Do I ship it?

Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Strategy

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Asynchronous Multiplayer Strategy game?

Asynchronous Multiplayer + Strategy

Of 111 developers who shipped an Asynchronous Multiplayer Strategy 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.. 206 more are announced, ×2.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $4.5k, ×7.2 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $450; 1 in 20 cleared $430k, ×698 the market median. Revenue is up 85% on the market; 206 games are announced against 77 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 7.2 times the market baseline, revenue up 85% on the market, 206 announced, ×2.7 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Strategy
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 111
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $187k → $300 → $1.9k → $1.2k → $1.6k → $25k → $6.3k (still earning) → $1.3k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Asynchronous Multiplayer + Strategy: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 111
Bottom 30% $449 (exactly $449)
Median $4.5k (exactly $4,491)
Top 25% $56k (exactly $55,763)
Top 5% $438k (exactly $438,458)
Developers, 2 yr 111
Released games 315
Announced 206
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 85% on the market, supply 120% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 27%, 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
Strategy
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, Strategy; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry PvP, Auto Battler, Card Battler
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Colorful
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 78% positive over 65,739 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $450, median $4.5k, 1 in 4 over $55k, 1 in 20 over $430k.

3 in 10 developers made under $450. 8 in 10 of the 58 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 206 games are announced against 77 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.7 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

Planet Coaster 2 2024 · $20M Halloween: The Game 2026 · $14M The Bazaar 2025 · $9.0M The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2023 · $8.9M Backpack Battles 2025 · $8.5M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Planet Coaster 2 $49.99 13,047 74% 391k $20M (exactly $19,566,586) Frontier Developments
Halloween: The Game $39.99 11,868 68% 356k $14M (exactly $14,238,040) IllFonic
The Bazaar $19.99 14,931 70% 448k $9.0M (exactly $8,954,121) Tempo
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre older $14.99 19,731 68% 592k $8.9M (exactly $8,873,031) Sumo Digital
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.
Turmoil older $12.99 13,154 92% 395k $5.1M (exactly $5,126,114) Gamious
Axis & Allies 1942 Online older $19.99 4,810 78% 144k $2.9M (exactly $2,884,557) Beamdog
Deceive Inc. older $19.99 4,755 84% 143k $2.9M (exactly $2,851,574) Sweet Bandits Studios
Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith older $39.99 1,924 94% 58k $2.3M (exactly $2,308,223) Illwinter Game Design
Oaken Tower · EA $9.99 3,024 89% 91k $906k (exactly $906,293) Bocary Studios
Ark Nova $22.99 825 94% 25k $569k (exactly $569,002) Dire Wolf
Wretch: Divine Ascent $14.99 975 75% 29k $438k (exactly $438,458) Ogopogo
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
The Conquest of Go $14.99 581 94% 17k $261k (exactly $261,276) Wolfey Studios

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