9 Game Development Success Stories [2024]
A game development business involves creating and developing video games for various platforms such as PC, consoles, and mobile devices. This business involves a team of game designers, programmers, artists, and sound engineers working together to bring a game concept to life.
To start a game development business, it is essential to have a solid understanding of the game development process and be skilled in one or more areas, such as programming, art, or design. It is also essential to have strong business acumen and understand how to market and sell your games.
Some tips for running a successful game development business include:
Focus on a specific niche or genre of games to stand out in a crowded market.
Build a strong team of talented and passionate individuals who share your vision for the company.
Stay up to date on the latest trends and technologies in the gaming industry.
Build a strong online presence through social media and a website to market and sell your games.
Focus on building a loyal customer base by releasing regular updates and engaging with your community.
Don't be afraid to seek partnerships or sponsorships to help fund your projects.
Always be open to learning and improving your skills and processes to stay competitive.
In this list, you'll find real-world game development success stories and very profitable examples of starting a game development that makes money.
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 money it makes: $20.7M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.4K
How many people on the team: 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. Subscrible ($1.02M/year)
Evgeny Unegovsky, leveraging his extensive background in MarTech and IT, co-founded Subscrible with Igor Diev after noticing his child's frustration with ads in mobile games, leading to their ad-free gaming catalog app that already boasts over 15,000 users.
How much money it makes: $1.02M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 7
Subscrible is a game catalog app offering ad-free gaming experiences to over 15,000 users, reducing user acquisition costs for game developers by 90% and attracting former Playrix and DevGamm employees to grow partnerships, all while addressing the challenge of declining user in-app purchases in 2024.
3. Games for Business ($480K/year)
In 2016, the founder started Games for Business, a game-based learning platform, after realizing the potential of gamification in the market. With a background in digital marketing and experience in game-based projects, they quickly signed major clients in the HR tech market, leading to international recognition and the eventual acquisition of the company by Austria's largest private education group.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $150K
How many people on the team: 15
Games for Business created a game-based learning platform for multinational organizations that doubled its revenue in the first three years and was recently acquired after landing deals on three continents.
4. Zatun ($300K/year)
Abhinav Chokhavatia came up with the idea for Zatun in 2006 while working at Ubisoft Montreal. Inspired by the hype around India and outsourcing, Abhinav decided to start his own game development company. With a passion for creating their own IP, Zatun focused on developing their first game, "The Legend Of Vraz," which was released in 2010 and garnered recognition in the industry. Since then, Zatun has built a loyal customer base and collaborated on over 200 game titles with clients such as Disney and Ubisoft.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 25
An Indian video game development company, Zatun, founded in 2007, has collaborated on over 200 game titles with 300 clients, winning numerous awards and rave reviews globally and generating a monthly revenue of $25k, by focusing on innovation, experience, and customer retention.
5. 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 money it makes: $300K/year
How many people on the team: 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.
6. Dilly Dally Games (Mexican Train) ($240K/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 money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 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.
7. Purpur ($36K/year)
Elena Zaharova and Anfisa Savchenko leveraged their marketing expertise from a skincare company to launch Purpur, a therapy-game app that deepens relationships through conversation, after their printed card games generated over $300K in sales. With an app launch in spring, they aim for $3K monthly revenue by mid-October.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
How many people on the team: 5
Purpur App, a therapy-game app to develop relationships through talking, generated over $300K in sales from printed card games and have launched a new app that has the potential to reach $3K monthly revenue by mid-October.
8. Traveling Tales DMing ($3.6K/year)
James Gallagher turned his love for tabletop games into a business during the pandemic when he saw other Dungeon Masters earning money online. By June 2022, he quit his job and launched Traveling Tales DMing, offering high-quality game mastering services and generating buzz in Nebraska's TTRPG community.
How much money it makes: $3.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 1
Traveling Tales DMing LLC is a professional game mastering company that offers high-quality table-top role-playing game experiences, which includes Dungeons and Dragons, for $10 per 3-hour game, generating a lot of buzz in Nebraska's TTRPG community by working with local game stores.
9. 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
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.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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