Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Horror

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Horror Asynchronous Multiplayer game?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Horror

Only 9 developers shipped a Horror Asynchronous Multiplayer game in the last 2 years, too few for firm odds: the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.; the top game by est. revenue, DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 22 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 $1.3k, ×2.0 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $240; 1 in 20 cleared $32M, ×51603 the market median. Revenue is up 8455% on the market; 22 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.0 times the market baseline, revenue up 8455% on the market, 22 announced, ×4.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Horror
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 9
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $476k → $449 → $21k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Horror: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 9
Bottom 30% $239 (exactly $239)
Median $1.3k (exactly $1,258)
Top 25% $21k (exactly $21,407)
Top 5% $32M (exactly $32,406,770)
Developers, 2 yr 9
Released games 28
Announced 22
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $5.99

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 8455% on the market, supply 25% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 18%, 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
Horror
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
Price point
$5.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

Fewer than 10 games in the last 2 years; sentiment and price figures use the all window.

The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 81% positive over 77,750 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $240, median $1.3k, 1 in 4 over $21k, 1 in 20 over $32M.

3 in 10 developers made under $240. 8 in 10 of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 22 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.4 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

DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH 2026 · $32M Halloween: The Game 2026 · $14M The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2023 · $8.9M The Past Within 2022 · $2.6M Solium Infernum 2024 · $1.9M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH $69.99 15,434 94% 463k $32M (exactly $32,406,770) KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, Nixxes Software
Halloween: The Game $39.99 11,868 68% 356k $14M (exactly $14,238,040) IllFonic
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre older $14.99 19,731 68% 592k $8.9M (exactly $8,873,031) Sumo Digital
The Past Within older $5.99 14,673 94% 440k $2.6M (exactly $2,636,738) Rusty Lake
Solium Infernum older $39.99 1,571 88% 47k $1.9M (exactly $1,884,729) League of Geeks
Tick Tock: A Tale for Two older $5.99 10,006 85% 300k $1.8M (exactly $1,798,078) Other Tales Interactive
We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip older $3.99 3,979 81% 119k $476k (exactly $476,286) Total Mayhem Games
Mass Exodus Redux older $6.99 280 72% 8.4k $59k (exactly $58,716) Altaire
GUILT: The Deathless · EA older $16.99 65 80% 2.0k $33k (exactly $33,130) Outer Brain Studios
Spider Roulette $4.99 143 91% 4.3k $21k (exactly $21,407) Kud
Don’t Turn Off the Light $6.99 10 70% 300 $2.1k (exactly $2,097) Halvrox L.L.C.
Shadows Are Alive · EA $6.99 6 66% 180 $1.3k (exactly $1,258) Futura Games
Twisted Logic: Abbotsfield $4.99 3 66% 90 $449 (exactly $449) Propulsion Games
Baratrum $3.99 2 100% 60 $239 (exactly $239) Clyde Smets
Maniac: Hunt or Be Hunted $2.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) vindiem
Ancient Maze $5.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) aro.

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