A recent study claims thatStardew Valleyis the most profitable “cozy game” on YouTube with playthrough videos on the website making tens of thousands of dollars. Thefarming simulation game from indie developer ConcernedApehas been one of the most popular farming sims in gaming since its initial release in 2016. Taking inspiration from beloved franchises likeHarvest Moon, the game has seen consistent updates and new releases across most modern platforms. Now, a new study asserts the game’s popularity on YouTube.
“Cozy” games likeStardew Valleyhave seen a major boom in recent years with many games looking to capitalize on a more easy-going playstyle. Games likeAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsandDisney Dreamlight Valleyhave seen massive success appealing to a more relaxed and casual gameplay loop.Stardew Valleyalso played a major role in the explosion of farming sim games in recent years with even big developers like Square Enix capitalizing on the popularity. However,Stardew Valleycontinues to reign atop the modern farming sim genre.
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According to a study from online gaming website Bonusninja,Stardew Valleystakes its claim as the most popular “cozy game” on YouTube. The study asserts that the most-watchedStardew Valleygameplay videos on YouTube earn a staggering $224 per minute on average, with the videos averaging out to just under 1 million views. The study also refers to the most-watchedStardew Valleyvideo on the platform, a PewDiePie video, earning $62,000 alone. Bonusninja also refers to several smaller creators earningsignificant payouts fromStardew Valleyvideos.
The study goes on to detail YouTube’s most popular games in terms of video revenue, sharing the Top 5 highest-earning games.Grand Theft Auto 5holds a significant leadover its competition with videos earning on average more than $4,000 per minute for the site’s top videos. FromSoftware’sElden Ringcaptured the second place spot earning just under $1,600 per minute for its top videos.Red Dead Redemption 2,God of War, andStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderround out the top five with each game seeing top videos earning more than $600 per minute.
Stardew Valley’s popularityboth on YouTube and in the gaming world as a whole has seen plenty of other studios look to take a note from its success. Square Enix’sHarvestellareleased late last year as the JRPG studio’s own unique take on the farming genre, combining a farming sim with a JRPG. Other games likeTribes of Midgardand the upcomingLike a Dragon: Ishin!have incorporated farming elements into their gameplay. Farming sims don’t seem to be slowing down, andStardew Valleycontinues to serve as a shining example of the genre.
Stardew Valleyis available now for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
