Profile: Eric Barone Built A $300M/Year Video Game By Himself

November 13th, 2023

Stardew Valley is a 2016 farm life simulation video game developed by Eric Barone.

Founded By

Eric Barone

Monthly Revenue

$25M

Days To Build

1400

Score

Founders

Employees

0 (est.)

Monthly Traffic

12.7M

Gross Margin

100%

Profitable

Yes

Days To Build

1400

Year Started

2011

Customer

B2C

Revenue Per Visitor

$1.97

Founded By
Eric Barone: Monthly Revenue
$25M: Days To Build
1400: Score
98: Founders
1

Employees
0 (est.): Monthly Traffic
12.7M: Gross Margin
100%: Profitable
Yes: Days To Build
1400

Year Started
2011: Customer
B2C: Revenue Per Visitor
$1.97

Who is Eric Barone?

Eric Barone, also known as Concerned Ape, is the sole creator and CEO of the highly popular video game, Stardew Valley.

From a young age, Eric was deeply interested in art and would spend countless hours doodling and crafting stories. His father, who had a technical and logical mindset, encouraged him to experiment with computers.

After completing college, Eric pursued computer programming, which eventually led him to his passion for game development.

How did Eric come up with the idea for Stardew Valley?

In 2011, Eric started working on the video game Stardew Valley as a way to improve his chances of getting a job.

What was the growth strategy for Stardew Valley and how did they scale?

Eric launched a website and a subreddit to share updates and gather feedback from gamers. He leveraged this audience to promote his game, provide gamers with tips on playing Stardew Valley, and address common questions.

Within the first three weeks on the App Store, it sold tens of thousands of copies and generated over $1 million in sales.