Publisher tinyBuild generated more than $250,000 in revenue on Steam by giving away the medieval management simulator Graveyard Keeper for free over a four-day period.
Developer Lazy Bear Games and tinyBuild offered the 2018 title at no cost from Thursday through Monday afternoon. The strategy leveraged the base game's free availability to drive high-volume sales of its downloadable content (DLC).
According to polygon.com, the revenue spike came primarily from players purchasing expansions, an original soundtrack, and art books. The outlet reported that the publisher's earnings figure excludes sales from gaming consoles.
"Many are asking if it’s worth it, to give away a game like this for free," tinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik said in a post on X. "So it makes sense when you have a lot of DLC."
Sequel momentum
The giveaway coincided with the announcement of a sequel. The promotional window helped drive interest in Graveyard Keeper 2, which the developer plans to release in 2026.
Nichiporchik noted in a follow-up post that the upcoming sequel has already surpassed 450,000 Steam wishlists. This volume places the title within Steam's top 100 most-wishlisted games.
While the base game has returned to its standard pricing, players can still find significant discounts. Polygon reports the title is currently available on Steam for $3.99, representing an 80% discount, through April 17.
