Shape of Dreams Demo Updated 70 Times Over 2 Years, Hit 1 Million Sales
Sim Eun-seop, CEO and lead programmer of Lizard Smoothie, presented a case study at NEXON's NDC26 on how the indie game Shape of Dreams sold 1 million copies within three months of its September 2024 Steam release. The team, two engineers with no art background, focused on gameplay and used a free demo as a primary marketing tool, updating it roughly 70 times over 2 years and 9 months. Data collection tools were built in to track player behavior, leading to key changes like adding WASD controls after a focus group test showed demand, and nerfing early enemy attacks that caused 45-50% death rates in the first stages.