Every so often an indie game comes around that a community of gamers just connects with and can drastically affect the games reach and success unlike anything else. Games like Tunic and Stray instantly come to mind, and now, Hypercharge Unboxed and the way they've connected with the Xbox community can be added to that list.
From the moment it was announced for Xbox, Hypercharge has seen a groundswell of support from Xbox gamers. When they announced the release date at the beginning of May things really started to take off however. From their video talking about how special it was to get to see their game on Xbox being a dream come true, to getting some hate from people who said they game will die without Game Pass, and just the overall positivity they have brought to the community during the lead up has really resonated with Xbox fans. It's shown what can happen when you have passion behind your project and the fans see it.
Hypercharge Unboxed released this Friday, May 31st. Within its first 24 hours developer Digital Cybercherries had announced the game had already surpassed 25,000 units sold on Xbox. I can confirm via the developer that this is in fact the biggest launch yet for the game, which had previously launched on both Steam and the Nintendo Switch.
In a world where everyone thinks you must sell millions of copies to be a success that might not seem like much, but for a team of just 6 people and a lower budget title, the developers are extremely happy with this, and the sales continue to grow. Also keep in mind this is being done for a game that has been out on other platforms for years now, and being a small indie game is getting basically all its marketing from the community.
I can speak on this personally as I have been talking about the game a lot on my personal X account and seeing the support the game has from fans. The excitement leading up to the release from Xbox fans has been incredible to see, with anything Hypercharge related seeing more engagement than most other posts. Feeling that energy from other gamers is contagious and leads to everyone wanting in on what's being talked about. It's been a real word of mouth marketing campaign that has worked wonders.
And let's be clear, this support doesn't come without the game actually delivering. I've seen some pundits try and say the only reason Hypercharge Unboxed is doing well is because of the developers trying to rally against the troll comments. If you think that you are entitled to your opinion of course, but gamers at the end of the day respond to great games. If Hypercharge was a dud, people wouldn't be buying it. So even if you do think that, give credit where credit is due, our review is proof of that.
How big this game becomes on Xbox only time will tell. But at the very least we know that the Xbox community has come out to support Hypercharge Unboxed at launch and we can officially quell the narrative that the game is dead on arrival. In fact, it's here to stay.
