Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Western
Should I ship a Western 2D Platformer?
2D Platformer + Western
Only 10 developers shipped a Western 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, The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest, 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.
Verdict: fair, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.1 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, with 3 in 10 under $360. Revenue is up 495% on the market; 13 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
not enough cohorts to draw
| Bottom 30% | $359 (exactly $359) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,347) |
| Top 25% | $5.1k (exactly $5,095) |
| Top 5% | $24k (exactly $23,834) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 10 |
| Released games | 30 |
| 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 up 495% on the market, supply 135% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 20%, 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
- Western
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- 2D Platformer
- Price point
- $9.99 typical
Why players buy here
The top 8 games average 90% positive over 165 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $360. 13 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
Adjacent niches
2D Platformer with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + JRPGFair
- + VampiresFair
- + MechsFair
- + PinballFair
- + CRPGFair
- + Psychological HorrorFair
- + Arena ShooterFair
- + MiningFair
- + RoguelikeFair
- + Party-Based RPGFair
- + Tactical RPGFair
- + TanksFair
Comparable games
SteamWorld Dig 2 2017 · $3.4M 
They Always Run 2021 · $231k 
The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest 2026 · $24k 
Rose and Locket 2026 · $19k 
Shot in the Dark 2021 · $7.2k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | SteamWorld Dig 2 | older | $19.99 | 5,700 95% | 171k | $3.4M (exactly $3,418,290) | Image & Form Games |
| | They Always Run | older | $9.99 | 770 78% | 23k | $231k (exactly $230,769) | Alawar |
| | The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest | $14.99 | 53 88% | 1.6k | $24k (exactly $23,834) | Elden Pixels | |
| | Rose and Locket | $11.99 | 54 92% | 1.6k | $19k (exactly $19,424) | Whistling Wizard | |
| | Shot in the Dark | older | $9.99 | 24 100% | 720 | $7.2k (exactly $7,193) | Possum House Games |
 | Kero Kero Cowboy | $9.99 | 17 100% | 510 | $5.1k (exactly $5,095) | MetagameMike | |
 | REDSHOT | older | $7.99 | 17 70% | 510 | $4.1k (exactly $4,075) | Brian Lynch |
 | Cowboy Busy: Mowdown | $3.99 | 25 84% | 750 | $3.0k (exactly $2,992) | Only Fun Games | |
 | Virtuous Western | older | $1.99 | 49 91% | 1.5k | $2.9k (exactly $2,925) | Nibb Games |
 | Sheriff Rage | older | $4.99 | 18 72% | 540 | $2.7k (exactly $2,695) | Gehoo media |
 | Ricochet Rodeo | $4.99 | 9 88% | 270 | $1.3k (exactly $1,347) | Echidna Studios | |
 | Revolvermen | $9.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $899 (exactly $899) | Oskar Wetterbrandt | |
 | Epic Game Maker | $3.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $359 (exactly $359) | Electricpunch | |
 | Hang Tight | $0.99 | 1 100% | 30 | $30 (exactly $30) | FatGames | |
 | The Watcher | $4.99 | 0 0% | 0 | $0 (exactly $0) | Sai Game | |
 | Olive Raiders | · EA | $9.99 | 0 0% | 0 | $0 (exactly $0) | THGames1984 |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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