Video Games Development Business

6 Video Games Development Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 7th, 2024

Ever thought about turning your love for video games into a thriving business? Starting a video game development business might just be the venture for you.

At its core, a video game development business involves creating engaging and immersive games for consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Your journey begins with assembling a talented team of programmers, artists, and storytellers who share your passion for gaming.

The video game industry is booming, offering endless possibilities for creativity and innovation. With dedication and a solid grasp of market trends, your games could captivate millions of players worldwide.

While it's challenging and requires teamwork, technical skills, and market understanding, the reward of seeing gamers enjoy your creations can be incredibly fulfilling. If you have the drive to turn your game ideas into reality, delve into the world of game development and make your mark on this dynamic industry.

In this list, you'll find real-world video games development business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a video games development business 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 I Started A $40M-Revenue Business Creating Tabletop Games

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.

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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.

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3. 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

How I Started A $25K/Month Video Games Development Company

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.

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4. 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

How Two Best Friends Are Making A Killing With Party Game Products

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.

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5. 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

How I Started An Online Gaming Company And A Free Arcade Game That Generates $16K/Month

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.

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6. 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

I Built A Side Hustle Around My Passion For Dungeons and Dragons

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.

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