Do I ship it?

Games › Action Roguelike › Action Roguelike + Quick-Time Events

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Quick-Time Events Action Roguelike?

Action Roguelike + Quick-Time Events

Of 28 developers who shipped a Quick-Time Events Action Roguelike 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.. 56 more are announced, ×2.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 4 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $240 in the last 2 years and $300 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 4 / 10 build. 22 developers shipped in the last year and 56 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.5 times the market baseline, revenue up 60% on the market, 56 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Action Roguelike + Quick-Time Events
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 28
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $31k → $299 → $598 → $269 → $267 (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Action Roguelike + Quick-Time Events: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 28
Bottom 30% $76 (exactly $76)
Median $239 (exactly $239)
Top 25% $1.2k (exactly $1,198)
Top 5% $23k (exactly $23,204)
Developers, 2 yr 28
Released games 63
Announced 56
Effort 4 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
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 60% on the market, supply 265% 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Action Roguelike
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
Quick-Time Events
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
Systems
Action Roguelike, Quick-Time Events; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Roguelike, Roguelite
Price point
$3.99 typical · top 25% priced $13.99 or above
Art
6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Pixel Graphics
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $13.99 or above; the middle game at $3.99.

The top 10 games average 84% positive over 283 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $76, median $240, 1 in 4 over $1.1k, 1 in 20 over $23k.

3 in 10 developers made under $76. All of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 56 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + RomanceStrong odds22 devs · median $6.5k · 17 announced
  2. + Creature CollectorFair39 devs · median $1.8k · 54 announced
  3. + SportsFair41 devs · median $1.6k · 39 announced
  4. + Boss RushFair20 devs · median $1.6k · 19 announced
  5. + VampiresFair55 devs · median $1.3k · 52 announced
  6. + IdlerFair44 devs · median $1.0k · 55 announced
  7. + DogsFair19 devs · median $899 · 18 announced
  8. + Precision PlatformerFair36 devs · median $629 · 38 announced
  9. + FaithFair16 devs · median $449 · 21 announced
  10. + Character Action GamePoor odds9 devs · median $20k · 40 announced
  11. + Dating SimPoor odds13 devs · median $12k · 14 announced
  12. + MechsPoor odds44 devs · median $12k · 85 announced

All 205 pairs on the Action Roguelike page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Return to abyss 重返深渊 2023 · $142k Gripper 2023 · $31k Ragnar 2026 · $27k Pet the Cat 2026 · $23k Meet Your Oshi 2024 · $12k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Return to abyss 重返深渊 older $4.99 949 79% 28k $142k (exactly $142,065) Wingjoy Games
Gripper older $19.99 51 84% 1.5k $31k (exactly $30,585) Heart Core
Ragnar $14.99 61 83% 1.8k $27k (exactly $27,432) Fimbulwinter Games
Pet the Cat $4.99 155 83% 4.7k $23k (exactly $23,204) MEWSTURBO
Meet Your Oshi older $3.99 97 89% 2.9k $12k (exactly $11,611) VchiBan
Stardust Defenders older $4.99 29 86% 870 $4.3k (exactly $4,341) Wise Reaper Games
Hellcome older $6.99 15 60% 450 $3.1k (exactly $3,146) Game Dev Garage
KeyFortress · EA $7.99 12 83% 360 $2.9k (exactly $2,876) Daisen
QUICKERFLAK_RUTHLESSMOD older $0.99 72 88% 2.2k $2.1k (exactly $2,138) Walter Machado
Captain Puff MacFly $2.99 23 95% 690 $2.1k (exactly $2,063) MVCAO Studios
Samurai beat demons $4.99 11 100% 330 $1.6k (exactly $1,647) sDev Games
Slot or Die $13.99 3 33% 90 $1.3k (exactly $1,259) cr0cq
SeaQuestDungeon $7.99 5 80% 150 $1.2k (exactly $1,198) AlchemistGame
Flatlands $9.99 2 50% 60 $599 (exactly $599) LayDown Games
Submarine Survivor $3.99 5 80% 150 $598 (exactly $598) The Bat Flight
Bonk The Goblins! $2.99 6 100% 180 $538 (exactly $538) nobones

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