[Series] Game Translation Collection

https://youtu.be/cUqVBzc_mhc

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Hi, I’m Chris. I’ve got something to tell you guys. It’s pretty cool, but also kinda weird. It’s called the 'Chocolate Tier.'

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This right here is a 237-euro box of chocolates.

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And this is a 245-dollar box.

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This is what that expensive chocolate box looks like when it's delivered to developers with a letter from Valve. Honestly, the letter isn’t particularly special or personal. It feels like it’s just mass-printed, but still... it’s nice. A few years ago at GDC, someone pulled me aside and said, 'Chris, you know about the Chocolate Tier, right?' I asked what that was, and they explained it. I had no idea until then. So, I’m here to explain it to you. I’ll show you how to get Valve to send you, a developer, a 250-dollar box of chocolates.

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Check out this graph. This is the total revenue for all games released in 2025. You might notice there’s nothing here. That’s because the ratio between the hits and the flops is so skewed that most games aren't even visible. You have to zoom in and reach the top-tier games before you even see a sharp curve.

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So, to actually see something, we have to switch to a log scale. This is the same 2025 revenue graph, but on a log scale. ... Steam is structured so that the top 1.00001% takes all the money.

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And the thing is, you have to make a metric ton of money before Valve sends you free chocolate every December. That red border shows the games that get to eat chocolate.

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I keep track of how much they earned and plot it out. Based on my limited data, my best guess is that this red area is the level you need to reach for the Chocolate Tier.

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Alright, let's look at this. I’ve taken the same chart and zoomed in to highlight the Chocolate Tier portion.

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To enter the Chocolate Tier, you need to earn at least about $800,000* within that year.

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These are all the games that hit over $800,000 in 2025. Look at this. You can barely see them, right? Steam is just insanely, ridiculously massive.

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Now, based on my estimates and conversations with many friends, there are actually two levels to the Chocolate Tier. If you make between $800,000 and nearly $2,000,000 annually, you usually get a $150 box of chocolates.

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I found that 138 games reached the lower Chocolate Tier. That’s the $125 one. And I estimate about 158 games reached the higher Chocolate Tier.

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So Valve is spending quite a bit of money on chocolate every year. They’re like the Willy Wonka of the video game industry.

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I haven't received a single box from Valve. But don't worry, I wouldn't have taken it anyway. I have to remain impartial and I don't take chocolate bribes.

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If hearing this makes you feel a bit down, think of it this way: if you hit $2 million in sales to get a $250 box of chocolates, Valve is basically giving developers a 0.0125% tip.

You guys deserve it. If you released a game in 2025, go out and buy yourself that $250 box of chocolates. You've earned it.

Man... this is even harder to get than the cake GLaDOS gives you lol Source: Indie Game Gallery