Games › Deckbuilding › Deckbuilding + Artificial Intelligence
Should I ship an AI Deckbuilding?
Deckbuilding + Artificial Intelligence
Of 24 developers who shipped an AI Deckbuilding 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.. 37 more are announced, ×2.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.5k, ×5.3 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $360; 1 in 20 cleared $23M, ×49420 the market median. Revenue is up 440% on the market; 37 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $359 (exactly $359) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.5k (exactly $2,516) |
| Top 25% | $79k (exactly $78,523) |
| Top 5% | $23M (exactly $23,474,646) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 24 |
| Released games | 48 |
| Announced | 37 |
| Effort | 3 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | High |
| 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 440% on the market, supply 145% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 27%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is high: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Deckbuilding
- effort 3 / 10 · high · card pools and run logic
- Artificial Intelligence
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
- Systems
- Deckbuilding; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, PvP, RPG
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $49.99 or above
- Art
- 3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 3D, Anime
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $49.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 66% positive over 39,171 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $360. 7 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 37 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.2 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Deckbuilding with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + AutomationFair
- + Inventory ManagementFair
- + ArcadeFair
- + 2D FighterFair
- + Party GameFair
- + SwordplayFair
- + Point & ClickFair
- + Traditional RoguelikeFair
- + LogicFair
- + LovecraftianPoor odds
- + Dating SimPoor odds
- + Visual NovelPoor odds
Comparable games
Broken Arrow 2025 · $39M 
INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road 2025 · $23M 
Moonbreaker 2024 · $1.2M 
Backpack Jianghu 2026 · $237k 
Feed the Scorchpot 2026 · $167k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Broken Arrow | $49.99 | 25,924 55% | 778k | $39M (exactly $38,878,223) | Steel Balalaika | |
| | INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road | $69.99 | 11,180 88% | 335k | $23M (exactly $23,474,646) | LEVEL5 Inc. | |
| | Moonbreaker | older | $29.99 | 1,289 84% | 39k | $1.2M (exactly $1,159,713) | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
| | Backpack Jianghu | $13.99 | 565 80% | 17k | $237k (exactly $237,130) | 背包工作室 | |
| | Feed the Scorchpot | $14.99 | 371 87% | 11k | $167k (exactly $166,839) | Moravian | |
 | Lythia: Sigil of Lust | $24.99 | 109 75% | 3.3k | $82k (exactly $81,717) | capture 1 | |
 | Backpack Dungeon | $3.99 | 656 87% | 20k | $79k (exactly $78,523) | 夜喵 | |
 | Super Cabbage Kabumi | $14.99 | 125 67% | 3.8k | $56k (exactly $56,212) | Vividesca Games | |
 | 大宋英雄传(SongHeros) | · EA | $9.99 | 161 79% | 4.8k | $48k (exactly $48,252) | LazyManGameStudio |
 | Football Rising:Zero to Hero | $14.99 | 54 90% | 1.6k | $24k (exactly $24,284) | Den Spade | |
 | Futa Succubus Slay! | $12.99 | 26 65% | 780 | $10k (exactly $10,132) | Npolish |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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