Roblox's Grow a Garden sets record: Breaking down the success of idle games

Business Standard

2 days ago

A Roblox game titled 'Grow a Garden' has recently been making headlines for all the right reasons. For a long time, action-packed or strategy and shooting games have dominated the gaming community, but this time, a farming simulator game has reportedly shattered records. According to a Fortune report, Grow a Garden has claimed the top spot for having the most concurrent players of any game in history. Here's a breakdown of the success of the recently launched game.
What is Grow a Garden
Grow a Garden is a free-to-play farming simulation game on Roblox, launched in March 2025. In the game, players start with a small plot and basic crops, using in-game currency called Sheckles to plant, harvest, and expand their gardens.
The game quickly became viral between May and June, after setting a record with over 21 million concurrent players, surpassing even Fortnite's all-time peak, as reported by The Economic Times.
What might have led to its success
The charm of Grow a Garden lies in its idle gameplay mechanics: crops continue growing even while you're offline, encouraging steady progress without constant attention. As you advance, you unlock dozens of crop types, pet companions that boost growth, and mutations that dramatically increase crop value. This, in a way, is akin to Plants Vs Zombies. Due to its simple mechanics, engaging and strategic gameplay, Plants Vs Zombies bagged the "Strategy Game of the Year" award at the Golden Joystick Awards. Now, Grow a Garden, though a bit different, might be headed on the path to bag a series of awards.
Another possible reason for Grow a Garden's success might be that the game also features regular events, like 'Working Bees,' 'Summer Update,' and other seasonal challenges where players can earn limited-time items and rare mutations by participating in dynamic activities. These events might be helping to maintain engagement in the community.
Furthermore, Grow a Garden stands out for its creator economy model, built by a 16-year-old developer and later partially acquired by Splitting Point Studios.
According to Business Insider, the 16-year-old who created the game in just days has remained anonymous. According to an interview in a gaming newsletter with Roblox developer and the founder of Splitting Point Studios, Janzen "Jandel" Madsen, Grow a Garden was initially created by the teen who built it in a few days. Then Madsen acquired part of the game to build it out with a team of developers.
Under Madsen's guidance, the Splitting Point Studios organised live updates, community events, and live-ops strategies that helped Grow a Garden skyrocket to over 21 million concurrent users, surpassing records previously held by Fortnite.
Madsen has also created or co-led development on several other top Roblox titles, including popular experiences like Wacky Wizards, Field Trip Z, Bed Wars, and Jandel's Road Trip.
Idle simulator games are making a mark
Grow a Garden is one of many games that have recently acquired a large user base. Other games, such as Idle Miner Tycoon, Idle Lumber: Business Empire, Idle Farming Empire, Prison Empire Tycoon, and other games have been downloaded by millions of users. As per Google Play Store, Idle Miner Tycoon alone has been downloaded more than 100 million times.
Such games do not engage in combat, shooting, or action but yet they are able to engage gamers. They feature very simple mechanics, behind-the-scenes functionality so that you do not have to keep the game open for hours to be able to collect in-game rewards, calming music, and more. When all these come together, then, as per the data, it seems like the recipe of a hit game is created.
One of the best things to have emerged from the current times and trends is the removal of barriers in the world of game creation. With Roblox in place, anyone can sign up and create a game that others can play simply by choosing it from Roblox's catalogue. Leading games like Fortnite and PUBG are also trying to capitalise on the user-generated content.
What is Roblox
Roblox is an online platform that lets users create, share, and play games developed by other users. Unlike traditional video games, Roblox is not a single game but a vast ecosystem where millions of user-generated experiences exist across genres like racing, adventure, role-playing, and simulation. These games are built using Roblox Studio, a free development tool that allows creators to design environments, code mechanics, and monetise their content.
Roblox also functions as a social hub, allowing players to interact through chat, join friends in games, and customise avatars with clothing and accessories purchased using Robux, the platform's virtual currency. Its accessibility on PC, mobile, Xbox, and even VR devices, along with a large and active community, makes Roblox more popular among younger audiences.