Catching the Wave: How Game Smithing Successfully Rode the Coattails of Vampire Survivors

Soulstone Survivors burst onto the scene in 2022, capitalizing on the massive success of Vampire Survivors. By swiftly adapting and reusing code from an earlier project, Rogue Soulstone, Allan Smith, founder of Game Smithing, managed to get his game to market quickly, catching the wave of interest in similar games. This move paid off, as Soulstone Survivors garnered significant attention, selling over 1 million copies and receiving over 21,000 Steam reviews with a Very Positive rating. However, this success came at a great personal cost for Smith, who worked 20-hour days, often going without sleep for days, all while still holding down a day job. The game's success can be attributed to its well-timed release, organic growth, and positive feedback loop, where the more players it attracted, the more it continued to grow. Smith's approach was to build upon a familiar concept, putting his own twist on it, rather than trying to create something entirely new and risky. The game's success has enabled Game Smithing to expand, and the studio is now focusing on post-launch support and potential new projects, including reviving Rogue Soulstone.