Do I ship it?

Games › Action RPG › Action RPG + Capitalism

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Capitalist Action RPG?

Action RPG + Capitalism

Only 14 developers shipped a Capitalist Action RPG 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 Outer Worlds 2, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 35 more are announced, ×3.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $920, ×0.6 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $360. 35 games are announced against 10 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.5 per shipper, while revenue is down 45% on the market.

Deciding numbers: median 0.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 45% on the market, 35 announced, ×3.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Action RPG + Capitalism
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 14
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $5.1k → $38k → $839 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Action RPG + Capitalism: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 14
Bottom 30% $359 (exactly $359)
Median $921 (exactly $921)
Top 25% $80k (exactly $80,496)
Top 5% $18M (exactly $17,742,465)
Developers, 2 yr 14
Released games 32
Announced 35
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $7.99

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 45% on the market, supply 150% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 16%, 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Action RPG
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
Capitalism
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
Action RPG; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Exploration, Adventure
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $69.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, First-Person, Funny
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $69.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 75% positive over 12,243 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $360, median $920, 1 in 4 over $80k, 1 in 20 over $17M.

3 in 10 developers made under $360. 35 games are announced against 10 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Action RPG with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + NavalFair17 devs · median $15k · 11 announced
  2. + Local Co-OpFair68 devs · median $6.0k · 82 announced
  3. + WesternFair13 devs · median $5.5k · 15 announced
  4. + Local MultiplayerFair43 devs · median $5.5k · 56 announced
  5. + Walking SimulatorLong shot35 devs · median $450 · 33 announced
  6. + WuxiaPoor odds7 devs · median $198k · 28 announced
  7. + Character Action GamePoor odds14 devs · median $105k · 55 announced
  8. + MechsPoor odds21 devs · median $59k · 43 announced
  9. + Colony SimPoor odds11 devs · median $58k · 35 announced
  10. + Dating SimPoor odds31 devs · median $44k · 47 announced
  11. + Open World Survival CraftPoor odds23 devs · median $26k · 69 announced
  12. + Bullet HeavenPoor odds77 devs · median $25k · 91 announced

All 211 pairs on the Action RPG page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

The Outer Worlds 2 2025 · $18M Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale 2010 · $4.0M Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault 2026 · $2.8M Saleblazers 2023 · EA · $1.8M SeaCret 1 2025 · EA · $119k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
The Outer Worlds 2 $69.99 8,450 73% 254k $18M (exactly $17,742,465) Obsidian Entertainment
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale older $19.99 6,684 95% 201k $4.0M (exactly $4,008,395) EasyGameStation
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault $29.99 3,146 80% 94k $2.8M (exactly $2,830,456) Digital Sun
Saleblazers · EA older $29.99 1,974 78% 59k $1.8M (exactly $1,776,008) AIRSTRAFE INTERACTIVE
SeaCret 1 · EA $39.99 99 61% 3.0k $119k (exactly $118,770) Dalas
goblinAmerica · EA $14.99 179 96% 5.4k $80k (exactly $80,496) Gil Lawson
Duncrush $3.99 321 82% 9.6k $38k (exactly $38,424) Golden Pick Games
Suits: A Business RPG older $0.99 950 88% 29k $28k (exactly $28,215) Technomancy Studios
The Emerald Tablet older $19.99 21 57% 630 $13k (exactly $12,594) {uni}
Jesus Christ Simulator · EA older $1.99 184 88% 5.5k $11k (exactly $10,985) Luke Gayson
Roid Chimp $7.99 11 90% 330 $2.6k (exactly $2,637) Robert Panichpakdee
Market Street Tycoon Simulator $0.99 31 48% 930 $921 (exactly $921) Yusuf Islam Seyhan, Samet Acar
Gravity Break · EA $13.99 2 100% 60 $839 (exactly $839) bakspace interactive, Kristian Bak, Dan… (bakspace interactive, Kristian Bak, Daniel Clifton, Nanna Fjord)
Tasty Beverage $9.99 2 100% 60 $599 (exactly $599) Bolko, Reality Interactive
Fracas $5.99 2 50% 60 $359 (exactly $359) Rookbird Games

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