'Banana': An oddly-simple clicker game that made over 600,000 players go bananas

[Gamebittor]

 

Image: Banana/Steam

 

A fruit-themed clicker game, ‘Banana’, has been making waves in the gaming community. This seemingly simple game, where players click on a static image of a banana, has managed to outperform major titles like Apex Legends.

 

Launched on April 23, 2024, ‘Banana’ quickly climbed the ranks on Steam’s charts, boasting a player count exceeding 600,000 at the time of this post. Despite its minimalistic design and gameplay, the game has managed to secure the 4th spot among the most played games on Steam.

 

Image: Top 10 rankings of the most-played games on Steam on June 15, 2024

 

However, the game’s success isn’t solely due to its unique concept. One of the key features that sets ‘Banana’ apart is how players can benefit from it. For every 3-18 hours of playtime, players can earn a distinct Banana Skin, which can be sold on the Steam Community Market for real Steam Wallet credits. This feature has undoubtedly contributed to the game’s popularity, as players have the opportunity to earn enough credits to purchase other games.

 

Despite its success, ‘Banana’ has faced its share of criticism. Some players and critics have raised concerns about the game’s monetization strategy. The developers sell inventory bananas for $0.25 each, and every transaction involving the Banana Skins in the Steam Community Market results in a small kickback to the developers. This has led to allegations of the game being a scam or a Ponzi scheme, which the developers have denied.

 

 

 

As ‘Banana’ continues to dominate the charts, it raises questions about the future of gaming. Do you think ‘Banana’ is a game-changer in the industry, or is it just another passing trend? Will other developers follow suit and introduce similar monetization strategies? 

 

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

 

 

Read more:

• https://game8.co/articles/latest/banana-game-steam-why
• https://www.polygon.com/gaming/24173617/banana-clicker-game-steam-egg
• https://www.engadget.com/one-of-the-biggest-games-on-steam-right-now-is-a-clickable-banana-190058749.html
• https://www.pcgamer.com/games/banana-a-game-where-you-rapidly-click-on-a-jpeg-of-a-banana-and-nothing-else-has-an-all-time-peak-of-31124-players-on-steamheres-why/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/06/14/as-banana-tops-400000-concurrent-players-will-steam-step-in/