Garry’s Mod has sold 20 million copies

As the name implies, Garry’s Mod was originally a Source Engine mod that let the user muck around with that engine’s physics, models and props. The mod released in 2004, before spawning a standalone product on Steam in 2006. Now, in 2024, Garry’s Mod has sold an astounding 20 million copies.

That’s pretty impressive for a game that has no goals, no narrative, no incentives: You just boot it up and stuff around, though players have managed to create some pretty bonkers and brilliant maps, mods and modes in it. According to Garry Newman in our 2019 interview, the game’s roleplay potentials are one of the big draws for players. “The roleplay gamemodes are still a huge thing,” he said, “but that in itself can encompass a thousand other sub gamemodes.”