Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Idler

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Asynchronous Multiplayer Idler?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Idler

Only 14 developers shipped a paid Asynchronous Multiplayer Idler 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, Wretch: Divine Ascent, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 4 in 10 of the games here are free to play and sit outside these figures. 36 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 $3.0k, ×4.7 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $810; 1 in 20 cleared $430k, ×698 the market median. Revenue is up 475% on the market; 36 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 4.7 times the market baseline, revenue up 475% on the market, 36 announced, ×3.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Idler
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 14
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.7k → $6.3k (still earning) → $201 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Idler: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 14
Bottom 30% $807 (exactly $807)
Median $3.0k (exactly $2,967)
Top 25% $17k (exactly $17,365)
Top 5% $438k (exactly $438,458)
Developers, 2 yr 14
Released games 34
Announced 36
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $4.99

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 475% on the market, supply 265% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 41%, 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
Idler
effort 1 / 10 · high · number growth curves and a UI

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Asynchronous Multiplayer, Idler; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Online Co-Op, PvP, Strategy
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 77% positive over 1,732 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $810, median $3.0k, 1 in 4 over $17k, 1 in 20 over $430k.

3 in 10 developers made under $810. 7 in 10 of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 36 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.3 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

Wretch: Divine Ascent 2025 · $438k Eggo 2026 · $56k Riftborne 2026 · EA · $26k Rune Legacy Idle 2025 · $17k Don't Touch the Snail 2026 · $6.3k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Wretch: Divine Ascent $14.99 975 75% 29k $438k (exactly $438,458) Ogopogo
Eggo $5.99 310 83% 9.3k $56k (exactly $55,707) 天赋一饼 Meme Crepe
Riftborne · EA $7.99 108 91% 3.2k $26k (exactly $25,888) Pitio Productions
Rune Legacy Idle $4.99 116 55% 3.5k $17k (exactly $17,365) Mume Games
Don't Touch the Snail $1.49 140 87% 4.2k $6.3k (exactly $6,258) PlasticBagHandMan
The Great Couturier older $9.99 19 63% 570 $5.7k (exactly $5,694) Challenging Games
Idle Inferno $5.99 30 60% 900 $5.4k (exactly $5,391) TUNA TUN
TIS - True Idle Simulator older $2.99 60 86% 1.8k $5.4k (exactly $5,382) PhantomHeadache
Blêktre 2081 $8.99 11 100% 330 $3.0k (exactly $2,967) Charles Torris
Astaryn: RPG Idler $3.99 19 63% 570 $2.3k (exactly $2,274) Karl Eriksson
Smithy Wars older $3.99 19 68% 570 $2.3k (exactly $2,274) Bigboot Studios
Strange Shores: Social Desktop Fishing $3.99 14 92% 420 $1.7k (exactly $1,676) Banana Jam Games
Epic Idle Quest II $2.99 9 66% 270 $807 (exactly $807) PynkPanther

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