As an expert in the gaming industry, I have been closely following the recent success of Grow a Garden on Roblox. This simplistic farming simulation game, developed by a 16-year-old, has taken the gaming world by storm and has become one of the most popular games on the platform. In fact, it has even surpassed the record set by Fortnite with an impressive 16.4 million simultaneous players. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Grow a Garden was created in just a few days, breaking records that other video games with much larger budgets and development times have struggled to achieve. On May 21, it officially became the most popular game on Roblox, which is no small feat considering the platform has millions of active users. As I write this on a Wednesday, Grow a Garden has around one million concurrent users (CCU), making it the most popular game on Roblox.
It has even surpassed popular games on Steam, such as Counter-Strike 2.On May 17, a Saturday, Grow a Garden had over 5 million active players, becoming the first game on Roblox to reach this milestone. This figure is almost twice as high as PUBG's best day, which holds the record for Steam with just over 3.2 million concurrent users. The game's popularity continued to soar after its Blood Moon update was released on May 18, breaking its previous CCU record held by Blox Fruits. However, this success was not without controversy. Investment firm TD Cowen alleged that fraudulent bot activities had artificially increased Grow a Garden's visibility in Roblox's game recommendation algorithm.
They pointed to increased account creation rates in the Philippines and Indonesia as evidence. Despite these allegations, Grow a Garden continued to break its own records, reaching 7.3 million and 8.9 million concurrent users and ultimately more than doubling Steam's record of 3.2 million for a single game by the end of May. This virtual gardening game has gained a massive following, with over 16 million players participating in a single weekend, surpassing the records previously held by more action-packed games like Fortnite. While some may be surprised by the success of a game focused on gardening, the reality is that Roblox has become a massive platform with millions of active users. The creator of Grow a Garden suggests that while the game may spark an interest in plants, the connection between a digital garden and real gardening is limited. However, for many young players, the appeal lies in the simplicity of the game and the satisfaction of watching something grow over time. In late June, Grow a Garden reached an impressive 21.6 million simultaneous players, surpassing Fortnite's previous record of 15.2 million according to Roblox.
Interestingly, this surge in popularity coincided with Take-Two Interactive's announcement that they would be delaying the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 until next year. As its name suggests, Grow a Garden is a simple game where players can fill a field with plants and animals, harvest and sell them, trade with others, or even steal their rewards. Its rise to fame highlights how games that focus on creativity, patience, and simple interactions can still be highly successful in today's competitive gaming environment. In terms of total lifetime visits, Grow a Garden holds the record for being the fastest-growing experience on Roblox, reaching 1 billion visits and surpassing 10 billion since then. It's likely that you've never played or even heard of Grow a Garden before. This new experience created by users on Roblox has taken the gaming world by storm. Thordis Fridriksson, a garden podcaster and BBC presenter, believes that the appeal of watching something grow is shared between the virtual and physical worlds. The financial model of Grow a Garden reflects broader trends in digital gaming, with in-game purchases and virtual economies playing a critical role.
This quiet game based on gardening has attracted millions of young players to Roblox, solidifying its position as one of the most popular games on the platform.
