Banana Game Has Sudden Dip in Steam's Concurrent Player Count

After peaking in June 2024, Banana on Steam has seen a significant drop in concurrent players. Let's delve into the reasons behind its initial popularity and subsequent decline.

Banana Game Steam Charts Reveal a Dramatic Fall

A Clicker Game About…Bananas

Released on April 23, 2024, *Banana*, a deceptively simple clicker game, unexpectedly soared to fame, reaching a peak of 917,272 concurrent players in June 2024. However, this success proved short-lived. SteamDB data reveals a dramatic decline, particularly noticeable from November 2024 onward.

For the uninitiated, Banana is a free-to-play game where players repeatedly click a banana image. Its appeal wasn't the gameplay itself, but the potential to earn real money. Players could acquire and sell virtual banana items on the Steam Community Market, with some rare items fetching surprisingly high prices—a "Special Golden Banana" reportedly sold for $1,378.58.

The game's rapid rise was fueled by the promise of easy Steam Wallet funds. Developer Hery even described it as a "legal ‘Infinite money glitch’" in a June 2024 interview with Polygon. This attracted an influx of automated bots designed to exploit the system, artificially inflating the player count.

Hery acknowledged the botting problem to Polygon, stating, "Unfortunately, we are currently facing some problems around botting, since the game takes basically 1% to no resources of your PC. People are abusing up to 1,000 alternative accounts in order to get Rarer drops or at least drops in bulk."

Following the implementation of anti-bot measures in May 2024, the authenticity of the remaining 100,000+ players remains uncertain. Regardless, the post-peak decline is undeniable. By July 2024, the average player count had dropped to 549,091. This downward trend continued, with a significant plunge from over 400,000 to just above 100,000 in November 2024. While a temporary surge occurred early in 2025, the game hasn't recovered its former heights.

Currently boasting 112,966 concurrent players and holding a respectable 7th place on Steam's Most Played Games list, Banana experienced a concerning drop to around 50,000 players on March 16th, between 17:00 and 23:00 UTC. The cause of this sudden dip is unclear, but the overall downward trend suggests the initial novelty has worn off.

The developers have consistently updated the game, adding trading cards, event drops, and quality-of-life improvements. They've also fostered community engagement through the Steam Workshop, allowing user-generated banana art with creators earning a share of sales. However, whether these efforts can revive the game to its pre-botting peak remains uncertain.