The first game from a tiny crew of Korean college kids has sold 500,000 copies on Steam in its first month, so now they’re patching it like mad to keep up with hungry roguelike fans

Shape of Dreams, the inaugural title from South Korean creator Lizard Smoothie, appears to be already positioning itself as a success after successfully navigating a competitive period to secure a spot among the top 10 sellers on Steam. Neowiz, recognized for Lies of P, reports that this roguelike sensation is merely at the beginning, having now achieved 500,000 copies sold on Steam within a couple of weeks.

Similar to Risk of Rain, one of the primary influences for Lizard Smoothie, Shape of Dreams is an action roguelike initially developed by two university students. Studio co-founder and CEO Eunsop Shim, alongside co-founder Kipyo Kang, decided to take a risk during their computer science studies. The resulting game, supported by various artists and collaborators as well as funding from Neowiz, might have altered their entire career trajectory.

“This extraordinary accomplishment is yet another accolade just two weeks after the game’s launch on Thursday, Sept. 11,” Neowiz expresses in a press announcement, evidently very satisfied with its first indie title released since the remarkable Sanabi in 2023.

“Following its initial sales of 300,000 copies within the first week, the game has maintained its momentum, shifting an additional 200,000 copies since then. The title has demonstrated its global appeal, with sales remaining robust in Asian nations like Korea, China, and Japan, as well as significant Western nations such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and France.”

As of this writing, Shape of Dreams boasts 7,293 “Very Positive” reviews on Steam. The cooperative roguelike merges MOBA-style build crafting with isometric combat, along with expansive encounters and gradual progression characteristic of contemporary roguelites, embracing the overwhelming chaos reminiscent of titles such as Risk of Rain 2 or Vampire Survivors.

Moreover, it can be enjoyed with friends, a distinctive and exceptional feature during this highly competitive period for new roguelikes, which has now witnessed Hades 2 1.0, an unexpected Steam sensation.

Megabonk, and the Balatro-themed slot machine CloverPit.

During my conversation with Shim earlier this year, he mentioned the team aspired to blend South Korea’s MOBA enthusiasm with the captivating gameplay cycle of a roguelite, aiming to “eliminate the PvP component from MOBA and alleviate that tension.”

Buoyed by this accomplishment, Lizard Smoothie is deploying updates continually to rectify minor glitches and balance issues. A new patch was released just this morning, while a more substantial one aimed at difficulty adjustment came out yesterday, October 2. Players engaging with the game by October 12 will receive a complimentary ornament.

“Lizard Smoothie intends to greatly enhance the quality of life, incorporating game dropout compensation and a cutscene skipping option based on user feedback,” states Neowiz.

“We are thrilled that sales remain robust thanks to the passionate backing of international fans,” adds Shim. “We aim to further elevate the game’s quality of life and refine combat through the patch update on the 2nd, so stay tuned.”

Palworld developer has been “consumed” by Steam’s latest roguelike sensation and can’t even go back to Borderlands 4: “Back on the Megabonk now.”

Austin has worked as a game journalist for 12 years, having contributed to outlets such as PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while completing his journalism degree. He has been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They have yet to recognize that his position is a facade for his career-long Destiny column, and he has maintained the illusion through a wealth of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as he can.