Unturned Turns Up the Heat
Tempting as it can be to ignore a Roblox game, Unturned is growing rapidly.
Well folks. Today marks a return to the usual newsletter format today, with all the usual bells and whistles. But it turns out Steam sales and no few new games in the last week means there are slim pickings in the top 100 this week. Aside from nixing that section this week though, everything is as you’d expect. Now to the actual newsletter!
Unturned Turns Up the Heat
More often than not I feel like I’m just pointing at a stat and talking about how it’s a thing. Today is…no different. Rather, it’s another case of, “hey, if you aren’t paying attention to this game or have no idea what it is, maybe you should!”
In the age or Roblox, it should come as no surprise that something like Unturned is doing well. Free-to-play? ✅ Roblox aesthetic? ✅ Survival game? ✅ Base building? ✅
I’m not here to attack or defend it, but I will say that it’s reaching new highs this week. As of January 10, Unturned has broken 100,000 peak users.
Dwindling since release in 2017, the userbase turned around and has steadily been climbing since October 2019. Following a big spike in November 2021 up to 70,000 users (112% growth) or so, the climb has rapidly accelerated.
Those growing numbers haven’t landed it among the top grossing titles each week, however. It’s a hell of an achievement for Calgary’s Smartly Dressed Games either way as a team of only two developers.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a spiritual successor to their title, Deadzone, a Roblox game which was released in 2012 when Nelson Sexton, the founder, was 16. The team then launched Unturned in 2013 as a browser game before migrating it to Steam Early Access in 2014 where it remained until the official launch in 2017.
So if you, like me, felt like everything screamed Roblox. That’s why. It’s literally part of the game’s roots.
The Movers 🆙
Despite only being on sale for the first two days of the week, Hitman was propelled the highest up the charts. Something that could potentially be due to the new “World of Assassination” approach and Hitman Freelancer’s release on January 26.
+66 SMITE
+63 Hitman 3
+42 Marvel’s Midnight Suns
+44 Borderlands 3
+28 Star Wars: The Old Republic
In Danger ⚡
I’d hesitate to call anything here at risk other than New World to be honest with you.
New World (#88) - 19 Weeks
Madden NFL 23 (#57) - 22 Weeks
Phasmophobia (#55) - 121 Weeks
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (#52) - 62 Weeks
Longest Lasting ⌛
No changes here in the four weeks that we’ve been away. Though the continued success of Elder Scrolls Online gives me an idea for what we can talk about next week..
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (544 Weeks)
Warframe (511 Weeks)
Grand Theft Auto V (417 Weeks)
The Elder Scrolls Online (416 Weeks)
Rust (394 Weeks)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (373 Weeks)
Final Fantasy XIV Online (319 Weeks)
Dead by Daylight (296 Weeks)
War Thunder (289 Weeks)
Destiny 2 (183 Weeks)