Do I ship it?

GamesAction RPGAction RPG + Dogs

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Dog Action RPG?

Action RPG + Dogs

Only 7 developers shipped a Dog 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, Beast of Reincarnation, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 32 more are announced, ×4.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $1.1k, ×0.7 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $540; 1 in 20 cleared $7.5M, ×5031 the market median. Momentum is unreadable here, too few recent games; 32 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 0.7 times the market baseline, revenue too few recent games to read momentum, 32 announced, ×4.6 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Action RPG + Dogs
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 7
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $7.0k → $479 → $1.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Action RPG + Dogs: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 7
Bottom 30% $540 (exactly $540)
Median $1.1k (exactly $1,079)
Top 25% $4.5k (exactly $4,496)
Top 5% $7.5M (exactly $7,537,144)
Developers, 2 yr 7
Released games 38
Announced 32
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $6.00

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 too few recent games to read momentum, supply 600% more developers than 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Action RPG
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
Dogs
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high 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
Price point
$6.00 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

Fewer than 10 games in the last 2 years; sentiment and price figures use the all window.

The top 25% priced at $49.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 39,686 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 $4.4k, 1 in 20 over $7.5M.

3 in 10 developers made under $540. 32 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.6 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

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name older $49.99 9,118 95% 274k $14M (exactly $13,674,265) RGG Studio
Beast of Reincarnation $59.99 4,188 56% 126k $7.5M (exactly $7,537,144) GAME FREAK inc.
Okami HD older $19.99 8,226 92% 247k $4.9M (exactly $4,933,132) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Carnal Instinct · EA older $29.99 5,407 82% 162k $4.9M (exactly $4,864,678) Team Carnal Instinct
Cat Quest II older $14.99 5,850 95% 176k $2.6M (exactly $2,630,745) The Gentlebros
FATE older $7.99 4,092 95% 123k $981k (exactly $980,852) WildTangent
METAL MAX Xeno Reborn older $39.99 444 65% 13k $533k (exactly $532,667) 24Frame,inc.
METAL DOGS older $19.99 766 81% 23k $459k (exactly $459,370) 24Frame,inc.
POPGOES Arcade older $4.99 1,455 96% 44k $218k (exactly $217,814) Kane Carter
DEEP FOG · EA older $14.99 140 70% 4.2k $63k (exactly $62,958) Devil Beetle Games
Donna: The Canine Quest $9.99 15 100% 450 $4.5k (exactly $4,496) RAZE GAMES
King Charles: Rise of the Alpha · EA $4.99 13 100% 390 $1.9k (exactly $1,946) DodoModo, BoppoLoppo
Donna Survivors $2.99 16 87% 480 $1.4k (exactly $1,435) RAZE GAMES
Yellow Trouble $17.99 2 100% 60 $1.1k (exactly $1,079) DrearyWeary
BARKO $6.00 3 100% 90 $540 (exactly $540) Federico Giarratano
Chrono Stranded $3.99 4 75% 120 $479 (exactly $479) Moonzen Digital (Indie Games)
The Cute the Baldy and the Fluffy $6.99 2 100% 60 $419 (exactly $419) lightUP
Milo's Dream $5.99 2 100% 60 $359 (exactly $359) lightUP

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