10 Game Development Business Success Stories [2024]
Ever imagined creating immersive worlds and engaging stories? Starting a game development business could be your ticket.
Game development involves designing, creating, and selling video games. From coding and animation to storytelling and marketing, it’s a comprehensive venture that turns creative ideas into interactive entertainment.
Demand for video games is ever-growing. With passion and the right skills, you could transform a single idea into a product that captures the imaginations of players worldwide.
Embark on this journey of creativity and technology, where your dream game can become a reality enjoyed by millions.
In this list, you'll find real-world game development business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a game 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 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. EDIIIE ($3.6M/year)
Gautam Arjun, the co-founder of EDIIIE, came up with the idea for the business after working with EdTech and health tech firms that wanted to create interactive and immersive learning experiences. The success of their first projects, including a virtual reality journey through the solar system and a VR solution to cure Amblyopia, confirmed that they were on the right path. Now, EDIIIE is India's largest solution provider for AR/VR/MR and Gamification needs, with a team of 150+ employees and a diverse portfolio of projects.
How much money it makes: $3.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $150K
How many people on the team: 150
EDIIIE is a creative technology company that uses AR/VR/MR and gamification to design and develop next-generation experiences for global brands, with over 150 experienced employees across three offices, having successfully delivered 200+ projects to businesses worldwide, including training modules for leading manufacturing firms, delivered some of the top projects to many leading firms across industries, and are currently looking to hire for senior positions.
3. Scirra Ltd ($1.2M/year)
Thomas and Ashley Gullen, founders of Construct 3, were passionate about computer games from a young age. Ashley's struggles to build his dream game led him to develop a general-purpose game engine called Construct Classic. They launched Construct 2 as a commercial product, focusing on HTML5, which proved to be a successful gamble. They now generate around $100k per month in revenue and have learned important lessons about running a business and listening to customer feedback.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3
Construct 3, a browser-based game engine that allows anyone to create games without coding, has grown from a pay-once model to generating $100k per month in revenue through a subscription-based system, after launching with the help of early-adopter customers and a focus on organic growth, customer feedback, and white-hat SEO.
4. 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.
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. World of Card Games ($48K/year)
Holger, a designer-turned-programmer from Copenhagen, acquired World of Card Games for its potential, increasing its revenue to $4,000/month within a year. Leveraging his experience with Online Solitaire, he seized the opportunity after ongoing discussions with the original owner.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
This case study article follows the journey of a designer-turned-programmer who acquired a multiplayer card game website, World of Card Games, and managed to increase its revenue to $4,000 per month within a year, sharing insights on building the product, launching the business, and attracting and retaining customers.
8. 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.
9. YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE ($30K/year)
Dennis Hensley, a former entertainment journalist, came up with the idea for You Don't Know My Life! while hosting Virtual Game Nights during the pandemic. The game, which combines elements of Cards Against Humanity and personal storytelling, quickly gained popularity and now brings in about $2,500 a month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $30K/year
How much did it cost to start: $12K
How many people on the team: 0
Dennis Hensley's co-created You Don't Know My Life, a boxed party game, and host virtual game nights via Zoom, bringing in about $2,500 a month in revenue as well as being featured in The Star, Parade, and The New York Times reviews.
10. 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.
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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.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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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