The Digital Showcases That Made A Little To The Left a Hit

A Little To The Left had a modest following before it appeared at Wholesome Direct, a pivotal moment that changed the game's trajectory. The cozy puzzle game, developed by Max Inferno, a team consisting of Anne Macmillan and Lukas Steinman, started as a game jam concept and was later expanded upon and added to Itch.io, where it frequently topped the charts. The team then applied for Wholesome Direct, an indie game showcase event that highlights uplifting and cozy games, and their participation led to increased visibility and interest from publishers. The first publisher to reach out was James Schall of Secret Mode, which inspired Steinman and Macmillan to take the leap into full-time game development. The game's successful relationship with digital events continued into 2022, with the release of a demo as part of Steam's Next Fest, followed by appearances at Wholesome Direct, Days of the Devs, and Play Days. The game caught the eye of influencers, including Gab Smolders, who partnered with Secret Mode on sponsored content, and later Jacob Forster, who discovered the game through Smolders' channel. The game's simple style made it ideal for TikTok, and Forster's videos helped to further increase its popularity. The game has been continually updated with daily challenges and DLC, allowing Max Inferno to experiment with new ideas and adapt to player feedback. As of last month, A Little To The Left has sold one million copies, a success that has required the team to balance business pressures with their creative vision, with support from the Secret Mode team.