Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Fighter › 2D Fighter + Turn-Based Strategy

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a 2D Fighter Turn-Based Strategy?

2D Fighter + Turn-Based Strategy

Only 19 developers shipped a 2D Fighter Turn-Based Strategy 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, Swords and Sandals 3 Redux, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 31 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 $480 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 5 / 10 build. 14 developers shipped in the last year and 31 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.5 times the market baseline, revenue up 500% on the market, 31 announced, ×2.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Fighter + Turn-Based Strategy
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 19
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $14k → $56k → $210 → $299 (still earning) → $599 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Fighter + Turn-Based Strategy: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 19
Bottom 30% $179 (exactly $179)
Median $299 (exactly $299)
Top 25% $624 (exactly $624)
Top 5% $70k (exactly $69,830)
Developers, 2 yr 19
Released games 55
Announced 31
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 up 500% on the market, supply 135% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 18%, 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
Turn-Based Strategy
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
2D Fighter, Turn-Based Strategy; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Action, Adventure
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Colorful, 2D, Atmospheric
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 302 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $180, median $300, 1 in 4 over $620, 1 in 20 over $69k.

3 in 10 developers made under $180. All of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 31 games are announced against 14 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

Your Only Move Is HUSTLE 2023 · $5.8M Swords and Sandals Immortals 2023 · $380k Swords and Sandals 2 Redux 2017 · $165k Estella's Nightmare: Sealed Space and a Succubus's Curse 2022 · $153k Checkmate Showdown 2023 · $115k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Your Only Move Is HUSTLE older $4.99 38,703 96% 1.2M $5.8M (exactly $5,793,839) Ivy Sly
Swords and Sandals Immortals older $11.99 1,056 84% 32k $380k (exactly $379,843) Whiskeybarrel Studios
Swords and Sandals 2 Redux older $9.99 552 78% 17k $165k (exactly $165,434) Whiskeybarrel Studios
Estella's Nightmare: Sealed Space and a Succubus's Curse older $9.99 512 70% 15k $153k (exactly $153,446) Playmeow
Checkmate Showdown older $19.99 192 80% 5.8k $115k (exactly $115,142) BadRez Games
Swords and Sandals 3 Redux $9.99 233 87% 7.0k $70k (exactly $69,830) Whiskeybarrel Studios
BANCHOU TACTICS older $19.99 93 78% 2.8k $56k (exactly $55,772) SECRET CHARACTER, ITSARAAMATA
Gladiators and Glory older $7.99 57 89% 1.7k $14k (exactly $13,663) Oguz Kemerli
Mega Knockdown · EA older $9.99 37 100% 1.1k $11k (exactly $11,089) dhamster, Alan McMillian
Swords and Sandals Medieval older $6.99 50 76% 1.5k $10k (exactly $10,485) Whiskeybarrel Studios
Happy Piggy 2 $9.99 13 100% 390 $3.9k (exactly $3,896) Gamesforgames
Emoji Wars $9.99 12 91% 360 $3.6k (exactly $3,596) Total
The Inseparables $9.99 11 100% 330 $3.3k (exactly $3,297) Gamesforgames
Hybrid Beasts $7.99 4 50% 120 $959 (exactly $959) Beastbits
Dont Jump: Gamesforfarm $0.99 21 85% 630 $624 (exactly $624) Gamesforfarm
FULL BET - FIGHTING CASINO - $19.99 1 100% 30 $600 (exactly $600) FlatMountain
Shell of the coward $9.99 2 50% 60 $599 (exactly $599) Jacquey Arthur
Pixel Chess Idle RPG $4.99 4 50% 120 $599 (exactly $599) SHIFT.
Knaights $14.99 1 100% 30 $450 (exactly $450) Jeremiah Zagala

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