24 PUBLIC TEARDOWNS · SERIES + CORPUS + GAME GRAPH

Indie game marketing case studies

These are public Steam launch teardowns: what each studio shipped, how the store and the launch were framed, and which sources the write-up actually uses.

The founding series is seven public launches. Seven more cases come from the 2026 corpus. Ten additional English-only teardowns sit on the Game Graph — same honesty rules, no French twin until the copy is actually localised. 24 public cases are not a sample of 100. None of the games presented here is a Shypiard client.

Three distinct layers: 14,084 observatory (2024) · Research 200+100 · these pages.

7

FOUNDING SERIES

7

2026 CORPUS CASES

10

EN GAME GRAPH

24

PUBLIC TEARDOWNS

SHYPIARD RESEARCH

Teardowns illustrate findings. They are not the sample.

The 200-game launch-outcomes study and the 100-game survival corpus sit next to this series. A case is a story with sources — not a percentage.

Read the launch-outcomes study
PUBLISHED CASES

One URL, one hypothesis, documented sources.

New cases are added here and featured in the monthly Field Report.

Steam artwork — Among Us
TEARDOWN · 01 — 2018 → 2020

Among Us

InnerSloth

Released in June 2018 in complete silence. Became a global phenomenon in September 2020 — not thanks to an update, but to a chain of streamer coverage triggered by a single tweet.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Vampire Survivors
TEARDOWN · 02 — 2021 → 2022

Vampire Survivors

poncle

Launched in early access on 17 December 2021 at $2.99 by a solo developer. A hypnotic gameplay loop, perfect thumbnails for YouTube, a trivial price — everything converged so creators had no friction covering the game.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Dwarf Fortress
TEARDOWN · 03 — 2022

Dwarf Fortress

Bay 12 / Kitfox

Twenty years of a cult free version, then a Steam release methodically prepared over two years by Kitfox Games. Result: 160,000 sales in 24 hours and over 600,000 in two months, for a niche ASCII management game.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
TEARDOWN · 04 — 2018

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

Dim Bulb Games

Exceptional press coverage, a top-tier cast of writers, an original song by Sting — and a commercial failure documented publicly by its creator. The clearest public warning of that decade.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Dead Cells
TEARDOWN · 05 — 2017 → 2018

Dead Cells

Motion Twin · Bordeaux

A Bordeaux worker cooperative, first console/PC title after fifteen years of web games. Fifteen months of transparent Early Access turned into an audience-building machine — the 1.0 wasn't a launch, it was a transition.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Northgard
TEARDOWN · 06 — 2017 → 2025

Northgard

Shiro Games · Bordeaux

A Norse-themed real-time strategy game in a genre deserted by AAA publishers. Launched in Early Access in 2017, 1.0 in 2018, then seven years of disciplined DLC expansion — 5 million cumulative copies, most of them after the initial launch.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Balatro
TEARDOWN · 07 — 2024

Balatro

LocalThunk / Playstack

An anonymous developer, a poker deck-builder, and a demo strategy executed to perfection over eight months. 208,000 wishlists on launch day, 1 million sales in under a month.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Forge Industry
TEARDOWN · 08 — 2023

Forge Industry

BiteMe Games

A rich store page, a demo still up, Next Fest June 2023, 2,500 declared wishlists — and 32 reviews. The only public week-one numbers on the low-review side.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Summit
TEARDOWN · 09 — 2023

Summit

Dominik Hackl

Six screenshots, one language, no listed post-launch patch. The creator declared ~1,000 wishlists and $326 net. Public post-mortem.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Helvetii
TEARDOWN · 10 — 2023

Helvetii

Team KwaKwa / Red Art Games

Eleven screenshots, eight languages, DLC, a publisher, Steam/Switch/PS4, Next Fest October 2022, 94% positive — 49 reviews. The “we ticked everything” case.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — IT Startup: Tech Fodder
TEARDOWN · 11 — 2024

IT Startup: Tech Fodder

Kupilas Media

Next Fest October 2024, Steam and itch demo, 22 achievements, 97% positive — six screenshots, one language, 33 reviews.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — The Last Humble Bee
TEARDOWN · 12 — 2024

The Last Humble Bee

Jacob Weersing

Next Fest October 2024, demo still up, Thursday release — 7 screenshots, 1 language, no patch. 19 reviews. The day is not enough.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Valheim
TEARDOWN · 13 — 2021

Valheim

Iron Gate / Coffee Stain

Five people, Early Access, no Steam achievements, no store demo. 540,159 reviews in the survival corpus. The genre’s anti-checklist.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Green Hell
TEARDOWN · 14 — 2018 → 2019

Green Hell

Creepy Jar

Listed company, public wishlist figures: more than 413,000 before 1.0, more than 570,000 on 21 October 2019. The only listed Valve stock in 100 survival games.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Hades
TEARDOWN · 15 — 2019 → 2020

Hades

Supergiant Games

Isometric action roguelike that used death as a narrative trigger. Steam shows Early Access from 10 December 2019 and a 1.0 on 17 September 2020 — 307,657 reviews at 98.0% on 17 August 2026.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Hollow Knight
TEARDOWN · 16 — 2017

Hollow Knight

Team Cherry

Metroidvania reference text. released 24 February 2017, 557,219 reviews at 96.9% on 17 August 2026. No demo, no Next Fest — the format barely existed.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Stardew Valley
TEARDOWN · 17 — 2016

Stardew Valley

ConcernedApe

Farm RPG that still defines Steam's cozy promise. 26 February 2016 release, 1,032,133 reviews at 98.5% on 17 August 2026. Price 14.99 USD.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Cult of the Lamb
TEARDOWN · 18 — 2022

Cult of the Lamb

Massive Monster / Devolver

Cute cult management welded to a roguelite crusade. 127,580 reviews at 95.9%, price 9.19 EUR on 17 August 2026. No demo, Next Fest missing.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Inscryption
TEARDOWN · 19 — 2021

Inscryption

Daniel Mullins / Devolver

Deckbuilder that keeps changing the contract with the player. 147,865 reviews at 96.8%, demo yes, 19.99 EUR on 17 August 2026.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Lethal Company
TEARDOWN · 20 — 2023

Lethal Company

Zeekerss

Co-op horror still marked Early Access in the 17 August 2026 510,336 reviews at 97.0%, price 9.75 EUR. No demo.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Palworld
TEARDOWN · 21 — 2024

Palworld

Pocketpair

Creature survival craft. Steam page (survival corpus): 477,157 reviews at 95%, Early Access-turned-released row with price 28.99 EUR on 17 August 2026. Shypiard will not call this obscure.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Dyson Sphere Program
TEARDOWN · 22 — 2021

Dyson Sphere Program

Youthcat Studio

Planetary factory still Early Access in the 91,472 reviews at 97.4%, price 16.79 EUR. Combat is not the pitch; the sphere is.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Cassette Beasts
TEARDOWN · 23 — 2023

Cassette Beasts

Bytten Studio / Raw Fury

Creature-collector RPG. Next Fest yes, demo yes, 11,023 reviews at 94.0%, 19.99 EUR on 17 August 2026. A clean example of a Next Fest that converted.

READ THE ANALYSIS →
Steam artwork — Noita
TEARDOWN · 24 — 2020

Noita

Nolla Games

Falling-sand action roguelike. 88,421 reviews at 95.1%, 18.99 EUR, no demo. Knowledge persists; the save usually does not.

READ THE ANALYSIS →