Indie game Graveyard Keeper free release earns $250K in sales on Steam

Indie title Graveyard Keeper free weekend generates $250K DLC revenue and boosts sequel wishlists

An indie publishing strategy has gained attention after tinyBuild reported notable revenue following a limited-time free release of its game Graveyard Keeper on Steam.

To align with the announcement of Graveyard Keeper 2, the publisher made the original 2018 title free for a full weekend.

The promotion resulted in a sharp increase in player activity, with the game reaching a new all-time concurrent peak of 46,305 players on April 12.

This figure significantly exceeded its August 2018 launch peak of 16,993. The game also reached number 39 on Steam’s most-played chart, ranking above titles such as Terraria, Cyberpunk 2077, and Path of Exile.

According to tinyBuild chief executive Alex Nichiporchik, the rise in engagement led to increased revenue through downloadable content.

“Many are asking if it’s worth it, to give away a game like this for free,” Nichiporchik wrote on X. “We’ve also made almost $250k from selling DLCs for the original. This is just on Steam. Haven’t gotten the console numbers yet. So it makes sense when you have a lot of DLC.”

The strategy depends on having a range of paid expansions connected to the base game. Players who accessed the game during the free period were able to purchase additional content, contributing to earnings.

The promotion also contributed to interest in the sequel. Graveyard Keeper 2 recorded 400,000 wishlists over the same weekend, with Nichiporchik later confirming that this figure had increased to 450,000 by April 14. The sequel quickly became one of the most wishlisted titles on Steam after its reveal.

Graveyard Keeper 2 just breached Steam’s top100 most wishlisted games

Currently at 450k wishlists

It was announced last Thursday https://t.co/671iw9XHv6 pic.twitter.com/fHkpO66w26

— Alex Nichiporchik (@aNichiporchik) April 14, 2026