Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Combat

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Asynchronous Multiplayer Combat game?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Combat

Of 36 developers who shipped an Asynchronous Multiplayer Combat 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.. 93 more are announced, ×4.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $13k, ×21 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $600; 1 in 20 cleared $8.5M, ×13558 the market median. Revenue is down 85% on the market; 93 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 20.5 times the market baseline, revenue down 85% on the market, 93 announced, ×4.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Combat
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 36
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $77k → $599 → $628 → $55k → $31k → $6.3k (still earning) → $779 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Combat: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 36
Bottom 30% $599 (exactly $599)
Median $13k (exactly $12,874)
Top 25% $62k (exactly $62,369)
Top 5% $8.5M (exactly $8,514,170)
Developers, 2 yr 36
Released games 90
Announced 93
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $14.99

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 85% on the market, supply 40% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 34%, 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Asynchronous Multiplayer
effort 5 / 10 · low · a backend with accounts and persistent turns
Combat
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Asynchronous Multiplayer, Combat; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Auto Battler, PvP
Price point
$14.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Colorful, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

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

The top 10 games average 82% positive over 36,684 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $600, median $13k, 1 in 4 over $62k, 1 in 20 over $8.5M.

3 in 10 developers made under $600. 7 in 10 of the 22 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 93 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Asynchronous Multiplayer with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + Turn-BasedStrong odds13 devs · median $60k · 10 announced
  2. + Artificial IntelligenceStrong odds10 devs · median $25k · 12 announced
  3. + Immersive SimFair8 devs · median $17k · 10 announced
  4. + Board GameFair30 devs · median $6.7k · 33 announced
  5. + WarFair14 devs · median $6.0k · 20 announced
  6. + Turn-Based StrategyFair43 devs · median $3.6k · 54 announced
  7. + Strategy RPGFair8 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  8. + SpaceLong shot15 devs · median $299 · 18 announced
  9. + Tactical RPGPoor odds10 devs · median $63k · 16 announced
  10. + Inventory ManagementPoor odds21 devs · median $56k · 48 announced
  11. + AutomationPoor odds12 devs · median $56k · 18 announced
  12. + MedievalPoor odds13 devs · median $53k · 38 announced

All 76 pairs on the Asynchronous Multiplayer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

The Bazaar 2025 · $9.0M Backpack Battles 2025 · $8.5M Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector 2021 · $6.1M Meet Your Maker 2023 · $1.8M Down with the Ship 2026 · EA · $367k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
The Bazaar $19.99 14,931 70% 448k $9.0M (exactly $8,954,121) Tempo
Backpack Battles $14.99 18,933 91% 568k $8.5M (exactly $8,514,170) PlayWithFurcifer
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector older $39.99 5,064 88% 152k $6.1M (exactly $6,075,281) Slitherine Ltd.
Meet Your Maker older $19.99 3,013 73% 90k $1.8M (exactly $1,806,896) Behaviour Interactive Inc.
Down with the Ship · EA $14.99 817 93% 25k $367k (exactly $367,405) Iron Anchor Games
Territory: Farming and Warfare $14.99 738 84% 22k $332k (exactly $331,879) Wit Studio
Turnbound $14.99 446 78% 13k $201k (exactly $200,566) 1TK
Tiny Auto Knights $14.99 199 82% 6.0k $89k (exactly $89,490) Mumpitz Games
Barbaria older $19.99 129 93% 3.9k $77k (exactly $77,361) Stalwart Games, LLC
Water Margin Scrolls $9.99 244 40% 7.3k $73k (exactly $73,127) QingHe Games
Paper Animal Adventure · EA $14.99 139 95% 4.2k $63k (exactly $62,508) Cuddling Raccoons Studio
Yomi 2 $19.99 104 92% 3.1k $62k (exactly $62,369) Sirlin Games
Valefor $14.99 133 66% 4.0k $60k (exactly $59,810) Valefor Ltd

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