A recent study claims that Stardew Valley is the most profitable "cozy game" on YouTube with playthrough videos on the website making tens of thousands of dollars. The farming simulation game from indie developer ConcernedApe has been one of the most popular farming sims in gaming since its initial release in 2016. Taking inspiration from beloved franchises like Harvest Moon, the game has seen consistent updates and new releases across most modern platforms. Now, a new study asserts the game's popularity on YouTube.

"Cozy" games like Stardew Valley have seen a major boom in recent years with many games looking to capitalize on a more easy-going playstyle. Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Disney Dreamlight Valley have seen massive success appealing to a more relaxed and casual gameplay loop. Stardew Valley also played a major role in the explosion of farming sim games in recent years with even big developers like Square Enix capitalizing on the popularity. However, Stardew Valley continues to reign atop the modern farming sim genre.

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According to a study from online gaming website Bonusninja, Stardew Valley stakes its claim as the most popular "cozy game" on YouTube. The study asserts that the most-watched Stardew Valley gameplay videos on YouTube earn a staggering $224 per minute on average, with the videos averaging out to just under 1 million views. The study also refers to the most-watched Stardew Valley video on the platform, a PewDiePie video, earning $62,000 alone. Bonusninja also refers to several smaller creators earning significant payouts from Stardew Valley videos.

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The study goes on to detail YouTube's most popular games in terms of video revenue, sharing the Top 5 highest-earning games. Grand Theft Auto 5 holds a significant lead over its competition with videos earning on average more than $4,000 per minute for the site's top videos. FromSoftware's Elden Ring captured the second place spot earning just under $1,600 per minute for its top videos. Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order round out the top five with each game seeing top videos earning more than $600 per minute.

Stardew Valley's popularity both on YouTube and in the gaming world as a whole has seen plenty of other studios look to take a note from its success. Square Enix's Harvestella released late last year as the JRPG studio's own unique take on the farming genre, combining a farming sim with a JRPG. Other games like Tribes of Midgard and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Ishin! have incorporated farming elements into their gameplay. Farming sims don't seem to be slowing down, and Stardew Valley continues to serve as a shining example of the genre.

Stardew Valley is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

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Source: Bonusninja