Do I ship it?

GamesFPSFPS + Automation

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Automation FPS?

FPS + Automation

Only 14 developers shipped an Automation FPS 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, Schedule I, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 40 more are announced, ×4.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $3.8k, ×2.5 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $1.8k; 1 in 20 cleared $170M, ×115672 the market median. Revenue is up 995% on the market; 40 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.5 times the market baseline, revenue up 995% on the market, 40 announced, ×4.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
FPS + Automation
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: $129k → $1.1k → $16k → $6.6k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for FPS + Automation: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 14
Bottom 30% $1.8k (exactly $1,796)
Median $3.8k (exactly $3,776)
Top 25% $14k (exactly $13,526)
Top 5% $173M (exactly $173,276,718)
Developers, 2 yr 14
Released games 31
Announced 40
Effort 7 / 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 995% on the market, supply 80% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 10%, 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.

FPS
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
Automation
effort 6 / 10 · medium · effort 6 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
FPS, Automation; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Driving, Economy
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Cute, First-Person
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 97% positive over 289,582 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $1.8k, median $3.8k, 1 in 4 over $13k, 1 in 20 over $170M.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.8k. 7 in 10 of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 40 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

FPS with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + LGBTQ+Fair28 devs · median $32k · 22 announced
  2. + Dating SimFair47 devs · median $19k · 36 announced
  3. + IdlerFair22 devs · median $4.2k · 23 announced
  4. + GamblingFair24 devs · median $4.1k · 22 announced
  5. + FaithFair14 devs · median $1.9k · 12 announced
  6. + Precision PlatformerFair37 devs · median $1.6k · 38 announced
  7. + Martial ArtsFair13 devs · median $1.4k · 12 announced
  8. + Walking SimulatorFair172 devs · median $1.2k · 190 announced
  9. + RunnerLong shot39 devs · median $958 · 43 announced
  10. + Action RTSLong shot16 devs · median $899 · 21 announced
  11. + Bullet HellLong shot130 devs · median $629 · 145 announced
  12. + DogsLong shot6 devs · median $594 · 7 announced

All 216 pairs on the FPS page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Schedule I · EA $19.99 288,939 97% 8.7M $173M (exactly $173,276,718) TVGS
Outpost: Infinity Siege older $24.99 11,636 65% 349k $8.7M (exactly $8,723,509) Team Ranger
Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency older $14.99 460 81% 14k $207k (exactly $206,862) Neat Corporation, Fast Travel Games
[ECHOSTASIS] older $19.99 215 90% 6.5k $129k (exactly $128,935) ENIGMA STUDIO
Pumping Simulator older $4.99 479 71% 14k $72k (exactly $71,706) Lance Games
Business Simulator 2026 · EA $11.99 178 74% 5.3k $64k (exactly $64,027) HOGO Games
Your Second Wife $3.99 135 84% 4.1k $16k (exactly $16,160) Kygua Tech
Farming Incremental But With Guns $3.99 113 88% 3.4k $14k (exactly $13,526) Clementine Wolf Games
Paperwork $3.99 92 95% 2.8k $11k (exactly $11,012) Broken Record Studio
Dungeon Market Simulator $9.99 22 40% 660 $6.6k (exactly $6,593) DarkRook Interactive
Mafia Life Simulator · EA $8.99 14 64% 420 $3.8k (exactly $3,776) CSN Games
Digital Market Simulator $4.99 16 56% 480 $2.4k (exactly $2,395) Xeirel Software
NEON $0.99 61 37% 1.8k $1.8k (exactly $1,812) Logna Blue
Junkcity Factory Simulator $4.99 12 66% 360 $1.8k (exactly $1,796) Simnetic Game

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