The Indie Revolution in Game Development

Digital storefronts let small teams sell directly to players without publishers. Braid and Castle Crashers in 2008 marked the breakout year, and Minecraft grew from a forum project into the best selling game ever.

Stardew Valley, built by one developer over four years, sold more than 30 million copies. Crowdfunding, early access and later Game Pass deals kept widening the pipeline, and today indie games set design trends the biggest studios follow..