Do I ship it?

GamesPlatformerPlatformer + Animals

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Animal Platformer?

Platformer + Animals

Of 31 developers who shipped an Animal Platformer 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.. 73 more are announced, ×2.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $450, ×0.9 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $120; 1 in 20 cleared $28k, ×61 the market median. Revenue is down 95% on the market; 73 games are announced against 26 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 0.9 times the market baseline, revenue down 95% on the market, 73 announced, ×2.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Animals
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 31
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $8.7k → $3.8k → $2.4k (still earning) → $120 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Animals: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 31
Bottom 30% $120 (exactly $120)
Median $450 (exactly $450)
Top 25% $3.8k (exactly $3,830)
Top 5% $29k (exactly $28,776)
Developers, 2 yr 31
Released games 60
Announced 73
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 down 95% on the market, supply 420% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 8%, 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.

Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 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
Platformer; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry 2D Platformer, Adventure, Action
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Cute, Colorful, Pixel Graphics
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 478 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $120, median $450, 1 in 4 over $3.8k, 1 in 20 over $28k.

3 in 10 developers made under $120. 7 in 10 of the 6 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 73 games are announced against 26 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Dating SimStrong odds19 devs · median $3.0k · 15 announced
  2. + PinballStrong odds10 devs · median $2.5k · 6 announced
  3. + Combat RacingFair28 devs · median $899 · 38 announced
  4. + FMVFair9 devs · median $899 · 10 announced
  5. + SimulationFair281 devs · median $628 · 235 announced
  6. + Grid-Based MovementFair23 devs · median $539 · 18 announced
  7. + AutomationFair13 devs · median $449 · 16 announced
  8. + Turn-Based TacticsLong shot15 devs · median $360 · 18 announced
  9. + LGBTQ+Poor odds42 devs · median $7.2k · 90 announced
  10. + Co-op CampaignPoor odds32 devs · median $6.5k · 90 announced
  11. + JRPGPoor odds14 devs · median $5.8k · 38 announced
  12. + SkateboardingPoor odds14 devs · median $4.8k · 23 announced

All 206 pairs on the Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Spirit of the North older $19.99 5,633 84% 169k $3.4M (exactly $3,378,110) Infuse Studio
Owlboy older $19.99 3,679 85% 110k $2.2M (exactly $2,206,296) D-Pad Studio
Islets older $19.99 1,831 95% 55k $1.1M (exactly $1,098,051) Kyle Thompson
Seasons after Fall older $9.99 2,376 80% 71k $712k (exactly $712,087) Swing Swing Submarine
The Spirit and the Mouse older $19.99 801 97% 24k $480k (exactly $480,360) Alblune
The Purring Quest older $9.99 1,205 81% 36k $361k (exactly $361,138) Valhalla Cats
Toki Tori 2+ older $14.99 749 87% 22k $337k (exactly $336,825) Two Tribes
The Elephant Collection older $14.99 723 95% 22k $325k (exactly $325,133) Wonderful Elephant (jmtb02)
MARSUPILAMI - HOOBADVENTURE older $19.99 430 94% 13k $258k (exactly $257,871) Ocellus Studio
Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2 (2003 re-release) older $1.99 2,603 94% 78k $155k (exactly $155,399) Tate Multimedia
Only Way is Down $9.99 137 63% 4.1k $41k (exactly $41,059) Jilted Generation Productions
Dodo Duckie $11.99 80 98% 2.4k $29k (exactly $28,776) BornMonkie
Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia $24.99 28 100% 840 $21k (exactly $20,992) Ocellus Studio
Sunfluffs · EA $11.99 56 100% 1.7k $20k (exactly $20,143) Nuclear Strawberry
Atomic Owl $12.99 30 90% 900 $12k (exactly $11,691) Monster Theater
KIYO - Bunny Tyranny $14.99 23 100% 690 $10k (exactly $10,343) Pixel Rats
Horse Runner DX $4.99 58 91% 1.7k $8.7k (exactly $8,683) Mat Makes Games
Rise & Pop! $3.99 32 96% 960 $3.8k (exactly $3,830) HyperstasisGaming
BOMCAT $5.99 18 100% 540 $3.2k (exactly $3,235) TANZI GAMES
Hamstory $4.99 16 100% 480 $2.4k (exactly $2,395) Dotori Doguldan

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