Teen Rakes in Nearly a Million Dollars on Steam with Meme Game

Eighteen-year-old Michael Major never anticipated that his quirky game concept would take off on Steam earlier this year. After releasing a similar title just days before that failed to attract attention, he was shocked when he checked the performance of his new PC game.

Major’s initial release on the platform was titled This Game Costs $10, and it was clearly a joke. The game’s description playfully challenges players to buy this “psychological thriller” because he had worked hard on it and “deserved” their support.

“Go ahead, spend,” the page provocatively invites. In the screenshot carousel, half of the images are either abstract shapes or text that breaks the fourth wall. Major expressed his disbelief that anyone would actually buy his troll game, noting that he had expanded it just enough to make it non-refundable. According to Valve’s policy, players can refund any game they’ve purchased within two hours of playtime.

When Major discovered that the maximum price developers could set on Steam was $200, he decided to test the waters. In January, he released a sequel titled This Game Costs $200, which looked nearly identical to the first but came with a heftier price tag.

“This game is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or ever will see,” the description boldly claims.

Despite the obvious humor, thousands of Steam users in China actually purchased the game. A few months post-launch, Major found that his revenue had skyrocketed to $1.3 million.

However, that figure vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Major revealed that most of those purchases were refunded by players who never even launched the game. Surprisingly, he still netted $2,000, indicating that at least ten people were willing to drop $200 on a prank.

Major speculated that these players might have been after Steam points, or perhaps something more sinister. “I’ve heard of expensive games on Steam being used for money laundering,” he remarked.

While the game itself may not be serious, the stunt has certainly broadened Major’s audience. One lengthy review of the $200 title mentioned that the reviewer bought the game expecting to write a similarly humorous critique but was taken aback by what they discovered. “There are 10 different endings,” the review noted, along with several other unexpected features. Although the player did refund the game, their curiosity was clearly piqued.

“I would be willing to buy your next game fully if it priced lower,” the review concluded, adding “MUCH.”

Major responded graciously, reiterating that he never expected anyone to buy it, even as a joke. “There will never be a price drop as that would ruin the joke,” he stated, encouraging the player to check out the more reasonably priced $10 game instead.

Meanwhile, a cozy Steam game has been battling against piracy for the past couple of months.