Games › Diplomacy › Diplomacy + Adventure
Should I ship an Adventure Diplomacy game?
Diplomacy + Adventure
Of 20 developers who shipped an Adventure Diplomacy game 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.. 53 more are announced, ×4.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 6 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.5k, ×2.4 the market's $630 for a 6 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $540; 1 in 20 cleared $2.2M, ×3615 the market median. Revenue is up 50% on the market; 53 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $538 (exactly $538) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.5k (exactly $1,498) |
| Top 25% | $19k (exactly $19,370) |
| Top 5% | $2.3M (exactly $2,270,092) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 20 |
| Released games | 67 |
| Announced | 53 |
| Effort | 6 / 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 50% on the market, supply 50% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 15%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Diplomacy, Adventure; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Strategy, Management
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 81% positive over 9,508 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $540. 8 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 53 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Diplomacy with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Visual NovelFair
- + Interactive FictionFair
- + Space SimLong shot
- + Open WorldPoor odds
- + Base BuildingPoor odds
- + PvPPoor odds
- + SandboxPoor odds
- + City BuilderPoor odds
- + SurvivalPoor odds
- + 4XPoor odds
- + HistoricalPoor odds
- + Alternate HistoryPoor odds
Comparable games
| Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | HighFleet | older | $29.99 | 7,024 88% | 211k | $6.3M (exactly $6,319,493) | Konstantin Koshutin |
| | Eastern Era | $24.99 | 3,028 65% | 91k | $2.3M (exactly $2,270,092) | FunYoo Games | |
| | House of Legacy | · EA | $14.99 | 3,269 84% | 98k | $1.5M (exactly $1,470,069) | S3 Studio |
| | Renowned Explorers: International Society | older | $19.99 | 2,307 91% | 69k | $1.4M (exactly $1,383,508) | Abbey Games |
| | Politics The Game | $9.99 | 2,526 95% | 76k | $757k (exactly $757,042) | Simplicity Games | |
| | Star Dynasties | older | $30.99 | 421 70% | 13k | $391k (exactly $391,404) | Pawley Games |
| | Pax Nova | older | $24.99 | 397 53% | 12k | $298k (exactly $297,631) | Grey Wolf Entertainment |
| | Cosmonautica | older | $9.99 | 948 48% | 28k | $284k (exactly $284,116) | Chasing Carrots |
| | Rise of Piracy | · EA | $15.99 | 520 77% | 16k | $249k (exactly $249,444) | IrishJohnGames |
| | Ambition: A Minuet in Power | older | $20.99 | 334 85% | 10k | $210k (exactly $210,320) | Joy Manufacturing Co. |
| | Your Crown Is Mine | $18.99 | 34 82% | 1.0k | $19k (exactly $19,370) | Lyyycaena | |
| | Irbet Tong | $6.99 | 56 100% | 1.7k | $12k (exactly $11,743) | Kyhynngy Oyuur | |
| | CODE: PANDORA 2 | $9.99 | 35 74% | 1.1k | $10k (exactly $10,490) | Towndarktales | |
| | Donutal | $9.99 | 30 93% | 900 | $9.0k (exactly $8,991) | Arc System Works | |
| | Alexandria IV | $11.99 | 5 80% | 150 | $1.8k (exactly $1,798) | J. M. Beraldo, Time Galleon | |
| | Space Trader Corps | $9.99 | 5 100% | 150 | $1.5k (exactly $1,498) | D Squires |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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