Canada-based indie developer Sabotage Studio has just released Sea of Stars, a turn-based RPG in the style of classic Japanese titles. Let’s take a look at its launch numbers.
- Shortly after launch on August 29, Sabotage Studio announced on X (Twitter) that Sea of Stars had already sold 100,000 copies across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
- It is an impressive feat for a retro-style game, especially given that it is also available day-one on Game Pass and PS Plus, so its total audience could be even larger.
We’re speechless. Thank you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/OJXJ0mawpg
— Sea of Stars (@seaofstarsgame) August 30, 2023
- Sea of Stars received positive reviews from critics, with an average Metascore ranging from 88 (PC) to 91 (Switch). It was praised for carefully capturing the spirit of classic JRPGs from the 90s, beautiful pixel graphics, and great storytelling.
- On Steam, the game currently has a “Very Positive” rating, with 92% of the 543 user reviews being positive. It also peaked at 7,011 concurrent players, according to SteamDB.
- For comparison, Sabotage Studio’s debut title, retro-style action platformer The Messenger, only peaked at 679 concurrent users on Valve’s platform.
Who is Sabotage Studio?
- Sabotage Studio was founded in 2016 by Thierry Boulanger and Martin Brouard. They were already experienced developers, who worked together at Frima Studio.
- Boulanger still serves as Sabotage’s CEO and creative director, while Brouard left the team in 2021 to start Studio Imugi.
- The studio originally consisted of three people united by the idea of “creating modern games that encapsulate what made retro titles so compelling.”
- For their debut project, The Messenger, Sabotage signed a publishing deal with Devolver Digital. Launched in 2018, the game was well received by both critics and players, but sold just under 50,000 copies in its first week.
- Sea of Stars, set in the same universe as The Messenger, became the studio’s second game. With this title, the team decided to completely change the genre, drawing inspiration from the likes of Chrono Trigger and Breath of Fire.
- It is worth noting that Sea of Stars is not only developed, but also self-published by Sabotage Studio.