Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Lovecraftian
Should I ship a Lovecraftian 2D Platformer?
2D Platformer + Lovecraftian
Of 20 developers who shipped a Lovecraftian 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.. 33 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.6 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $270; 1 in 20 cleared $560k, ×1182 the market median. Revenue is down 70% on the market; 33 games are announced against 14 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $269 (exactly $269) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,258) |
| Top 25% | $4.7k (exactly $4,676) |
| Top 5% | $561k (exactly $561,319) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 20 |
| Released games | 60 |
| Announced | 33 |
| Effort | 4 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
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 70% on the market, supply 135% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 12%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- 2D Platformer
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
- Lovecraftian
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- 2D Platformer; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Adventure, Exploration
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Side Scroller, Dark
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 78% positive over 1,129 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $270. 9 in 10 of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 33 games are announced against 14 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
2D Platformer with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + JRPGFair
- + VampiresFair
- + MechsFair
- + PinballFair
- + WesternFair
- + CRPGFair
- + Psychological HorrorFair
- + Arena ShooterFair
- + MiningFair
- + RoguelikeFair
- + Party-Based RPGFair
- + Tactical RPGFair
Comparable games
We Need To Go Deeper 2019 · $2.2M 
Source of Madness 2022 · $846k 
They Bleed Pixels 2012 · $611k 
The Last Case of Benedict Fox Definitive Edition 2023 · $589k 
Voidwrought 2024 · $561k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | We Need To Go Deeper | older | $15.99 | 4,652 86% | 140k | $2.2M (exactly $2,231,564) | Deli Interactive LLC |
| | Source of Madness | older | $19.99 | 1,410 69% | 42k | $846k (exactly $845,577) | Carry Castle |
| | They Bleed Pixels | older | $9.99 | 2,040 84% | 61k | $611k (exactly $611,388) | Spooky Squid Games Inc. |
| | The Last Case of Benedict Fox Definitive Edition | older | $24.99 | 786 71% | 24k | $589k (exactly $589,264) | Plot Twist |
| | Voidwrought | $19.99 | 936 77% | 28k | $561k (exactly $561,319) | Powersnake | |
 | Elderand | older | $19.99 | 552 75% | 17k | $331k (exactly $331,034) | Mantra, Sinergia Games |
 | Endless Voyage / 无尽航线 | older | $16.99 | 407 65% | 12k | $207k (exactly $207,448) | Dalaran Game Studio |
 | Angel's Gear | older | $9.99 | 254 73% | 7.6k | $76k (exactly $76,124) | Scumhead |
 | Terror At Oakheart | older | $7.99 | 274 85% | 8.2k | $66k (exactly $65,678) | Tainted Pact |
 | Candlelight: Lament | older | $9.99 | 82 90% | 2.5k | $25k (exactly $24,575) | 正方形劳伦斯 |
 | VonGarland Castle : Beyond Blood | $14.99 | 42 57% | 1.3k | $19k (exactly $18,887) | Ash Jackson | |
 | Rumbral | $12.99 | 30 76% | 900 | $12k (exactly $11,691) | OSEA Innovations | |
 | Herogue | $14.99 | 22 95% | 660 | $9.9k (exactly $9,893) | 巴豆肥工作室 | |
 | Eldritch Climb: A Cursed Ascent | · EA | $12.99 | 12 100% | 360 | $4.7k (exactly $4,676) | Covert Wonders |
 | Bio Fail | $2.99 | 46 100% | 1.4k | $4.1k (exactly $4,126) | Langonier | |
 | Paw Paw Destiny | $14.99 | 7 71% | 210 | $3.1k (exactly $3,148) | Daiyu.studio | |
 | Futanari's Secret: The Forest | $2.99 | 16 93% | 480 | $1.4k (exactly $1,435) | Red Sasori | |
 | Herba Project : Desktop Lab | $3.99 | 11 45% | 330 | $1.3k (exactly $1,317) | IndieCain | |
 | Kuentame | $5.99 | 7 100% | 210 | $1.3k (exactly $1,258) | ApeHardware |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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