Underdogs Win Big
Some of gaming's biggest success stories started in bedrooms and garages. These aren't your typical corporate success tales. They're about real people taking massive risks to create something genuinely special that resonates with players worldwide. Here are 20 such small but incredible companies.
1. Supergiant Games
Amir Rao and Gavin Simon ditched their EA jobs to develop games with just five other people. Their first shot, Bastion, sold over 3 million copies and established them as indie darlings. However, Hades was their true masterpiece, as it won the Hugo Award.
Bastion (PlayStation 4) - Game Review by Blue Bird Reviews
2. Mojang
In 2009, Markus "Notch" Persson programmed Minecraft alone, inspired by Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer. His simple block-building concept exploded beyond imagination with Minecraft standing as the best-selling video game of all time. It has now become an educational tool as well.
Minecraft PS5 Edition (Unboxing +Gameplay) 4K HDR 60FPS by Nad Noddy
3. Hello Games
When No Man's Sky launched in 2016, the backlash was brutal. But instead of abandoning the project, they spent seven years continuously updating the game for free, adding multiplayer, vehicles, and expeditions. Today, No Man's Sky sits at "Very Positive" on Steam.
No Man's Sky Unboxing PS4 by Ricky's TechTalk
4. Team Cherry
A two-person studio (plus composer Christopher Larkin) unleashed Hollow Knight, which has sold 5 million copies. The game started as a simple Newgrounds Flash project before evolving into one of the most acclaimed Metroidvanias ever made. It drew inspiration from Faxanadu.
PS4 Hollow Knight Unboxing by John H.
5. Toby Fox
Before Undertale became a cultural phenomenon, Toby Fox was just a teenager creating ROM hacks. The game's $51,124 Kickstarter campaign in 2013 seemed modest, but Fox's solo development effort formed an RPG where players could complete the experience without killing an enemy.
Undertale (Nintendo Switch) Unboxing by POPnGAMES
6. Playdead
Arnt Jensen founded Playdead in 2006 in his Copenhagen bedroom with a simple philosophy to craft games that feel like nightmares. Their debut, Limbo, featured zero dialogue, minimal UI, and a monochromatic art style that conveyed more emotion than most story-heavy games.
Limbo Special Edition Unboxing by UnlistedLeaf
7. ConcernedApe (Eric Barone)
Stardew Valley represents perhaps gaming's greatest solo success story, with over 20 million copies sold since 2016. Eric Barone spent four years teaching himself programming, pixel art, and music composition. Basically, he aimed to create a modern take on the farming simulation genre.
Stardew Valley Nintendo Switch Unboxing and start up by BoxedLife
8. Moon Studios
When Mahler and Korol couldn't convince traditional publishers to fund their artistic platformer vision, they pioneered something revolutionary: a fully distributed development model. They birthed the Ori series, starting with Ori and the Blind Forest, which is celebrated for its art direction.
Ori and the Blind Forest (Definitive Edition) (Nintendo Switch) Unboxing by POPnGAMES
9. Re-Logic
Andrew "Redigit" Spinks built Terraria as a side project while working his day job, never expecting his 2D sandbox adventure to compete with Minecraft. Re-Logic operates as one of gaming's most player-focused studios. They've released several major content updates completely free since Terraria's 2011 launch.
Terraria PS4 Unboxing by Benas Valancius
10. Studio MDHR
The Moldenhauer brothers nearly lost their homes funding Cuphead. This tiny Canadian studio hand-animated every frame using 1930s cartoon techniques. Their attention to vintage aesthetics paid off as Cuphead sold over 6 million copies and even spawned a Netflix series.
Cuphead Game Cartridge Unboxing and Gameplay on Nintendo Switch OLED by SwitchPlay Gaming
11. Lucas Pope
After spending eight years at Naughty Dog working on big-budget productions like Uncharted, Lucas Pope craved creative freedom. In his masterpiece Papers, Please, players stamp passports while tackling ethical dilemmas. It even won the Independent Games Festival's Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
Papers, Please VITA Unboxing and Gameplay by I do games
12. Unknown Worlds Entertainment
The terror of being stranded 4,500 meters underwater drives Subnautica's success, but Unknown Worlds Entertainment's journey began as modders creating Natural Selection for Half-Life. Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire turned their passion project into a full studio, spending decades perfecting asymmetrical gameplay.
Half-Life 20 Years Later: An LGR Retrospective by LGR
13. Motion Twin
This French cooperative operates without a traditional hierarchy—all 12 members collectively own the company. It was Dead Cells that catapulted them to international recognition, selling 5 million copies and bagging indie game awards. Their "Metroidvania roguelike" hybrid ensures every mechanic serves the player experience.
Dead Cells (PS4/Nintendo Switch) Unboxing!! by POPnGAMES
14. Psyonix
Dave Hagewood founded Psyonix in 2000. Their breakout hit, Rocket League, evolved from Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (2008), a PlayStation 3 game that flopped commercially. When Psyonix refined the concept and launched Rocket League in 2015, it made "car soccer" an esports phenomenon.
Rocket League Ultimate Edition PS4 Unboxing & Overview by Game & Unboxing
15. Dodge Roll
Their Austin-based two-person studio spent four years crafting intricate pixel art and implementing different weapon combinations. Enter the Gungeon has sold 3 million copies since its 2016 release, spawning a community of speedrunners. Here, characters reload differently based on their current weapon.
Enter the Gungeon Switch: Physical Edition UNBOXING! by 8BE
16. InnerSloth
Forest Willard, Bromander, and Liu never expected their simple party game to become 2020's cultural zeitgeist. Among Us languished with minimal players for two years after its 2018 release until Twitch streamers discovered it during the pandemic. Suddenly, everyone went “sus.”
I Bought the Physical Version of Among Us… by spllitz
17. Mediatonic
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout moved Mediatonic from a small London mobile game developer to an overnight sensation when their battle royale launched in August 2020. The game peaked at 172,000 concurrent Steam players and generated countless memes featuring stumbling jellybean characters.
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout PS5 Gameplay Review [Free to Play] by Skycaptin5
18. Klei Entertainment
The Vancouver studio's Don't Starve series has sold more than 15 million copies combined, establishing survival games as a legitimate genre before battle royales dominated the market. Klei's success stems from their patient approach—they spend months polishing core mechanics before adding complexity.
Don't Starve Mega Pack (PS4/Xbox One) Unboxing!! by POPnGAMES
19. Yacht Club Games
After WayForward Technologies laid off several employees in 2013, the displaced developers formed Yacht Club Games with a mission to resurrect 8-bit platforming excellence. Their Kickstarter campaign for Shovel Knight raised $311,502, but the game's success exceeded expectations.
Shovel Knight (Ps4 / Wii U / 3DS) Unboxing!! by POPnGAMES
20. Coffee Stain Studios
Armin Ibrisagic started Coffee Stain Studios as a university project in Sweden, never imagining that Goat Simulator would become a worldwide phenomenon. Even though Goat Simulator began as a joke game jam entry, it resonated with streamers who appreciated its absurdist humor.
