An idea that started as a joke has turned into an international phenomenon. The newspaper La Nuova Sardegna published the story of ‘Loan Shark’, a psychological horror computer game created by two young developers, Nicola Dau of Sassari (26) and Luca Folino of Turin (27). The plot is straightforward yet disturbing: an indebted Italian fisherman catches a talking sea creature during a night of fishing that offers to make him rich. But beneath the apparent favor is a twisted spiral: the fish begins to ask for increasingly heavy favors in exchange, eventually demanding an eye or perhaps the boat. According to the newspaper, this mechanism serves as a metaphor for the "loan shark". The game's success was immediate: two weeks after its debut, it had already sold 25,000 copies, with an additional 35,000 placed to virtual shopping carts on Steam. The United States accounts for more than 60% of sales, with the remaining portion being distributed globally. The title, created in three months with a budget of ten euros, went viral due to word of mouth and the spontaneous curiosity of international influencers and streamers. The game has now progressed beyond the level of a modest autonomous experiment, capturing the attention of major platforms and influencers with millions of followers, including Indonesian gamer Windah Basudara. Some supporters have even given free translations into Arabic and Chinese, helping to broaden its impact.