Games › 2D Fighter › 2D Fighter + Horror
Should I ship a Horror 2D Fighter?
2D Fighter + Horror
Only 13 developers shipped a Horror 2D Fighter in the last 2 years, too few for firm odds: the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.; the top game by est. revenue, Terrordrome - Reign of the Legends, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 29 more are announced, ×4.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.4k, ×3.8 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $240; 1 in 20 cleared $100k, ×160 the market median. Revenue is up 425% on the market; 29 games are announced against 6 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $239 (exactly $239) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.4k (exactly $2,397) |
| Top 25% | $34k (exactly $33,583) |
| Top 5% | $101k (exactly $100,750) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 13 |
| Released games | 68 |
| Announced | 29 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
momentum: how a niche's revenue percentiles and developer count moved between two equal, adjacent periods, divided by the market's own move. See method., 12 months: revenue up 425% on the market, supply 15% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 9%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- 2D Fighter
- effort 5 / 10 · low · frame-precise animation and rollback netcode
- Horror
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- 2D Fighter; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Arcade, Beat 'em up
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Side Scroller, Comic Book
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 67% positive over 477 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $240. 8 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 29 games are announced against 6 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.8 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
2D Fighter with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + RomanceStrong odds
- + Visual NovelFair
- + Card BattlerFair
- + DeckbuildingFair
- + Auto BattlerFair
- + IdlerFair
- + RhythmFair
- + SimulationFair
- + IncrementalFair
- + ManagementFair
- + SuperheroLong shot
- + Resource ManagementLong shot
Comparable games
Mortal Kombat 11 2019 · $131M 
Mortal Kombat 1 2023 · $51M 
Mortal Kombat X 2015 · $24M 
Bleak Sword DX 2023 · $192k 
Estella's Nightmare: Sealed Space and a Succubus's Curse 2022 · $153k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Mortal Kombat 11 | older | $49.99 | 87,021 88% | 2.6M | $131M (exactly $130,505,394) | NetherRealm Studios, QLOC, Shiver |
| | Mortal Kombat 1 | older | $49.99 | 34,197 74% | 1.0M | $51M (exactly $51,285,241) | NetherRealm Studios, QLOC |
| | Mortal Kombat X | older | $19.99 | 39,392 88% | 1.2M | $24M (exactly $23,623,382) | NetherRealm Studios, QLOC |
| | Bleak Sword DX | older | $9.99 | 641 76% | 19k | $192k (exactly $192,108) | more8bit |
| | Estella's Nightmare: Sealed Space and a Succubus's Curse | older | $9.99 | 512 70% | 15k | $153k (exactly $153,446) | Playmeow |
 | Terrordrome - Reign of the Legends | $19.99 | 168 72% | 5.0k | $101k (exactly $100,750) | Huracan Studio | |
 | The Black Heart | older | $9.99 | 295 96% | 8.9k | $88k (exactly $88,412) | Andrés Borghi |
 | You are Peter Shorts | older | $14.99 | 194 90% | 5.8k | $87k (exactly $87,242) | ondydev |
 | Okinawa Rush | older | $17.99 | 120 82% | 3.6k | $65k (exactly $64,764) | Sokaikan ltd |
 | Night Slashers: Remake | $9.99 | 164 61% | 4.9k | $49k (exactly $49,151) | Storm Trident S.A. | |
 | Lady Death Demonicron | $39.99 | 36 47% | 1.1k | $43k (exactly $43,189) | Art Of Play Interactive | |
 | Terrifier: The ARTcade Game | $19.99 | 56 58% | 1.7k | $34k (exactly $33,583) | Relevo | |
 | The Drain | · EA | $12.99 | 18 100% | 540 | $7.0k (exactly $7,015) | Hatokuma Games |
 | Beasts of Mystery | · EA | $9.99 | 11 100% | 330 | $3.3k (exactly $3,297) | Mutraex |
 | Fight.EXE | $7.99 | 10 100% | 300 | $2.4k (exactly $2,397) | SolidValentine | |
 | Skullhunter A Worm's Tale | $7.99 | 10 100% | 300 | $2.4k (exactly $2,397) | Oliver Arett | |
 | Shadow Walker | $4.99 | 2 50% | 60 | $299 (exactly $299) | trying to code | |
 | Hellgame: Prologue | $3.99 | 2 50% | 60 | $239 (exactly $239) | Jack Rhodan, Realscape Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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