10 Indie Games That Outsold AAA Hits
AAA games aren't the only ones selling millions of copies. The list of indie games that have achieved huge success shows that a good idea and a pinch of luck can make your game a smash hit, regardless of the budget.
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3. Valheim – 16.98 million
Release Date: February 2, 2021 (early access)
Platform: PC
Developer: Iron Gate Studio
Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
It is fair to say that Valheim is still fresh, shaping up before our eyes. The game launched in Early Access in February and benefited from this year's lockdown. Those looking for an human interactions had a change to fight for survival and win some glory as online warriors. Simple rules allowed this game to achieve gigantic success. Over a million players went online each month, which is a phenomenal result.
The production of the independent Iron Gate Studio isn't impressive with visuals, but it has an undeniably alluring quality – at first, for a few minutes, which suddenly turn into dozens of hours. Valheim's great strength is the procedurally generated world, so you never end up in the same place twice. Developers are quietly polishing the game, patching bugs and optimizing the engine to release updates that will enhance their work in the long run. We do not expect the interest to wane anytime soon.
2. Among Us – 25.18 million
Release Date: June 15, 2018
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Developer: Innersloth
Publisher: Innersloth
Among Us is another production that the Pandemic and Lockdown helped make incredibly successful. This game, released by Innersloth, debuted back in 2018, but it wasn't until late 2020 and early 2021 that it got a lot of coverage as increasingly more popular streamers started showing off the game on their Twitch channels. The simple visuals allowed everyone to enjoy the game, even people with low-end rigs. The release on smartphones also helped a lot.
When you take a look at how Among Us plays, you may just feel surprised. The overall goal here is to prepare the spacecraft for launch. One player takes on the role of saboteur and casts suspicion on others. From time to time, meetings are held to decide by vote who will be ejected from the ship. The atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia wonderfully enhances the gaming experience and makes it insanely exciting to watch, let alone play.
1. Terraria – 34.05 million
Release date: May 16, 2011
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS Vita, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android, 3DS, WiiU, Switch
Developer: Re-Logic
Publisher: Re-Logic
Terraria is a venerable game, the oldest on the list. It debuted more than 10 years ago, received many ports (see how many platforms it is available on), updates expanding the content, and, technically speaking – two unreleased sequels, entitled Terraria: Otherworld and Terraria 2. Despite all the years, the game is still supported and is quite popular.
That's largely thanks to the rules, which are simple to learn, but also give a great freedom. Before the full release of Minecraft, players were creating their 2D worlds exactly in Terraria. Despite all these years, the game hasn't aged that bad, and there's an ocean of fun waiting for those interested, if they can devote a little more time to it.
