Sokrates Solberg (21) has quit his job after his self-developed, uniquely Norwegian indie game “erdetspill” attracted 6,000 unique players on Steam in just over a day and a half, according to Tek.no. The solo developer built the free game over four months, centering the gameplay around recognizable everyday frustrations in Norway, such as buying two ice creams for a grandfather, filing a scholarship application, and avoiding moose on rural roads.
Steam Success and TikTok Viral Growth
The game reached over over 10,000 library additions on Steam despite being available exclusively in Norwegian, according to Tek.no figures. Solberg attributes much of the sudden reach to TikTok, where his promotional clips accumulated roughly one million combined views. Players quickly turned the project into a competitive phenomenon known as “speedrunning,” racing to buy ice cream for grandfather in under four minutes. Solberg noted to Tek.no that players found unexpected workarounds, such as using gravel physics to clip through roofs and enter the store directly.
Cultural Resonance and Open Source Tools
The project started in March as a modest demo on Itch.io before growing into a full release launched on July 26 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Solberg stated to Tek.no that the distinctly Norwegian setting was not a planned marketing strategy initially, but he now believes that leaning into local humor is vital for engagement. To build the title, Solberg utilized the free, open-source Godot game engine—also used for projects like “Slay the Spire II” and “Buckshot Roulette”—and combined it with Claude for coding assistance, telling Tek.no that the AI tool saved him from writing a large amount of code alone.
Future Plans and Monetization
Because the game is free to play, Solberg’s primary revenue source is a voluntary supporter package offered through his website, which he hopes to reward with new content updates. Having quit his day job prior to launch to test independent development, Solberg confirmed to Tek.no that he is already at work on a sequel and a dedicated multiplayer mode. He also plans to investigate translations for English and Swedish audiences following international inquiries.
Did You Know?
The Godot game engine used to develop “erdetspill” is entirely open-source, making it a popular choice for indie developers looking to build games without licensing fees for commercial software.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “erdetspill”?
“erdetspill” is a free indie game developed by Sokrates Solberg that parodies recognizable Norwegian everyday tasks, such as buying ice cream for a grandfather and filling out scholarship applications.
Where can you play “erdetspill”?
According to Tek.no, the game is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux through the Steam platform.
How was the game built?
Solo developer Sokrates Solberg built the game over four months using the Godot game engine and utilized the AI assistant Claude to help write and structure the game’s code, as reported by Tek.no.
What are your thoughts on indie developers using AI tools like Claude to accelerate game development? Share your perspective in the comments below.
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