Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Animals

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Animal 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Animals

Of 28 developers who shipped an Animal 2D Platformer 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.. 54 more are announced, ×2.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $150 in the last 2 years and $240 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 25 developers shipped in the last year and 54 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.3 times the market baseline, revenue down 100% on the market, 54 announced, ×2.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Animals
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 28
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $12k → $359 (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Animals: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 28
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $150 (exactly $150)
Top 25% $2.4k (exactly $2,395)
Top 5% $20k (exactly $20,143)
Developers, 2 yr 28
Released games 42
Announced 54
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 down 100% on the market, supply 735% more 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

2D Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Animals
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
2D Platformer; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Platformer, Action, Adventure
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
7 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Colorful, Cute, Pixel Graphics
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 96% positive over 239 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 $150, 1 in 4 over $2.3k, 1 in 20 over $20k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. 54 games are announced against 25 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

2D Platformer with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + JRPGFair150 devs · median $4.2k · 157 announced
  2. + VampiresFair47 devs · median $1.9k · 50 announced
  3. + MechsFair33 devs · median $1.8k · 44 announced
  4. + PinballFair13 devs · median $1.6k · 9 announced
  5. + WesternFair10 devs · median $1.3k · 13 announced
  6. + CRPGFair62 devs · median $1.2k · 76 announced
  7. + Psychological HorrorFair178 devs · median $1.0k · 185 announced
  8. + Arena ShooterFair45 devs · median $809 · 43 announced
  9. + MiningFair38 devs · median $748 · 45 announced
  10. + RoguelikeFair264 devs · median $599 · 320 announced
  11. + Party-Based RPGFair55 devs · median $599 · 42 announced
  12. + Tactical RPGFair58 devs · median $599 · 49 announced

All 226 pairs on the 2D Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Owlboy 2016 · $2.2M Islets 2022 · $1.1M The Purring Quest 2015 · $361k The Elephant Collection 2023 · $325k MARSUPILAMI - HOOBADVENTURE 2021 · $258k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Owlboy older $19.99 3,679 85% 110k $2.2M (exactly $2,206,296) D-Pad Studio
Islets older $19.99 1,831 95% 55k $1.1M (exactly $1,098,051) Kyle Thompson
The Purring Quest older $9.99 1,205 81% 36k $361k (exactly $361,138) Valhalla Cats
The Elephant Collection older $14.99 723 95% 22k $325k (exactly $325,133) Wonderful Elephant (jmtb02)
MARSUPILAMI - HOOBADVENTURE older $19.99 430 94% 13k $258k (exactly $257,871) Ocellus Studio
Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia $24.99 28 100% 840 $21k (exactly $20,992) Ocellus Studio
Sunfluffs · EA $11.99 56 100% 1.7k $20k (exactly $20,143) Nuclear Strawberry
Atomic Owl $12.99 30 90% 900 $12k (exactly $11,691) Monster Theater
KIYO - Bunny Tyranny $14.99 23 100% 690 $10k (exactly $10,343) Pixel Rats
Horse Runner DX $4.99 58 91% 1.7k $8.7k (exactly $8,683) Mat Makes Games
BOMCAT $5.99 18 100% 540 $3.2k (exactly $3,235) TANZI GAMES
Hamstory $4.99 16 100% 480 $2.4k (exactly $2,395) Dotori Doguldan
Diggy Diggy Mole $9.73 4 100% 120 $1.2k (exactly $1,168) Novasplore Games
Wacky! Deer & Munk Adventure $8.99 4 75% 120 $1.1k (exactly $1,079) IDIOCRACY, INC
PostBear Tales $5.99 2 100% 60 $359 (exactly $359) lightUP

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