examples of starting a video game that makes money.

1. Stardew Valley ($300M/year)

In 2011, Eric started working on the video game Stardew Valley as a way to improve his chances of getting a job.

How much money it makes: $300M/year
How many people on the team: 0

Profile: Eric Barone Built A $300M/Year Video Game By Himself

Stardew Valley: An indie video game sensation making $300M/year, started by Eric Barone in 2011, with initial sales of $1 million within three weeks.

Read this case study

Read by 3,199 founders

2. Chibi Dinos ($12M/year)

Sean Kelly, the co-founder of Chibi Dinos NFT, came up with the idea to create a play-to-earn NFT community that combines basketball, collectibles, and dinosaurs. Inspired by his previous experience in the NFT industry and his passion for basketball, Sean partnered with his girlfriend to create Chibi Dinos. The project quickly gained traction, with the presale and public sale selling out in record time and generating $2.4 million in revenue.

How much money it makes: $12M/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 10

I Launched An NFT Project That Made $1M

Chibi Dinos NFT, a play-to-earn NFT community co-founded by 25-year-old Sean Kelly, earned $2.4M in revenue during its initial sale, reinvesting 60% of its earnings into staffing and marketing while earning $2,005.0453th in secondary sales on OpenSea, thanks to tapping into Twitter users as part of its marketing strategy.

Read this case study

Read by 4,588 founders

3. 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 money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3

We Created A $100K/Month No-Code Tool For Video Game Developers

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.

Read this case study

Read by 10,829 founders

4. UltraShock Gaming ($15K/year)

Hassan, the founder and CEO of UltraShock Gaming, came up with the idea for his indie game marketing firm when he noticed the struggles indie game developers faced in getting their games on large PC platforms like Steam. Inspired by their frustrations, he decided to create a platform to help these developers with marketing, copywriting, and beta testing in exchange for a percentage of profits. With a community of over 500,000 gamers, UltraShock Gaming has generated $15k in revenue per year, with $12k in profit.

How much money it makes: $15K/year
How much did it cost to start: $4K
How many people on the team: 1

How I Started And Sold A $15K/Year Video Game Marketing Business

Aspiring founders looking to start a profitable business can learn from the story of how Hassan founded UltraShock Gaming, an indie game marketing firm, built up an audience of over 500,000 gamers, and generated $15k in annual revenue (with $12k profit) in just 2 years by offering marketing and advertising services for indie game developers.

Read this case study

Read by 4,390 founders

5. Monster MMORPG ($2.4K/year)

Furkan, the only owner and developer of Monster MMORPG, came up with the idea for his browser-based creature hunting game during his third year of Bachelor's education. Inspired by the popularity of fan-made Pokemon games, he and his colleague created a simple game that gained massive attention from players worldwide. After graduation, Furkan continued to develop the game solo, eventually converting it into a unique, full copyright-owned, branded creature hunting game. Today, Monster MMORPG generates about $200 per month and has a dedicated player base that has been with the game for around 10 years.

How much money it makes: $2.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 1

I Turned A Fan-Made Project Into A Successful Online Game

Monster MMORPG is a browser-based creature hunting game generating $200 per month from ads and Patreon support, started as a fan-made project in 2009, and developed by a single owner and developer.

Read this case study

Read by 2,632 founders