Viral Steam game made $1.3M creator only got $2k after refunds

In a bizarre collision of digital absurdity and massive commerce, an 18-year-old from New Hampshire accidentally stumbled into the world of digital money laundering while trying to make a joke about pricing games on Steam.

The game that caused the chaos is called This Game Costs $200. Released earlier this year, the title was priced at a hefty $200—the maximum allowed by Steam’s listing rules—with the creator’s expectation that virtually no one would ever buy it.

Michael Major set the high price not to build an empire, but as a provocative joke. He envisioned the game as a psychological experiment, attempting to convince players that the $200 cost was real. The premise itself is steeped in irony: the game’s description boldly labels itself the swindle to end all swindles.

However, the joke quickly became a global phenomenon. Despite the initial skepticism, the game generated $1.3 million in gross sales. The success was so overwhelming that Major, who had aimed for no payday, found himself facing an entirely unexpected financial reality.

The true cost of digital marketing, it turns out, is often measured in refunds rather than revenue. Steam sales data revealed that while the game sold 6,717 units, nearly all of them were returned. Six thousand seven hundred and seven people received refunds, meaning 99.9% of the sales were reversed.

When factoring in these massive refunds, the creator’s take-home amount was surprisingly modest, walking away with only $2,045. This stark contrast between gross revenue and net profit left Major pondering the nature of digital transactions, leading him to voice concerns about the potential misuse of such large sales figures.

“I have heard of expensive games on Steam being used for money laundering,” Major confessed. “I could be on a hit list right now,” he noted, highlighting the shadowy side of online commerce that often remains unseen.

Beyond the financial puzzle, the game itself offers a strange environment to explore. Set in the world of Schizopia, players navigate a map filled with mundane objects like beer cases and cigarette packs, offering an immersive experience built on surrealism.

A single reviewer offered a darkly humorous perspective on the price tag, noting that while spending $200 wasn’t the worst decision they ever made, it certainly wasn’t the best. The game, which is a sequel to This Game Costs $10, managed to blend financial absurdity with psychological depth.