{"id":32179,"date":"2024-06-11T09:51:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T00:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=32179"},"modified":"2024-06-11T10:11:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T01:11:37","slug":"japanese-dev-showcases-japans-top-small-scale-indie-games-that-have-sold-over-500k-units","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-dev-showcases-japans-top-small-scale-indie-games-that-have-sold-over-500k-units\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese dev showcases Japan\u2019s hit small-scale indie games that have sold over 500k units\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In response to recent discourse on X (formerly Twitter) implying that the Japanese indie game scene doesn\u2019t produce any commercial hits, Japanese solo developer Miyako Publishing set out to prove that there are many highly rated, top-selling indie titles. In a note entry<\/a>, they showcase titles made by 10 or fewer devs that are known (or can be inferred) to have sold over 500k copies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 500k range are titles such as Downwell, Touhou Luna Nights, BOKURA and The Exit 8. The vertical scrolling shooter Downwell by Ojiro Fumoto (Moppin) is thought to have sold over 500k units based on combined review data from Steam, mobile platforms and the Nintendo Store. The game maintains an Overwhelmingly Positive status on Steam, winning players over with its simple but thrilling gameplay since 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Touhou
Touhou Luna Nights<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Touhou Luna Nights is a unique entry to the best-seller list in that it\u2019s a Touhou Project fan game. The critically acclaimed 2D metroidvania was developed by Japanese indie studio Team Ladybug in 2019, quickly attracting the attention of players from all over the world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOKURA and The Exit 8 were both created by solo developers. However, while the former is a tranquil and story-driven two-player puzzle game, the latter is an eerie anomaly-spotting walking sim that went viral thanks to its compatibility with let\u2019s play streamers. Inspired by the success of The Exit 8<\/a>, its creator Kotake Create recently released an official sequel<\/a>, which is likewise being favorably received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Astlibra
Astlibra Revision<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the 700k+ unit range is ASTLIBRA Revision<\/a>, a 2D action RPG that took Japanese indie dev KEIZO 14 years to complete and ended up being hailed as a \u201cmasterpiece\u201d by reviewers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, among indie titles officially confirmed to have sold over a million copies are games such as the dark fantasy metroidvania RPG ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights<\/a> (whose core dev team counts 10 members<\/a>) and the farming sim meets side-scrolling action game Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin<\/a>. While these two titles surprised players with how refined they were for their small development scale, the viral PIKO PARK, put together by one person, made waves with its simplicity<\/a>. The list of million-selling indie hits is topped off by the colorful but dark streamer-raising simulator Needy Streamer Overload, which maintains an Overwhelmingly Positive status on Steam (out of 33k reviews).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Needy
Needy Streamer Overload<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As an aside, Miyako Publishing, the developer behind this list, is a solo creator currently working on a tea-brewing adventure game title LoveSoTea<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solo indie creator showcases Japanese indie games made by 10 or fewer developers that have sold over 500k units.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":32182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-32179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nJapanese dev showcases Japan\u2019s hit small-scale indie games that have sold over 500k units\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Solo indie creator showcases Japanese indie games made by 10 or fewer developers that have sold over 500k units.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japanese-dev-showcases-japans-top-small-scale-indie-games-that-have-sold-over-500k-units\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Japanese dev showcases Japan\u2019s hit small-scale indie games that have sold over 500k units\u00a0 - 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