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Should I ship a Metroidvania 2D Fighter?
2D Fighter + Metroidvania
Of 23 developers who shipped a Metroidvania 2D Fighter in the last 2 years: 3 in 10 made under est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 4 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 20 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 51 more are announced, ×4.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $540, ×0.9 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $22k, ×35 the market median. Revenue is up 620% on the market; 51 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $537 (exactly $537) |
| Top 25% | $6.8k (exactly $6,829) |
| Top 5% | $22k (exactly $22,128) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 23 |
| Released games | 75 |
| Announced | 51 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $5.99 |
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 620% on the market, supply 10% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 15%, 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
- Metroidvania
- 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, Metroidvania; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Action-Adventure, 2D Platformer
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $17.99 or above
- Art
- 6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Atmospheric, Hand-drawn
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $17.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 89% positive over 3,758 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. All of the 14 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 51 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
2D Fighter with a different second tag, 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
SiNiSistar 2 2026 · $1.6M 
Megabyte Punch 2013 · $184k 
Skinny & Franko: Fists of Violence 2023 · $93k 
You are Peter Shorts 2024 · $87k 
Okinawa Rush 2021 · $65k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | SiNiSistar 2 | $14.99 | 3,545 90% | 106k | $1.6M (exactly $1,594,186) | Uu | |
| | Megabyte Punch | older | $14.99 | 409 94% | 12k | $184k (exactly $183,927) | Team Reptile |
| | Skinny & Franko: Fists of Violence | older | $18.99 | 164 85% | 4.9k | $93k (exactly $93,431) | Blue Sunset Games, Console Labs S.A. |
| | 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 |
 | Aeon Must Die! | older | $19.99 | 100 51% | 3.0k | $60k (exactly $59,970) | Limestone Games |
 | Heidelberg 1693 | older | $14.99 | 61 81% | 1.8k | $27k (exactly $27,432) | Andrade Games |
 | 末代侠客 | older | $3.99 | 203 84% | 6.1k | $24k (exactly $24,299) | 夜葬半歌 |
 | face the immortal | · EA | $17.99 | 41 92% | 1.2k | $22k (exactly $22,128) | DY |
 | Morkull Ragast's Rage | $17.99 | 39 69% | 1.2k | $21k (exactly $21,048) | Disaster Games | |
 | Immortal Joan: Cyber Revolution | $6.99 | 47 46% | 1.4k | $9.9k (exactly $9,856) | 康师傅红烧甜不辣 | |
 | Leif's Adventure: Netherworld Hero | $19.99 | 15 86% | 450 | $9.0k (exactly $8,996) | OneManOnMars Art & Games e.K | |
 | Byte The Bullet | $5.99 | 38 92% | 1.1k | $6.8k (exactly $6,829) | Esteban Marin | |
 | Barbarian Saga: The Beastmaster | $14.99 | 9 55% | 270 | $4.0k (exactly $4,047) | Dormidin Studio | |
 | Hammer of Pain | $10.99 | 10 80% | 300 | $3.3k (exactly $3,297) | SleepingFrog | |
 | Nimillion - The last expedition | $19.99 | 4 75% | 120 | $2.4k (exactly $2,399) | Digital Candy | |
 | Lone Warrior's Fist | $5.99 | 10 100% | 300 | $1.8k (exactly $1,797) | CreatiCell Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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