The clicker game Click Mage has become a trend on Steam. This smaller-scale resource-gathering clicker allows players to use magical abilities to gather resources like wood, stone, and copper from different locations on an island, all while working to build an escape portal. It wouldn’t be surprising if the game had a huge wishlist or publisher support, so we reached out to the solo developer to understand the secret to its success.
Nils Bremer expressed surprise at the game’s reception, admitting he had low expectations prior to launch: “I was and still am very surprised. I set pretty low expectations before release because I’m a small indie developer working by myself, and this is the first game I’ve ever finished and published. I am now absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback I’ve gotten and super happy that players are enjoying the game.”
As his first completed and published game, he focused on a small but well-designed feature set: “Click Mage is the first game I wanted to complete and publish, so I always made sure the feature set was small and feasible. However, I also like the idea of games that focus on a smaller, but well-implemented set of features. I learned a lot during development and the release itself, which now gives me the confidence to add more complex features in future projects.”
He is currently focused on bug fixes and accessibility updates but hinted at potential minor DLC expansions in the future: “Since the game just released, I’m currently fully focused on bug fixing and accessibility updates and don’t have time to think about future content. All I can say is that I have some ideas for small DLC expansions and a surprisingly large number of players asking for more content.”
When asked about the game’s sudden popularity, Bremer attributed it to a combination of effort and luck. He reached out to smaller content creators via Keymailer and directly before release, which helped create initial visibility. Unexpectedly, two larger YouTube channels covered the game shortly after launch, garnering a combined 85,000 views. This exposure pushed Click Mage onto Steam’s “New & Trending” list, significantly boosting visibility.
For broader perspective, Click Mage holds a 92% positive rating on Steam based on 172 total reviews and reached a peak of 473 players yesterday. These numbers are truly impressive for a smaller-scale game.
