How University Project Discounty Sold 50,000 Copies in Days

In the summer of 2025, Discounty arrived as a highlight for fans of shop management sims. What began as a humble university project in Denmark has since evolved into a breakout success for the co-founders of Crinkle Cut Games, Anne Elser and Magnus Wahlers, who saw their game move 50,000 copies in just a few days.

From Thesis Project to Commercial Hit

For Elser and Wahlers, the game's commercial performance was a complete surprise. “We were thinking at some point, like, ‘wow, imagine if we could make a game that sells 50,000 copies - that would be incredible,’” Elser says. Achieving that milestone in just a few days was, according to the team, “really wild.”

The transition from a student project to a polished retail release was bolstered by cultural funding programs in Denmark. The result is a game that feels complete, particularly with the inclusion of the People or Profit expansion. While the team originally only dreamed of a multi-platform release, the Switch version has proven pivotal, with sales sitting just behind the Steam version.

Art and Tone: Why Discounty Stands Out

Discounty is often compared to Stardew Valley, but the team intentionally layered in realistic lighting and post-processing effects to give it a unique, grander aesthetic. This was a challenge for Wahlers, who noted that he wasn't an artist by trade before the project began. “I just picked it up because we needed someone to do it,” he says.

The game’s writing also strikes a specific balance between humor and serious themes like capitalist destruction. Elser, who handled the writing, admits her own personality heavily influenced the game’s “profoundly awkward” tone. She notes that rather than preaching, the game uses humor to highlight hypocrisy, such as a quest where players are asked to paint a sheep to call out the moral dissonance of eating meat once an animal is given a name.

The Charm of 'Evil' Characters

The cast of characters has been a point of contention for some players, with some finding them outright mean. Elser, however, defends the approach, specifically citing the character Tammy. “I think that something that has been lost a little bit with cozy games are cartoonishly evil people,” she says. “I love them.”

Looking ahead, the team is already considering their next project, though it remains in the very early stages. For now, players can grab Discounty on Steam or the Nintendo eShop, with mobile ports for iOS and Android on the horizon.