This month has seen huge releases of games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Borderlands 4 that have taken up much of the gaming conversation. Both of these games have become top sellers, with Borderlands 4 generating extra discussion due to performance issues and the CEO’s response. This increased attention has led to some games slipping through the cracks that deserve more discussion, ones that still managed to find success despite the current environment.
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One indie game worthy of mention is South Korean developer Lizard Smoothie’s co-op roguelite called Shape of Dreams. Alinea Analytics estimates that Shape of Dreams has already sold over 200,000 copies since its September 10th launch, 100,000 of those sales reportedly coming in the first 24 hours. As of this writing, the game has been solidly maintaining an over 30,000 concurrent player daily peak on Steam, and has been very well received among purchasers.
Shape of Dreams Has Become an Instant Top Seller
In the wake of the highly successful launch, the Shape of Dreams team took to X to enthusiastically thank its players for making the game an “instant Steam top seller.”
It’s hard to say exactly why Shape of Dreams managed to find success while squeezed between two monumental game releases. Some are pointing to the care the developer has expressed toward its players, which helped foster a thriving community around the game. The Shape of Dreams Discord has over 41,000 members, and its Subreddit is relatively active for a debut studio title.
What also likely contributed to the game’s success is the decision to release it at a 20% off discounted price, perfectly lining up exactly with Hollow Knight Silksong’s lauded $20 price tag. The game also launched as part of two different bundle deals, making it an excellent way to get extra value for those who wanted to purchase roguelike titles Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and Warm Snow. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor has been pushing out regular updates, making good on its revealed roadmap, and is only $12.99 as an Early Access title. With an official launch date of September 17th, this mining roguelike and other indie game releases have created an uplifting atmosphere that seems to be raising the tide for many indie boats.
It’s encouraging to see that big AAA releases like Borderlands 4 and indie releases like Hollow Knight: Silksong have not snuffed out the chances for other games to find their own way in the current gaming environment. There have been questions about the future of indie studios as gamers increasingly shy away from title purchases and opt for subscription-based gaming experiences. As more and more big studios seem to be shifting toward things like launch day Pass deals, I think it’s a sign of endurance that titles like Shape of Dreams can still find an audience that appreciates what it offers. The game launched without paid DLC, cosmetics, or other commonly included monetization add-ons that seem ubiquitous across many modern titles. It will be interesting to see how replicable it is for indie studios to try to release polished and high-quality games at a $20 price tag after Silksong’s inspiring release.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm.
