Do I ship it?

GamesAutomobile SimAutomobile Sim + Puzzle

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Puzzle Automobile Sim?

Automobile Sim + Puzzle

Only 19 developers shipped a Puzzle Automobile Sim 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, Cheap Car Repair, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 23 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $1.5k, level with the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $90; 1 in 20 cleared $2.1M, ×1421 the market median. Revenue is down 55% on the market; 23 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.0 times the market baseline, revenue down 55% on the market, 23 announced, ×2.6 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Automobile Sim + Puzzle
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 19
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $18k → $1.8k → $1.1k → $1.5k → $449 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Automobile Sim + Puzzle: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 19
Bottom 30% $90 (exactly $90)
Median $1.5k (exactly $1,468)
Top 25% $1.9k (exactly $1,946)
Top 5% $2.1M (exactly $2,128,292)
Developers, 2 yr 19
Released games 67
Announced 23
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $5.99

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 55% on the market, supply 20% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 4%, 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.

Automobile Sim
effort 7 / 10 · low · tyre, suspension and drivetrain simulation
Puzzle
effort 2 / 10 · high · discrete rules, levels are data

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
Automobile Sim, Puzzle; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Driving, Physics
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $15.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Relaxing, 3D, Atmospheric
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $15.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 91% positive over 3,729 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $90, median $1.5k, 1 in 4 over $1.9k, 1 in 20 over $2.1M.

3 in 10 developers made under $90. All of the 13 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 23 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Split ScreenStrong odds25 devs · median $5.5k · 14 announced
  2. + Artificial IntelligenceFair19 devs · median $3.0k · 17 announced
  3. + ZombiesFair10 devs · median $2.1k · 8 announced
  4. + IdlerFair9 devs · median $1.6k · 14 announced
  5. + LogicFair20 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  6. + Multiple EndingsLong shot14 devs · median $1.0k · 12 announced
  7. + Score AttackLong shot38 devs · median $898 · 35 announced
  8. + ArcadeLong shot162 devs · median $774 · 180 announced
  9. + Co-opPoor odds46 devs · median $70k · 60 announced
  10. + Online Co-OpPoor odds40 devs · median $70k · 54 announced
  11. + AutomationPoor odds13 devs · median $35k · 19 announced
  12. + BuildingPoor odds44 devs · median $24k · 89 announced

All 92 pairs on the Automobile Sim page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 older $24.99 36,950 95% 1.1M $28M (exactly $27,701,415) Red Dot Games
Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 older $19.99 12,078 92% 362k $7.2M (exactly $7,243,177) Red Dot Games
Cheap Car Repair $19.69 3,603 91% 108k $2.1M (exactly $2,128,292) Little Dog Games
I am an Air Traffic Controller 4 older $59.99 566 79% 17k $1.0M (exactly $1,018,630) TechnoBrain
Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 older $6.99 4,042 82% 121k $848k (exactly $847,607) Red Dot Games
Workshop Simulator older $19.99 284 67% 8.5k $170k (exactly $170,315) INTERMARUM
Roundabout older $9.99 438 93% 13k $131k (exactly $131,269) No Goblin
SIMULACRA 3 older $9.99 328 56% 9.8k $98k (exactly $98,302) Kaigan Games
Sebil Engineering older $11.99 82 97% 2.5k $29k (exactly $29,495) FrogStore
Motorbike Garage Mechanic Simulator older $19.99 41 29% 1.2k $25k (exactly $24,588) ·
Parking in Tight Spaces $9.99 40 77% 1.2k $12k (exactly $11,988) Hungry Devs
Pocket and Zooom $15.99 16 75% 480 $7.7k (exactly $7,675) TechnoBrain
Truck Town: Kids and Toddlers Driving Game $14.99 9 77% 270 $4.0k (exactly $4,047) Crater Studios
WINCH IT OUT $4.99 13 84% 390 $1.9k (exactly $1,946) ARASLANIX
Human Parking Simulator $8.99 7 85% 210 $1.9k (exactly $1,888) NewAtlantisGameStudio
Arrive In Time $3.99 15 93% 450 $1.8k (exactly $1,796) Hade Games
Parcel Master $3.99 15 80% 450 $1.8k (exactly $1,796) Error 300
The next train is $12.99 4 75% 120 $1.6k (exactly $1,559) overload Games
PathUp! $6.99 7 85% 210 $1.5k (exactly $1,468) Geghamyan Hrachya

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