Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Fighter › 2D Fighter + Puzzle Platformer

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Puzzle Platformer 2D Fighter?

2D Fighter + Puzzle Platformer

Of 25 developers who shipped a Puzzle Platformer 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.. 22 more are announced, ×2.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $300 in the last 2 years and $210 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 5 / 10 build. 10 developers shipped in the last year and 22 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.5 times the market baseline, revenue down 100% on the market, 22 announced, ×2.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Fighter + Puzzle Platformer
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 25
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $30 → $358 → $300 → $416 → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Fighter + Puzzle Platformer: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 25
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $300 (exactly $300)
Top 25% $719 (exactly $719)
Top 5% $9.0k (exactly $8,996)
Developers, 2 yr 25
Released games 62
Announced 22
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $4.99

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 too few recent games to read momentum, supply 35% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 10%, excluded from money figures.

See every window in the explorer →

Plate 2 · systems and tooling

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
Puzzle Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
2D Fighter, Puzzle Platformer; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry 2D Platformer, Action, Adventure
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Colorful, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 84% positive over 129 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $300, 1 in 4 over $710, 1 in 20 over $8.9k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. All of the 15 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 22 games are announced against 10 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

2D Fighter with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RomanceStrong odds8 devs · median $4.0k · 6 announced
  2. + Visual NovelFair11 devs · median $4.0k · 12 announced
  3. + Card BattlerFair10 devs · median $1.0k · 11 announced
  4. + DeckbuildingFair17 devs · median $959 · 12 announced
  5. + Auto BattlerFair16 devs · median $719 · 19 announced
  6. + IdlerFair9 devs · median $599 · 18 announced
  7. + RhythmFair10 devs · median $599 · 12 announced
  8. + SimulationFair51 devs · median $598 · 55 announced
  9. + IncrementalFair16 devs · median $538 · 13 announced
  10. + ManagementFair10 devs · median $449 · 14 announced
  11. + SuperheroLong shot11 devs · median $959 · 12 announced
  12. + Resource ManagementLong shot13 devs · median $390 · 14 announced

All 129 pairs on the 2D Fighter page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Nocturnal 2023 · $260k Armed with Wings: Rearmed 2017 · $122k You are Peter Shorts 2024 · $87k Happenlance 2021 · $23k Skullbreaker 2025 · $12k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Nocturnal older $16.99 511 90% 15k $260k (exactly $260,457) Sunnyside Games
Armed with Wings: Rearmed older $9.99 406 87% 12k $122k (exactly $121,678) Sun-Studios
You are Peter Shorts older $14.99 194 90% 5.8k $87k (exactly $87,242) ondydev
Happenlance older $19.99 39 92% 1.2k $23k (exactly $23,388) Miles Fogle, Phillip Trudeau-Tavara, Cy… (Miles Fogle, Phillip Trudeau-Tavara, Cyborg Primate)
Skullbreaker $29.99 13 92% 390 $12k (exactly $11,696) Sharkgame
Jumpala older $9.99 33 69% 990 $9.9k (exactly $9,890) Yokereba Games
Indiecalypse older $12.99 24 37% 720 $9.4k (exactly $9,353) JanduSoft
Leif's Adventure: Netherworld Hero $19.99 15 86% 450 $9.0k (exactly $8,996) OneManOnMars Art & Games e.K
Mycosis older $10.99 19 89% 570 $6.3k (exactly $6,264) Tomáš Větrovský
Blade Jumper older $6.99 27 81% 810 $5.7k (exactly $5,662) bit paradigm
Nazar $9.99 12 75% 360 $3.6k (exactly $3,596) Eray Dinc Studio, Recontact Games
the Shadow of Swallow $3.99 30 76% 900 $3.6k (exactly $3,591) Raine Studio
Dream Adventurer $19.99 4 100% 120 $2.4k (exactly $2,399) Spring Tree Work
Trump Trade War $1.99 13 84% 390 $776 (exactly $776) Tero Lunkka, Valkeala Software
The Ape Tales: An Epic Adventure Game $5.99 4 100% 120 $719 (exactly $719) Roker Games Studio
Dont Jump: Gamesforfarm $0.99 21 85% 630 $624 (exactly $624) Gamesforfarm
CoAnnCo $5.50 3 100% 90 $495 (exactly $495) SKONEC Entertainment
Pharaoh's Leap $0.99 14 85% 420 $416 (exactly $416) Gamesforgames

Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.