Do I ship it?

GamesDesktop CompanionDesktop Companion + Animals

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Animal Desktop Companion?

Desktop Companion + Animals

Of 22 developers who shipped an Animal Desktop Companion 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.. 38 more are announced.

Verdict: fair, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $5.6k, ×12 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, with 3 in 10 under $1.7k. Momentum is unreadable here, too few recent games; 38 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 11.7 times the market baseline, revenue too few recent games to read momentum, 38 announced, ×1.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Desktop Companion + Animals
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 22
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $19k → $3.3k (still earning) → $300 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Desktop Companion + Animals: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 22
Bottom 30% $1.7k (exactly $1,679)
Median $5.6k (exactly $5,571)
Top 25% $9.7k (exactly $9,730)
Top 5% $28k (exactly $27,651)
Developers, 2 yr 22
Released games 27
Announced 38
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $4.99

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 too few recent games to read momentum, supply 2000% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 15%, 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Desktop Companion
effort 1 / 10 · high · effort 1 sits in the high band
Animals
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Desktop Companion; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Idler, Simulation, Creature Collector
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $6.99 or above
Art
8 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Cute, Relaxing
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $6.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 90% positive over 955 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $1.7k, median $5.6k, 1 in 4 over $9.7k, 1 in 20 over $27k.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.7k. 38 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Desktop Companion with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + CatsPoor odds20 devs · median $21k · 35 announced
  2. + BuildingPoor odds27 devs · median $20k · 28 announced
  3. + CollectathonPoor odds30 devs · median $6.6k · 45 announced
  4. + Point & ClickPoor odds29 devs · median $5.9k · 34 announced
  5. + Creature CollectorPoor odds63 devs · median $5.6k · 72 announced
  6. + ManagementPoor odds57 devs · median $5.6k · 75 announced
  7. + EconomyPoor odds32 devs · median $4.9k · 37 announced
  8. + RPGPoor odds21 devs · median $4.9k · 55 announced
  9. + Character CustomizationPoor odds44 devs · median $4.5k · 91 announced
  10. + Female ProtagonistPoor odds21 devs · median $4.5k · 24 announced
  11. + Resource ManagementPoor odds50 devs · median $3.7k · 81 announced
  12. + NaturePoor odds46 devs · median $3.7k · 36 announced

All 21 pairs on the Desktop Companion page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Plantera 2: Golden Acorn older $4.99 1,191 93% 36k $178k (exactly $178,293) VaragtP
Meow Palace: Forbidden City · EA $5.99 247 90% 7.4k $44k (exactly $44,386) 宫喵家族
Little Aviary $3.99 231 86% 6.9k $28k (exactly $27,651) atomco
BBY DON'T HURT ME · EA $8.99 69 73% 2.1k $19k (exactly $18,609) KITT DESIGNS LTD, Dare Looks
Push Push $4.99 111 97% 3.3k $17k (exactly $16,617) 1ceAgain
Petunia's Purgatory $6.99 69 98% 2.1k $14k (exactly $14,469) Dead Possum Games
Cafe Cafe: Idle Bird Collector $4.99 65 92% 2.0k $9.7k (exactly $9,730) CHONKSOFT
Cozy Mining $6.99 38 76% 1.1k $8.0k (exactly $7,969) tatsumaki games
Dino Market $4.99 51 94% 1.5k $7.6k (exactly $7,635) Fuz Games
Plump! Dumb Frog Pond $7.99 30 96% 900 $7.2k (exactly $7,191) FHNBHJ
Cozy Sanctuary $4.99 44 100% 1.3k $6.6k (exactly $6,587) OverPowered Team

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