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Breaking through on Steam has never been harder and one viral post perfectly captures the brutal economics of indie game development in a more hilarious way. Indie developer LolicOnion, also known as motivated oniony on X, shared a screenshot of an email offering “at least $100 right away” in exchange for full rights to their 2018 visual novel Lily’s Night Off.
The sender, identified only as Robert, claimed to be building a catalog of games that “performed poorly on STEAM” in order to help creators “make some money back.” The email linked directly to the game’s Steam page and invited the developer to reply if interested. The blunt wording and lowball figure immediately caught attention, and within hours the post exploded to more than 1.5 million views.
Lily’s Night Off, released under the name Kyuppin, is a short, choice-driven visual novel featuring over 15 endings centered on idol group members Lilypad Lily, Nym, and Vicky. Despite earning an impressive 98–99% positive user rating on Steam, its commercial performance has been modest.
Visual novels are one of Steam’s most saturated genres. Even highly rated titles can vanish in the algorithmic flood, buried beneath daily releases and bigger marketing budgets. For solo developers, that often means strong reviews do not translate into visibility, let alone financial stability. LolicOnion also released last year in August his new game titled Three Wishes, another visual novel. It boasts a perfect 100% rating from reviews.
Online reactions to the $100 offer ranged from mockery to solidarity. Some poked fun at the phrasing “performed poorly,” while several pointed out the absence of royalties or long-term compensation. Beneath the humor, however, was a wave of sympathy. Many developers and players recognized the email as symbol of a larger issue, how easily years of creative work can be reduced to a three-digit buyout.
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