What Exactly Is Banana?
At its core, Banana is a minimalist free-to-play clicker game developed for Steam. The gameplay is straightforward: players click on a banana repeatedly to earn in-game currency and items. Despite its lack of traditional mechanics or narrative, the game gained traction due to its unique monetization model. Players could collect virtual banana-themed items and sell them on the Steam Community Market, where rare items like the "Special Golden Banana" fetched prices over $1,300.
The game's appeal was initially driven by the possibility of earning real-world value through minimal effort. In a Polygon interview in June 2024, developer Hery described the game as a “legal ‘infinite money glitch,’” fueling further curiosity and attracting a large player base.
The Rise—and Bots
As the game grew in popularity, so did reports of botting activity. Due to the game’s low system requirements, users exploited it by running hundreds of accounts simultaneously to farm valuable drops. According to Hery, some players used up to 1,000 alternate accounts to maximize their item collection.
In response, developers introduced anti-bot measures in May 2024. While these updates reduced artificial inflation, they also contributed to the subsequent drop in reported player counts. By July 2024, average concurrent players had fallen to 549,091. The numbers continued to fall throughout the year, dropping below 100,000 by November.
A Temporary Rebound
There was a brief resurgence at the start of 2025, where player numbers nearly doubled before returning to a downward trajectory. As of the latest update, Banana maintains around 112,966 concurrent players and remains ranked 7th on Steam's Most Played Games list. However, an unexplained drop to approximately 50,000 players occurred on March 16th between 17:00 and 23:00 UTC, raising questions about whether bots were involved or if this was part of the natural attrition following the game’s initial hype.
Can It Regain Momentum?
The development team continues to support the game with regular updates, including new trading cards, event-based drops, and improved user features. They've also embraced community contributions via Steam Workshop, allowing players to submit custom banana art and earn a share of sales revenue.
Despite these efforts, it seems unlikely that Banana will return to its former peak without external boosts—especially as the novelty factor fades and player interest shifts toward newer trends.
