Games › Asynchronous Multiplayer › Asynchronous Multiplayer + Tabletop
Should I ship an Asynchronous Multiplayer Tabletop game?
Asynchronous Multiplayer + Tabletop
Of 25 developers who shipped an Asynchronous Multiplayer Tabletop 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.. 35 more are announced, ×2.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $600, level with the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $210; 1 in 20 cleared $260k, ×416 the market median. Revenue is up 1695% on the market; 35 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $210 (exactly $210) |
|---|---|
| Median | $600 (exactly $600) |
| Top 25% | $29k (exactly $29,385) |
| Top 5% | $261k (exactly $261,276) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 25 |
| Released games | 83 |
| Announced | 35 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $11.99 |
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 1695% on the market, supply 50% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 11%, excluded from money figures.
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
- Tabletop
- effort 2 / 10 · high · effort 2 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Asynchronous Multiplayer, Tabletop; 9 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Board Game, PvP
- Price point
- $11.99 typical · top 25% priced $22.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Top-Down
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $22.99 or above; the middle game at $11.99.
The top 10 games average 90% positive over 2,498 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $210. 8 in 10 of the 12 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 35 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Asynchronous Multiplayer with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Turn-BasedStrong odds
- + Artificial IntelligenceStrong odds
- + Immersive SimFair
- + Board GameFair
- + WarFair
- + Turn-Based StrategyFair
- + Strategy RPGFair
- + SpaceLong shot
- + Tactical RPGPoor odds
- + Inventory ManagementPoor odds
- + AutomationPoor odds
- + MedievalPoor odds
Comparable games
| Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Axis & Allies 1942 Online | older | $19.99 | 4,810 78% | 144k | $2.9M (exactly $2,884,557) | Beamdog |
| | Root | older | $14.99 | 5,049 90% | 151k | $2.3M (exactly $2,270,535) | Dire Wolf |
| | Through the Ages | older | $15.99 | 2,188 90% | 66k | $1.0M (exactly $1,049,584) | CGE Digital |
| | Twilight Struggle | older | $9.99 | 2,568 86% | 77k | $770k (exactly $769,630) | Playdek, Inc. |
| | Field of Glory II | older | $29.99 | 705 87% | 21k | $634k (exactly $634,288) | Byzantine Games |
| | Ark Nova | $22.99 | 825 94% | 25k | $569k (exactly $569,002) | Dire Wolf | |
| | D&D Lords of Waterdeep | older | $9.99 | 1,543 93% | 46k | $462k (exactly $462,437) | Playdek, Inc. |
| | Ascension: Deckbuilding Game | older | $9.99 | 1,435 88% | 43k | $430k (exactly $430,070) | Playdek, Inc. |
| | Small World | older | $9.99 | 931 71% | 28k | $279k (exactly $279,021) | Days of Wonder |
| | The Conquest of Go | $14.99 | 581 94% | 17k | $261k (exactly $261,276) | Wolfey Studios | |
| | Toy Smash Kaboom! | $13.99 | 550 84% | 17k | $231k (exactly $230,835) | Free Particle | |
| | Cascadia | $14.99 | 210 98% | 6.3k | $94k (exactly $94,437) | Dire Wolf | |
| | Space Imperia 4X | $22.99 | 70 92% | 2.1k | $48k (exactly $48,279) | Breich Games | |
| | Eclipse - 2nd Dawn for the Galaxy | $12.99 | 95 57% | 2.9k | $37k (exactly $37,022) | BrettspielWelt GmbH | |
| | Barrage | $14.99 | 78 80% | 2.3k | $35k (exactly $35,077) | Cranio Lab | |
| | Nature Game System | $19.99 | 49 73% | 1.5k | $29k (exactly $29,385) | North Star Digital Games | |
| | Caverna | $19.99 | 21 71% | 630 | $13k (exactly $12,594) | DIGIDICED | |
| | Canvas - The Board Game | $14.99 | 19 89% | 570 | $8.5k (exactly $8,544) | Mipmap Digital |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
Your address goes to Buttondown, which sends the letter, and nowhere else. Every issue has an unsubscribe link. No tracking beyond the open count Buttondown keeps.