Stardew Valley Steam key art
Stardew Valley cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Stardew Valley Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

ConcernedApe

$197.4MEst. Gross Revenue

29,244,435 estimated sales, 98% positive reviews, and $154,919,949.00 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Indie98% Positive$14.99MC 89

Revenue Overview

$197.4M

Gross Revenue

$154.9M

Developer Revenue

29,244,435

Est. Copies Sold

$19.7M

Revenue / Year (avg. 10 yr)

$119.6MLow estimate
$197.4MBest estimate
$358.9MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$197,399,936
Steam Platform Fee(21.5%)
−$42,479,987
Developer Revenue
$154,919,949

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 78.5%($154,919,949)Steam: 21.5%($42,479,987)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$10,000,000
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)$29,479,987

More context in the Steam game revenue hub or in the Steam revenue calculator.

How we estimate this

98%positive
886,195Total Reviews
868,471positive (98%)
17,724negative (2%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    886,195 reviews and a 98% positive rating are used as the starting point because Steam review counts correlate strongly with paid ownership.

  2. 2

    Apply a calibrated Boxleiter multiplier

    For Stardew Valley, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×33 and show a wider range from ×20 to ×60 to reflect uncertainty.

  3. 3

    Use a realistic realized sale price instead of only list price

    Rather than relying only on the current price of $15, we estimate a realized average sale price of $7 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 21.5%. That turns an estimated $197,399,936 in gross revenue into roughly $154,919,949 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$6.75

List price $14.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×33

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

21.5%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Stardew Valley use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x33 and a calibrated average sale price of $7 instead of a flat 30x/0.75 model. Factors like age, price tier, discount history, genre, and review profile all affect the true reviews-to-sales ratio.

Platform Comparison

Hypothetical: What would the developer earn at the same gross revenue?

Steam

Gross revenue baseline: $197,399,936

To developer

$154,919,949

To developer: 78.5%

$154,919,949

Platform fee: 21.5%

$42,479,987

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $197,399,936

To developer

$173,831,944

To developer: 88.1%

$173,831,944

Platform fee: 11.9%

$23,567,992

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.9%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $197,399,936

To developer

$138,179,955

To developer: 70.0%

$138,179,955

Platform fee: 30.0%

$59,219,981

* Actual sales on Epic and GOG are not estimated. Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales volumes.

Genre Market Position

Top 2% by revenue in Indie
2%

Top 2% of Indie games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

59

Top Games Tracked

$7.6M

Median (tracked top games)

$27.4M

Mean (tracked top games)

Stardew Valley ranks in the top 2% of 59 tracked indie top-sellers, with estimated revenue 26× this group's median.

Baseline: HelpfulCalculator's curated set of top-grossing Steam games, not the entire Steam catalog. Niche genres may have small samples.

Playtime & Engagement

80.6h avg27h median

80.6h

Average Playtime

27h

Median Playtime

10.6h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 27h and average of 80.6h suggest a dedicated core community playing this indie game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity13% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperConcernedApe
PublisherConcernedApe
Release DateFebruary 25, 2016
Years on Market10 years
Current Price$14.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$6.75
GenreIndie
Peak Players50,662
SteamSpy Owners20,000,000 .. 50,000,000

Features

Single-playerMulti-playerCo-opOnline Co-opLAN Co-opShared/Split Screen Co-opShared/Split ScreenSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsSteam CloudRemote Play on PhoneRemote Play on TabletRemote Play TogetherFamily Sharing

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Stardew Valley earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Stardew Valley's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $197,399,936.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $119,636,325
  • Calibrated midpoint (x33): $197,399,936
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $358,908,975

The actual revenue may vary due to regional pricing, seasonal discounts, and refund rates.

How many copies has Stardew Valley sold on Steam?

With 886,195 Steam reviews and a 98% positive rating, we estimate Stardew Valley has sold between 17,723,900 and 53,171,700 copies, with a best estimate of 29,244,435.

This is based on the Boxleiter method, which uses the observation that roughly 1 in every 20 to 60 buyers leaves a Steam review. For the midpoint we do not assume a universal 30x value; we use a calibrated multiplier of x33 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does ConcernedApe earn from Stardew Valley?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 21.5%, ConcernedApe keeps an estimated $154,919,949 from Stardew Valley's gross revenue of $197,399,936.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $197,399,936
  • Steam's Fee (21.5%): -$42,479,987
  • Developer Revenue: $154,919,949

Note: This doesn't account for publisher shares, taxes, or development costs.

What percentage does Steam take from Stardew Valley?

Steam uses a tiered revenue sharing model that reduces the platform's cut as a game earns more:

  • First $10 million: 30% to Steam, 70% to developer
  • $10M to $50M: 25% to Steam, 75% to developer
  • Above $50M: 20% to Steam, 80% to developer

For Stardew Valley, with an estimated gross revenue of $197,399,936, this results in an effective rate of 21.5%. Steam keeps approximately $42,479,987 and ConcernedApe receives $154,919,949.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Stardew Valley?

These estimates use the Boxleiter method, a widely-used industry approach that estimates game sales from the number of Steam reviews.

Factors that affect accuracy:

  • Review-to-purchase ratio varies by genre
  • Discount history - games with frequent deep sales may have higher ratios
  • Regional pricing - different prices in different markets are not captured
  • Refunds - Steam's return policy means some counted sales were refunded
  • Bundled sales - keys sold through third-party bundles may not generate reviews

We provide a confidence range ($119,636,325 to $358,908,975) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x33) and a calibrated ASP of $7.

What would Stardew Valley earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Stardew Valley generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, ConcernedApe would keep approximately $173,831,944 - that's $18,911,995 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $23,567,992. Epic charges 0% on the first $1 million in annual per-app revenue and then 12% on the remaining amount. On GOG (30% cut), the developer would earn approximately $138,179,955.

Note: This is a hypothetical comparison. Actual sales volumes differ significantly between platforms, and Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales.

How long do players spend in Stardew Valley?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 80.6 hours in Stardew Valley, with a median playtime of 27 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.

What is Stardew Valley's Metacritic score?

Stardew Valley has a Metacritic score of 89/100, which is considered "generally favorable" by critics. The Steam community rates the game 98% positive based on 886,195 user reviews.