Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Roguelite

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Asynchronous Multiplayer Roguelite?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Roguelite

Of 40 developers who shipped an Asynchronous Multiplayer Roguelite 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.. 64 more are announced, ×2.1 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $2.9k, ×4.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $420; 1 in 20 cleared $360k, ×585 the market median. Revenue is down 50% on the market; 64 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 4.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 50% on the market, 64 announced, ×2.1 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Roguelite
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 40
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.6k → $899 (still earning) → $2.9k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Roguelite: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 40
Bottom 30% $419 (exactly $419)
Median $2.9k (exactly $2,876)
Top 25% $56k (exactly $55,744)
Top 5% $367k (exactly $367,405)
Developers, 2 yr 40
Released games 57
Announced 64
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 down 50% on the market, supply 245% 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
Roguelite
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Asynchronous Multiplayer, Roguelite; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry PvP, Strategy, Auto Battler
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Colorful, Anime
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 82% positive over 6,916 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $420, median $2.9k, 1 in 4 over $55k, 1 in 20 over $360k.

3 in 10 developers made under $420. 8 in 10 of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 64 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.1 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

Despot's Game: Dystopian Battle Simulator 2022 · $1.7M Conquest of Elysium 5 2021 · $1.7M Dwarven Realms 2024 · $854k Down with the Ship 2026 · EA · $367k Backpack Jianghu 2026 · $237k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Despot's Game: Dystopian Battle Simulator older $19.99 2,878 83% 86k $1.7M (exactly $1,725,937) Konfa Games
Conquest of Elysium 5 older $29.99 1,872 90% 56k $1.7M (exactly $1,684,238) Illwinter Game Design
Dwarven Realms $9.99 2,850 81% 86k $854k (exactly $854,145) Crater Studios
Down with the Ship · EA $14.99 817 93% 25k $367k (exactly $367,405) Iron Anchor Games
Backpack Jianghu $13.99 565 80% 17k $237k (exactly $237,130) 背包工作室
Toy Smash Kaboom! $13.99 550 84% 17k $231k (exactly $230,835) Free Particle
Monster Battles $14.99 459 74% 14k $206k (exactly $206,412) Fourteen
Apokerlypse $9.99 612 81% 18k $183k (exactly $183,416) Breaker Games
Grail $9.99 345 89% 10k $103k (exactly $103,396) Sokpop Collective
Three Kingdoms:BOND · EA $7.49 408 83% 12k $92k (exactly $91,678) Get Wrapped Up Inc.
Lunchbreak Tactics $14.99 124 76% 3.7k $56k (exactly $55,763) Borealys Games
Stash: A Card Looter $9.99 186 79% 5.6k $56k (exactly $55,744) WheeGaming

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