Solo developer Michael Major briefly appeared to have a massive hit on his hands when 6,717 people bought This Game Costs $200 on Steam. The sales total passed $1.3 million, but 6,707 purchases were later refunded, leaving the 18-year-old with just over $2,000.
How the $200 idea started
Major put the game on Steam on January 30 after wondering whether anyone would pay the highest price tag available for a deliberately strange project. It arrived just a few days after an earlier digital joke called This Game Costs $10, which used the same basic idea of turning an absurd price into the main event. The result was a meme-filled asset flip that describes itself on its Steam store page as a “psychological ‘comedic’ experience.”
The game initially attracted little attention. Activity picked up in recent months, bringing in thousands of buyers and pushing its potential return above $1.3 million.
In a WMUR-TV report, Major said, “I think I almost died.” That moment did not last long. Steam’s refund policy came into play, and nearly every buyer sent the game back. Only 10 purchases remained after the refunds.
Sales data showed that most of the buyers were from China, while many people refunded the game without opening it. Major said he did not know why the unusual buying pattern happened, though he wondered whether an advertisement or some kind of scheme had sent people to the Steam page. He also said, “I have heard of expensive games on Steam being used for money laundering,” but did not claim that was happening with his game. The available information does not establish whether the pattern came from an organized effort or simple coincidence.
What the game actually offers
Despite its enormous price, This Game Costs 200 Dollars is a small, retro-styled top-down adventure RPG. Players move through a handful of areas, visit rooms, speak with NPCs, and find several possible endings, with occasional messages from Major reminding them how much the project supposedly deserves its price. One ending is literally called Ending 3/10: The Button Ending, which gives a good idea of the deliberately silly tone.
For Major, the result is a strange gap between a huge sales figure and the money that actually stayed in his account. The project began as a joke built around its price, and its final numbers turned that premise into a punchline of their own: more than $1.3 million in potential sales, followed by a little over $2,000 in hand.
The $200 concept leaves plenty to discuss, so share your thoughts in the comments and stay connected through X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
