Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Fantasy

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Fantasy Asynchronous Multiplayer game?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Fantasy

Of 50 developers who shipped a Fantasy Asynchronous Multiplayer 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.. 102 more are announced, ×3.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $2.3k, ×3.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $360; 1 in 20 cleared $900k, ×1443 the market median. Revenue is up 105% on the market; 102 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 3.6 times the market baseline, revenue up 105% on the market, 102 announced, ×3.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Fantasy
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 50
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $18k → $179 → $1.2k → $899 → $56k → $2.9k (still earning) → $1.2k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Fantasy: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 50
Bottom 30% $359 (exactly $359)
Median $2.3k (exactly $2,274)
Top 25% $53k (exactly $53,347)
Top 5% $906k (exactly $906,293)
Developers, 2 yr 50
Released games 122
Announced 102
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
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 105% on the market, supply 65% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 30%, 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
Fantasy
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 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; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Card Battler, PvP, Roguelike
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Colorful, 2D, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 83% positive over 42,073 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $360, median $2.3k, 1 in 4 over $53k, 1 in 20 over $900k.

3 in 10 developers made under $360. 7 in 10 of the 26 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 102 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.3 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Asynchronous Multiplayer with a different setting or mood, 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 Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith 2017 · $2.3M Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator 2024 · $2.3M Conquest of Elysium 5 2021 · $1.7M
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
Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith older $39.99 1,924 94% 58k $2.3M (exactly $2,308,223) Illwinter Game Design
Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator older $44.99 1,686 90% 51k $2.3M (exactly $2,275,594) Illwinter Game Design
Conquest of Elysium 5 older $29.99 1,872 90% 56k $1.7M (exactly $1,684,238) Illwinter Game Design
Oaken Tower · EA $9.99 3,024 89% 91k $906k (exactly $906,293) Bocary Studios
Dwarven Realms $9.99 2,850 81% 86k $854k (exactly $854,145) Crater Studios
Demon Tides $24.99 831 96% 25k $623k (exactly $623,001) Fabraz
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island $39.99 470 85% 14k $564k (exactly $563,859) Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
D&D Lords of Waterdeep older $9.99 1,543 93% 46k $462k (exactly $462,437) Playdek, Inc.
Turnbound $14.99 446 78% 13k $201k (exactly $200,566) 1TK
Grail $9.99 345 89% 10k $103k (exactly $103,396) Sokpop Collective
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

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