Just in time for the new year, Factorio has achieved another significant sales milestone, demonstrating that the game has maintained a strong presence year after year despite having been launched on Steam back in 2016. Factorio’s 2022 overview has emphasised additional significant achievements this year and provides a preview of what’s to come for the independent game.
When Wube Software released Factorio, it contributed to the development of the factory-building genre and, like the factories that players construct in the game, it grew to become an obsession for a substantial fan base. The gameplay of Factorio epitomises the phrase “easy to learn, hard to master,” since players start by constructing basic conveyor systems that transport materials from one location to another before progressively creating highly intricate factories that may construct other factories. Numerous subsequent industrial simulation games, including Captain of Industry, Dyson Sphere Program, and Satisfactory, were greatly influenced by the game’s rewarding advancement driven by automation.
Factorio celebrated a new sales milestone in this week’s Friday Facts blog post after reaching over 3.5 million units sold since the game’s Steam debut in 2016. Since then, the game has sold around 500,000 copies annually, which is a remarkable accomplishment for a niche independent title. According to Wube Software, this achievement supports the company’s “no sales” stance. Factorio has vowed to never run promotions for its game, keeping the price at a fixed $30 USD all year long. According to the creators, this is being done with consideration for users who have spent money on the game. The makers have remarked that although sales may boost statistics in the near term, games see reduced numbers for months following a sale as users resort to third-party resellers.
This year, Factorio entered the list of games that were ported to the Nintendo Switch and sold over 40,000 copies there. Since 40% of its Nintendo Switch sales were made in Japan, the game must be pretty well-liked there. Following the launch of the Nintendo Switch port, work is now being done to add controller functionality for PC and Steam Deck, and in the future, the Nintendo Switch version will also be compatible with a keyboard and mouse.
A good year was also enjoyed by Factorio modifications, with over 638,000 gamers downloading them around 41 million times. With over 1,200 active modders producing thousands of changes that alter the game in a variety of ways, the game has a thriving modding community. Despite the lack of information on the future expansion, a Christmas card featured in the recap provides a sneak glance at several new item icons.
