Do I ship it?

Games2D Platformer2D Platformer + Intentionally Awkward Controls

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Intentionally Awkward Controls 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Intentionally Awkward Controls

Only 9 developers shipped an Intentionally Awkward Controls 2D Platformer 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, WASD : The Adventure of Tori, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 6 more are announced, ×3.0 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

Only 2 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $600 against a market of $480. 6 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 1.3 times the market baseline, revenue too few recent games to read momentum, 6 announced, ×3.0 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Intentionally Awkward Controls
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 9

not enough cohorts to draw

Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Intentionally Awkward Controls: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 9
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $599 (exactly $599)
Top 25% $1.8k (exactly $1,796)
Top 5% $87k (exactly $87,381)
Developers, 2 yr 9
Released games 25
Announced 6
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 too few recent games to read momentum, supply 70% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 12%, 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
Intentionally Awkward Controls
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, Intentionally Awkward Controls
Price point
$4.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

Fewer than 10 games in the last 2 years; sentiment and price figures use the all window.

The top 25% priced at $12.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 2,049 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $150, median $600, 1 in 4 over $1.7k, 1 in 20 over $87k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. All of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 6 games are announced against 2 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.0 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

2D Platformer with a different second tag, 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

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Stilt Fella older $12.99 794 92% 24k $309k (exactly $309,422) September Games
WASD : The Adventure of Tori $3.99 730 83% 22k $87k (exactly $87,381) EVNA Games
Ria's Hook older $2.99 359 83% 11k $32k (exactly $32,202) Fossil
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)
Robotry! older $12.49 20 95% 600 $7.5k (exactly $7,494) Lockpickle
Goop Loop older $3.99 55 94% 1.7k $6.6k (exactly $6,584) Lone Wulf Studio LLC
I HATE MY LEGS $10.99 17 100% 510 $5.6k (exactly $5,605) Subhumans Studio
How I learned to Skate older $7.99 16 87% 480 $3.8k (exactly $3,835) Taavi Teemaa
Gunz & Golf $4.99 12 100% 360 $1.8k (exactly $1,796) Virtual Ducky Games
Barrhell older $7.99 7 100% 210 $1.7k (exactly $1,678) Weird AF Games
UFO-Man $6.99 3 100% 90 $629 (exactly $629) Dyglone
Walrus Run $4.99 4 100% 120 $599 (exactly $599) The Jam
Storm of spring $7.99 1 100% 30 $240 (exactly $240) Head on chair
Jumfrog $4.99 1 100% 30 $150 (exactly $150) Filling Burrito Studio
QWER YUIO ASDF HJKL $1.99 2 100% 60 $119 (exactly $119) Automata Games
Bunches For Bart! $9.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Seth Cook

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