The Evolution of Muck and the Impact of Unity's Revenue Rules on Indie Developers

In June 2021, YouTuber Daniel Sooman released “Muck,” a parody low-res survival game that he created out of spite. Surprisingly, it turned out to be genuinely good, with players spending more than a dozen hours in it. Not only did “Muck” provide entertainment, but it also offered insights into game development through Sooman’s video about the process.

Following the success of “Muck,” Sooman released another game called “Crab Game,” which parodied the massive popularity of “Squid Game” in 2021. Both games gained significant attention and were downloaded more than 28 million times.

However, there’s a twist: both “Muck” and “Crab Game” were made using Unity, the game engine provider. Recently, Unity announced new revenue rules that would charge developers for every installation of their game over $200,000 in earnings and 200,000 installs. This decision caused an uproar among indie studios, as it could force them to switch to new engines.

Sooman himself calculated that the 28 million downloads of “Muck” and “Crab Game” would have cost him over $5.6 million under these new rules. While his interpretation isn’t entirely accurate (projects must meet both revenue and install thresholds), it highlights the impact of Unity’s changes on indie developers.

In summary, “Muck” continues to evolve, with content updates and an actual story in the works. Despite the challenges posed by revenue rules, Sooman’s games remain popular and engaging for players.