6. Human: Fall Flat – 11.32 million. 10 indie games that outsold AAA hits
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Release Date: July 22, 2016
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android
Developer: No Brakes Games
Publisher: Curve Digital
I admit I was extremely surprised by the sales achieved by Human: Fall Flat. The combination of sandbox, puzzle, and action game sounds like something doomed to fail. However, it was enough to add realistic physics, and we got a perfect game for silly YouTube videos.
However, you have to give the developers credit for both the sensible idea behind Human: Fall Flat, and the fantastic execution. It's not reactionary to trends; it's a game attempting to create something fresh (albeit rag-doll-like inertia of the main character isn't something terribly new in games). One way or another, the independent Lithuanian studio broke the bank and, after a successful release on PC, ported their title to consoles as well (the latest port – to PS5 – appeared on June 24).
5. Guacamelee! + Super Turbo Championship Edition – 11.91 million
Release date: April 9, 2013
Platforms: PS3, PS Vita, PC
Developer: Drinkbox Studios
Publisher: Drinkbox Studios
Here's the second oldest game on this list, which, of course, significantly impacts the sales results. Guacamelee! first appeared on PS3 and PS Vita, where I was originally exposed to this production. After a few months, it also arrived to PC and, looking at nearly 12 million copies sold on Steam, it was extremely popular. This comes as no surprise, as we're dealing with a phenomenal game.
Drinkbox released a polished metroidvania before the genre experienced its renaissance, which eventually culminated in Hollow Knight. Here, we play a retired wrestler named Juan who must rescue his woman from the hands of a villain. The plot is quite corny, but the game makes it up in gameplay, combining arcade and platforming elements. And all this in a gorgeous visual setting.
4. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout – 13.79 million
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Developer: Mediatonic
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Fall Guys, like Rocket League before it, debuted in the PlayStation Plus service on the PS4 console, which allowed the game to achieve quite a publicity. This quickly translated into considerable interest from streamers and ultimately, regular players. These days, if a game is solid, that's quite enough to achieve success. This is confirmed by the nearly 14 million owners of this title on Steam (let's also remember that Fall Guys was given away in PS Plus).
The very idea of carrying over the rules known from Takeshi's Castle came out perfectly. We run around with small beans that involuntarily surrender to the laws of physics, jump over obstacles, throw other players into the abyss to win (up to 59 players can take part in each round). The plethora of cosmetic options allows you to customize the avatar to your liking, which is very important to many people these days.