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Should I ship an AI Level Editor game?
Level Editor + Artificial Intelligence
Of 20 developers who shipped an AI Level Editor 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.. 39 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $5.7k, ×9.1 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $2.7k; 1 in 20 cleared $160k, ×270 the market median. Revenue is up 460% on the market; 39 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $2.6k (exactly $2,637) |
|---|---|
| Median | $5.7k (exactly $5,694) |
| Top 25% | $55k (exactly $55,186) |
| Top 5% | $170k (exactly $169,715) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 20 |
| Released games | 64 |
| Announced | 39 |
| Effort | 5 / 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 460% on the market, supply 200% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 16%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Level Editor
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
- Artificial Intelligence
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Level Editor; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Adventure, Choices Matter
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $29.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, 2D, Dialogue Heavy
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $29.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 76% positive over 1,289 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $2.7k. 8 in 10 of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 39 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Level Editor with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Multiple EndingsFair
- + Hidden ObjectFair
- + CollectathonFair
- + Time AttackFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Score AttackFair
- + AutomationLong shot
- + TransportationPoor odds
- + TrainsPoor odds
- + MilitaryPoor odds
- + City BuilderPoor odds
- + Online Co-OpPoor odds
Comparable games
VTOL VR 2017 · $18M 
Nuclear Option 2023 · EA · $6.2M 
Ages of Conflict: World War Simulator 2023 · EA · $1.9M 
AO Tennis 2 2020 · $1.9M 
Fantasy Map Simulator 2024 · EA · $1.0M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | VTOL VR | older | $29.99 | 19,885 98% | 597k | $18M (exactly $17,890,534) | Boundless Dynamics, LLC |
| | Nuclear Option | · EA older | $19.99 | 10,275 95% | 308k | $6.2M (exactly $6,161,917) | Shockfront Studios |
| | Ages of Conflict: World War Simulator | · EA older | $6.99 | 8,904 96% | 267k | $1.9M (exactly $1,867,169) | JoySpark Games |
| | AO Tennis 2 | older | $49.99 | 1,236 70% | 37k | $1.9M (exactly $1,853,629) | Big Ant Studios |
| | Fantasy Map Simulator | · EA older | $7.99 | 4,190 89% | 126k | $1.0M (exactly $1,004,343) | The Stranger |
 | Vaudeville | $19.99 | 283 48% | 8.5k | $170k (exactly $169,715) | Bumblebee Studios | |
 | Pro Basketball Manager 2026 | $29.99 | 121 69% | 3.6k | $109k (exactly $108,864) | Umix Studios | |
 | Suck Up! | $16.99 | 205 62% | 6.2k | $104k (exactly $104,488) | Proxima | |
 | Laptop Tycoon | older | $7.99 | 400 74% | 12k | $96k (exactly $95,880) | Roastery Games |
 | Beat Aim - Rhythm FPS Trainer | · EA older | $14.99 | 210 89% | 6.3k | $94k (exactly $94,437) | Kamyker |
 | The Bibites: Digital Life | · EA | $9.99 | 218 96% | 6.5k | $65k (exactly $65,335) | Omnia Studios |
 | Tennis Manager 26 | $39.99 | 46 73% | 1.4k | $55k (exactly $55,186) | Rebound | |
 | AI Learns To Drive | $7.49 | 208 95% | 6.2k | $47k (exactly $46,738) | ActivationFunction | |
 | Dub Together | $4.99 | 137 95% | 4.1k | $21k (exactly $20,509) | BNNI Games | |
 | Delta Manager | · EA | $12.99 | 28 92% | 840 | $11k (exactly $10,912) | Fassi Blue |
 | SkillWarz | · EA | $9.99 | 24 95% | 720 | $7.2k (exactly $7,193) | Baltverge Games |
 | Battle Architect: Dalasito | · EA | $9.99 | 19 52% | 570 | $5.7k (exactly $5,694) | Dalas |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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