Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Twin Stick Shooter

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Twin Stick Shooter 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Twin Stick Shooter

Of 31 developers who shipped a Twin Stick Shooter 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.. 48 more are announced, ×3.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.1k, ×2.3 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $540; 1 in 20 cleared $41k, ×86 the market median. Revenue is down 15% on the market; 48 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.3 times the market baseline, revenue down 15% on the market, 48 announced, ×3.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Twin Stick Shooter
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 31
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.3k → $120 → $2.8k → $1.7k → $718 → $4.8k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Twin Stick Shooter: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 31
Bottom 30% $539 (exactly $539)
Median $1.1k (exactly $1,078)
Top 25% $5.1k (exactly $5,095)
Top 5% $41k (exactly $41,083)
Developers, 2 yr 31
Released games 88
Announced 48
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $6.99

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 15% on the market, supply as many developers as the period before.

Free games: 13%, 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
Twin Stick Shooter
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, Twin Stick Shooter; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Combat, Shooter
Price point
$6.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Colorful, Funny
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 91% positive over 1,280 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $540, median $1.1k, 1 in 4 over $5.0k, 1 in 20 over $41k.

3 in 10 developers made under $540. 9 in 10 of the 18 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 48 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.2 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

ROUNDS 2021 · $6.4M Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef 2022 · $1.6M Rusted Moss 2023 · $945k RIVE 2016 · $210k Shotgun Cop Man 2025 · $190k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
ROUNDS older $5.99 35,738 95% 1.1M $6.4M (exactly $6,422,119) Landfall
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef older $19.99 2,586 87% 78k $1.6M (exactly $1,550,824) Rogueside
Rusted Moss older $19.99 1,575 88% 47k $945k (exactly $944,527) Emlise, happysquared, sunnydaze
RIVE older $14.99 468 83% 14k $210k (exactly $210,460) Two Tribes
Shotgun Cop Man $9.99 633 96% 19k $190k (exactly $189,710) DeadToast Entertainment
Rise & Shine older $9.99 453 73% 14k $136k (exactly $135,764) Super Mega Team
Critadel older $19.99 216 76% 6.5k $130k (exactly $129,535) Pixelian Studio
Ants Took My Eyeball older $12.99 248 93% 7.4k $97k (exactly $96,646) Bosmic Forge
Eyes in the Dark older $14.99 113 78% 3.4k $51k (exactly $50,816) Under the Stairs, Kontrast
DUNGEON RAZE $2.99 458 85% 14k $41k (exactly $41,083) KOTARO YOSHIDA
Rose and Locket $11.99 54 92% 1.6k $19k (exactly $19,424) Whistling Wizard
Galactic Thunderdome $9.99 35 100% 1.1k $10k (exactly $10,490) Pansimula
Bumper Blitz TD $14.99 15 86% 450 $6.7k (exactly $6,746) Ragnarok Studios
Yarn Guardians $14.99 14 100% 420 $6.3k (exactly $6,296) pentapaw studios
Baseless $12.99 15 93% 450 $5.8k (exactly $5,846) Fermenter Games
Battle Squares $9.99 17 76% 510 $5.1k (exactly $5,095) Feesh Studio
WIZARD PUNKS!!! $6.99 23 95% 690 $4.8k (exactly $4,823) EyeOfStormCat
Z-GYUBAAN! $9.99 16 68% 480 $4.8k (exactly $4,795) Yogurt Neko

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