Do I ship it?

Games2D Platformer2D Platformer + Pirates

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Pirate 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Pirates

Only 9 developers shipped a Pirate 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, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 13 more are announced, ×3.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $1.5k against a market of $630. 13 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 2.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 90% on the market, 13 announced, ×3.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Pirates
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 9
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.8k → $2.9k → $5.0k → $1.6k → $4.5k
Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Pirates: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 9
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $1.5k (exactly $1,498)
Top 25% $35k (exactly $35,030)
Top 5% $200k (exactly $200,170)
Developers, 2 yr 9
Released games 50
Announced 13
Effort 5 / 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 90% on the market, supply 20% 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

2D Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Pirates
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 Platformer
Price point
$9.99 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 $24.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 83% positive over 8,486 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 $1.5k, 1 in 4 over $35k, 1 in 20 over $200k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. 4 in 10 of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 13 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.3 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

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
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition older $29.99 901 90% 27k $811k (exactly $810,630) WayForward
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut older $9.99 1,215 87% 36k $364k (exactly $364,136) WayForward
Flinthook older $14.99 600 73% 18k $270k (exactly $269,820) Tribute Games Inc.
Endless Voyage / 无尽航线 older $16.99 407 65% 12k $207k (exactly $207,448) Dalaran Game Studio
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution $24.99 267 85% 8.0k $200k (exactly $200,170) WayForward, Limited Run Games
High Sea Saga DX older $8.99 501 81% 15k $135k (exactly $135,120) Kairosoft Co.,Ltd
Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening $24.99 119 77% 3.6k $89k (exactly $89,214) Magic Pockets
Uncharted Ocean older $4.99 563 70% 17k $84k (exactly $84,281) HiRabbitgame
Chaos Faction Legacy Collection $4.99 234 93% 7.0k $35k (exactly $35,030) George "EON" Eade
Goldfish $14.99 10 80% 300 $4.5k (exactly $4,497) Gabry Corti
Roxy Raccoon 3: Troubles in Time $9.99 5 100% 150 $1.5k (exactly $1,498) Sinomod Studios
Kiana & Biscuit - Pirates on a Visit! $9.99 4 50% 120 $1.2k (exactly $1,199) SpicyFuse
SkullPirates $4.99 1 100% 30 $150 (exactly $150) Arcade Distillery
Kaptan Ege $0.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Crash Entertainment
Pray or Die: Tactical Defense $8.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Hyper-Ego Games

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