Shape of Dreams, the action roguelite MOBA from developer Lizard Smoothie and publisher NEOWIZ, sold more than 300,000 units in its first week on Steam.
South Korea’s indie scene has scored another breakout hit. The title also hit a peak of 45,000 concurrent players and climbed to #4 on Steam’s Global Top Sellers chart, reaching #2 in South Korea.
For a debut title from a studio founded just two years ago by two college students, it’s an impressive launch. This should serve as a strong signal of the appetite for new twists on roguelite design.
Shape of Dreams mixes classic roguelite progression with MOBA-inspired combat, giving players a roster of eight unique Travelers to master. A Traveler Mastery System and a Constellation System allow for deep strategic customization, while more than 150 Memories and Essences enable new builds on every run. The game supports both solo play and up to four-player co-op.
“We’re deeply thankful to players worldwide for embracing the kind of roguelike action experience we’ve always dreamed of making,” co-founder and chief executive officer of Lizard Smoothie, Eunsop Shim, said in a prepared statement. “With NEOWIZ as our partner, we’ll continue working hard to repay all the love and support we’ve received.”
The title has been well-received critically, holding an 83 on Metacritic and a “Very Positive” rating on Steam after over 1,500 user reviews as of the time of this writing.
The rapid rise of Shape of Dreams underscores the growing influence of South Korea’s indie developers on the global stage. Long recognized for online and mobile hits, Korea’s game industry has increasingly produced standout indie PC titles that resonate worldwide.
NEOWIZ itself has become a champion of this trend: its 2023 Soulslike, Lies of P, was developed by South Korea’s Round8 Studio and has sold over three million copies to date.
The roguelite market remains highly competitive, with heavy hitters like Hades, Dead Cells, and Risk of Rain defining the genre. But Shape of Dreams shows that new ideas, such as blending roguelite structure with MOBA mechanics, can still carve out space on Steam’s crowded charts.
Strong early sales also highlight the continued demand for co-op experiences, which have proven resilient drivers of engagement and word-of-mouth.
Shape of Dreams is available for $24.99, with a 20% launch discount through Sept. 24, and is also featured in Steam bundles alongside Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and Warm Snow.