Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Traditional Roguelike

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Traditional Roguelike 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Traditional Roguelike

Of 27 developers who shipped a Traditional Roguelike 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.. 20 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $180 in the last 2 years and $180 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 19 developers shipped in the last year and 20 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 75% on the market, 20 announced, ×1.1 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Traditional Roguelike
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 27
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.5k → $987 → $120 (still earning) → $60 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Traditional Roguelike: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 27
Bottom 30% $60 (exactly $60)
Median $179 (exactly $179)
Top 25% $2.3k (exactly $2,269)
Top 5% $24k (exactly $23,581)
Developers, 2 yr 27
Released games 44
Announced 20
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 down 75% on the market, supply 140% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 11%, 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
Traditional Roguelike
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, Traditional Roguelike; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Roguelike, Action, Roguelite
Price point
$3.99 typical · top 25% priced $12.49 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Cartoon, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $12.49 or above; the middle game at $3.99.

The top 10 games average 84% positive over 488 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $60, median $180, 1 in 4 over $2.2k, 1 in 20 over $23k.

3 in 10 developers made under $60. All of the 8 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 20 games are announced against 19 developers who shipped in the last year.

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

Indies' Lies 2: Fire Seed 2025 · $33k Beach Defense: Zombie Invasion 2026 · $24k Dark Bone Prison 2026 · $15k Autogun Heroes: Supercharged 2025 · $4.9k Mangui 2025 · $4.5k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Indies' Lies 2: Fire Seed $14.99 73 67% 2.2k $33k (exactly $32,828) Fun Square Games
Beach Defense: Zombie Invasion $3.99 197 81% 5.9k $24k (exactly $23,581) Only Fun Games
Dark Bone Prison $5.99 84 95% 2.5k $15k (exactly $15,095) Bunny Moon Shady
Autogun Heroes: Supercharged $12.49 13 46% 390 $4.9k (exactly $4,871) Nitro Games
Mangui $5.99 25 100% 750 $4.5k (exactly $4,492) Damulchi
Endorlight older $0.99 147 55% 4.4k $4.4k (exactly $4,366) Old Games
问道仙途 older $2.99 35 68% 1.1k $3.1k (exactly $3,140) 青灯独酌
月出之时 older $1.99 50 100% 1.5k $3.0k (exactly $2,985) 月出之时
Space Vomit $3.99 19 100% 570 $2.3k (exactly $2,274) TENTACLES INTERACTIVE
咸鱼侠大战b宫怪 $1.99 38 100% 1.1k $2.3k (exactly $2,269) 辣条辣条辣
Entity Strike · EA $2.99 17 94% 510 $1.5k (exactly $1,525) Tropical Pixel Studios
いそげヒーロー $2.99 11 90% 330 $987 (exactly $987) Menon
Civilization Survivor $2.99 11 90% 330 $987 (exactly $987) 缘码游戏工作室

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