Indie Game 1000xResist Surges in Sales After The Game Awards Snub

by Sylvia January 3, 2025

In May 2024, the indie game 1000xResist captured the hearts of players, but it received no recognition at The Game Awards in December. However, the game has been gaining buzz since the nominees were announced, with many expressing anger at its exclusion. Now, almost seven months after its release, the game has experienced its highest sales day ever. Remy Siu, the founder and creative director of the game, believes that the buzz and sales increase were a result of fan backlash over the game’s snub. Despite the challenges faced by indie games, word of mouth and community support have propelled 1000xResist to success.

Indie Game 1000xResist Surges in Sales After The Game Awards Snub

– Indie game 1000xResist experiences a surge in sales almost seven months after its release, fueled by anger over its exclusion from nominations at The Game Awards.
– The game’s sales rate rose after the nominations were announced in August, and further sales and recognition during fall led to its highest sales day on January 2, 2025.
– Despite not being nominated, the game’s success highlights the power of word-of-mouth marketing and the support of the indie community.

Narrative RPG 1000xResist garnered widespread critical acclaim when it launched in May 2024. Despite its success, the game did not receive any nominations at The Game Awards in December. However, according to Remy Siu, the founder and creative director of 斜陽過客, the game has been generating a lot of buzz since the nominees for the awards were announced. In fact, Siu revealed that the game’s highest sales day of all time occurred on January 2, 2025, nearly seven months after its release.

Siu attributes much of the buzz surrounding 1000xResist to the frustration felt by fans who believed the game was unjustly excluded from the nominations. Siu admitted that initially, they didn’t expect the game to be nominated, given its experimental nature and small team. However, shortly after the awards announcement, people started expressing their disappointment and anger over the game’s exclusion.

The game’s “off-sale resting rate,” which refers to its sales rate under normal conditions, saw a modest increase after the nominations were announced in August. This was followed by a series of fall sales in September, October, and November, leading to more wishlists and purchases. The Game Awards itself on December 12 sparked further discussions about the game. Finally, winning the Narrative Game award at the inaugural Indie Game Awards acted as the final catalyst for the game’s success.

Siu clarified that the game’s sales numbers were not poor prior to January 1. They emphasized that 1000xResist is an unconventional narrative game that deals with subjects rarely explored in the gaming industry. Furthermore, the team intentionally kept many aspects of the game a secret. Siu acknowledged that the game’s release and reception taught them about the importance of post-launch marketing, but they believe that keeping the game’s secrets hidden may have been worth the risk.

The success of 1000xResist is a heartening testament to the power of the indie game community and decentralized forms of marketing, such as word of mouth. Siu, however, commented that the indie game distribution apparatus does not always facilitate these types of experiences as effectively as they could.

Several factors contributed to the recent surge in sales for 1000xResist. The game’s timing aligned with the industry’s shift towards Bluesky, as well as Steam deals and collaborative giveaways with other indie developers. Additionally, the game garnered recognition on “Best of the Year” lists and collaborated with other games like Balatro. However, Siu speculated that not being included in The Game Awards and the subsequent fan reaction from those who truly understood the game were unexpected blessings.

Looking ahead, Siu expressed hope that word of mouth would continue to allow more people to discover and appreciate 1000xResist. The evidence of its success thus far has reinforced their belief that word of mouth is a powerful tool that will enable them to create more games in the future.

In conclusion, despite being overlooked by The Game Awards, 1000xResist has experienced a significant surge in sales and continues to gain popularity due to the passionate support of its fanbase. This success highlights the value of post-launch marketing and the impact of the indie gaming community. With the continued support of word of mouth, the game’s reputation is expected to grow, paving the way for future projects from the talented team behind 1000xResist.