Do I ship it?

GamesRTSRTS + 2D Platformer

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a 2D Platformer RTS?

RTS + 2D Platformer

Of 49 developers who shipped a 2D Platformer RTS 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 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $210 in the last 2 years and $180 over 4, against a market of $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build. 25 developers shipped in the last year and 54 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.1 times the market baseline, revenue up 200% on the market, 54 announced, ×2.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
RTS + 2D Platformer
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 49
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $60 → $60 → $628 → $180 → $267 → $179 → $299 (still earning) → $330 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for RTS + 2D Platformer: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 49
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $210 (exactly $210)
Top 25% $1.7k (exactly $1,704)
Top 5% $8.6k (exactly $8,629)
Developers, 2 yr 49
Released games 133
Announced 54
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $3.99

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 200% on the market, supply as many developers as the period before.

Free games: 21%, 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.

RTS
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
2D Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
RTS, 2D Platformer; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Simulation, Combat
Price point
$3.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Cute, Anime
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $3.99.

The top 10 games average 84% positive over 2,274 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 $210, 1 in 4 over $1.7k, 1 in 20 over $8.6k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. 9 in 10 of the 33 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 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

RTS with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RomeFair12 devs · median $64k · 13 announced
  2. + Outbreak SimFair16 devs · median $2.6k · 14 announced
  3. + HorrorFair20 devs · median $2.4k · 27 announced
  4. + NavalFair15 devs · median $2.4k · 21 announced
  5. + TabletopFair25 devs · median $1.9k · 33 announced
  6. + SportsLong shot19 devs · median $861 · 9 announced
  7. + PuzzleLong shot48 devs · median $479 · 40 announced
  8. + World War IIPoor odds23 devs · median $105k · 38 announced
  9. + Real-Time with PausePoor odds28 devs · median $64k · 41 announced
  10. + Open WorldPoor odds45 devs · median $35k · 100 announced
  11. + Colony SimPoor odds87 devs · median $31k · 159 announced
  12. + HistoricalPoor odds108 devs · median $30k · 180 announced

All 149 pairs on the RTS page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
BM General Hospital $7.99 1,368 86% 41k $328k (exactly $327,910) zzzgame
Bahamut2-dragon's bride older $9.99 584 97% 18k $175k (exactly $175,025) 王韋
The Impregnation of the Elves: Conquest of the Arrogant Fairies by Impregnation older $10.99 467 65% 14k $154k (exactly $153,970) 永恆艾莉絲工坊
Oriental Dynasty - Silk Road defense war older $5.99 616 75% 18k $111k (exactly $110,695) 星环游戏
Smelter older $19.99 165 64% 5.0k $99k (exactly $98,950) X PLUS Co., Ltd.
Jumbo Airport Story older $8.99 355 89% 11k $96k (exactly $95,744) Kairosoft Co.,Ltd
Hot Springs Story older $8.99 265 81% 8.0k $71k (exactly $71,470) Kairosoft Co.,Ltd
BM game Co. $7.99 236 75% 7.1k $57k (exactly $56,569) zzzgame
巴哈姆特1-REMAKE(BAHAMUT1-REMAKE) $9.99 170 95% 5.1k $51k (exactly $50,949) 王韋
Hot Springs Story 2 older $8.99 187 82% 5.6k $50k (exactly $50,434) Kairosoft Co.,Ltd
BM Love Cafe $7.99 204 77% 6.1k $49k (exactly $48,899) zzzgame
FolkOrigin $7.99 36 88% 1.1k $8.6k (exactly $8,629) LukaszD
Emberwake $9.99 28 64% 840 $8.4k (exactly $8,392) Neler93
East Trade Tycoon: Inheritance $2.99 92 92% 2.8k $8.3k (exactly $8,252) PandaUpStudio
Tower of Megami Descents $3.99 60 75% 1.8k $7.2k (exactly $7,182) SiGMAGURO
Guandan $4.99 29 89% 870 $4.3k (exactly $4,341) Pixel Dance
即时象棋:旧棋新弈 Hyper Chinese Chess $1.99 51 76% 1.5k $3.0k (exactly $3,045) 上弦月工作室AscentGames

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