Do I ship it?

Games › 2D Platformer › 2D Platformer + Zombies

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Zombie 2D Platformer?

2D Platformer + Zombies

Of 68 developers who shipped a Zombie 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.. 69 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $270 in the last 2 years and $300 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 5 / 10 build. 44 developers shipped in the last year and 69 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 10% on the market, 69 announced, ×1.6 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Platformer + Zombies
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 68
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $359 → $899 → $539 → $748 → $599 → $90 → $419 (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Platformer + Zombies: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 68
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $270 (exactly $270)
Top 25% $2.7k (exactly $2,695)
Top 5% $24k (exactly $23,581)
Developers, 2 yr 68
Released games 197
Announced 69
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $5.99

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 10% on the market, supply 75% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 7%, 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
Zombies
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; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Action, Platformer
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Pixel Graphics, Side Scroller
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 82% positive over 1,061 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 $270, 1 in 4 over $2.6k, 1 in 20 over $23k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. Nearly all of the 29 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 69 games are announced against 44 developers who shipped in the last year.

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

Door Kickers: Action Squad 2018 · $3.7M Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection 2021 · $1.2M The Shadow of Yidhra 2021 · $447k Ares Virus2 2022 · $235k 天师 2022 · $129k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Door Kickers: Action Squad older $13.99 8,778 95% 263k $3.7M (exactly $3,684,127) PixelShard, KillHouse Games
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection older $29.99 1,306 74% 39k $1.2M (exactly $1,175,008) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
The Shadow of Yidhra older $10.99 1,355 89% 41k $447k (exactly $446,744) WhitePeach
Ares Virus2 older $18.99 412 64% 12k $235k (exactly $234,716) 热区网络
天师 older $8.99 477 60% 14k $129k (exactly $128,647) 明枭网络
SiNiSistar Lite Version older $4.99 858 85% 26k $128k (exactly $128,443) Uu
Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX) older $11.99 336 92% 10k $121k (exactly $120,859) Locomalito, Gryzor87
MAGICAL ANGEL FAIRY HEART older $28.99 132 79% 4.0k $115k (exactly $114,800) UMAI NEKO
Maid of the Dead older $19.99 136 81% 4.1k $82k (exactly $81,559) qureate, IXILL LLC.
Genopanic older $8.99 271 73% 8.1k $73k (exactly $73,089) Mobirate
Haunted Lands $5.99 251 77% 7.5k $45k (exactly $45,105) alevgor
Zombiehood $9.99 132 86% 4.0k $40k (exactly $39,560) Weak Spots, Dead Traveler
Chaos Faction Legacy Collection $4.99 234 93% 7.0k $35k (exactly $35,030) George "EON" Eade
Beach Defense: Zombie Invasion $3.99 197 81% 5.9k $24k (exactly $23,581) Only Fun Games
Soulbind: Tales Of The Underworld $7.99 88 73% 2.6k $21k (exactly $21,094) Rubedo Games
VonGarland Castle : Beyond Blood $14.99 42 57% 1.3k $19k (exactly $18,887) Ash Jackson
HoloType: Treasure Zombie Island $8.99 50 88% 1.5k $13k (exactly $13,485) BeXide Inc.
Stone 4 Souls $9.99 32 78% 960 $9.6k (exactly $9,590) Adeilson S Vieira
Whispers in the Forest · EA $16.99 17 64% 510 $8.7k (exactly $8,665) Atzi Games Team
Wet Dreams Spa $9.99 18 83% 540 $5.4k (exactly $5,395) Xlyph Bara Games

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