The recent Steam Winter Sale, spanning December 18, 2025, through January 5, 2026, proved once again that deep discounts are the fastest way to ignite explosive growth, even for established titles. While most games see a seasonal boost, the co-op PvE survival title *Icarus* experienced a truly massive jump in popularity after receiving an unprecedented price cut.
Developed by RocketWerkz, the New Zealand studio behind the 2021 release, *Icarus* saw its typical $35 retail price plummet by 90%, making it available for a tiny $3.50 during the sale window.
RocketWerkz founder Dean Hall recently shared the staggering success of this strategy via a post on X. The base game sold an astonishing 984,000 copies during the three-week period, narrowly missing the coveted one-million milestone. This immense influx of players wasn’t limited to the core experience; the game’s additional content, which bundles two expansions and a pets package, contributed another 243,000 units in sales. These impressive figures prove that a strategic, aggressive price drop can provide an incredible second wind for popular survival games years after launch.