Do I ship it?

GamesAutomobile SimAutomobile Sim + Transportation

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Transportation Automobile Sim?

Automobile Sim + Transportation

Of 59 developers who shipped a Transportation Automobile Sim 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.. 91 more are announced, ×2.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $8.1k, ×5.4 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $1.8k; 1 in 20 cleared $8.3M, ×5588 the market median. Revenue is up 295% on the market; 91 games are announced against 32 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 5.4 times the market baseline, revenue up 295% on the market, 91 announced, ×2.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Automobile Sim + Transportation
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 59
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $17k → $7.2k → $5.1k → $1.8k → $12k → $4.5k → $20k (still earning) → $13k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Automobile Sim + Transportation: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 59
Bottom 30% $1.8k (exactly $1,796)
Median $8.1k (exactly $8,095)
Top 25% $135k (exactly $134,910)
Top 5% $8.4M (exactly $8,370,716)
Developers, 2 yr 59
Released games 170
Announced 91
Effort 7 / 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 295% on the market, supply as many developers as the period before.

Free games: 6%, 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
Transportation
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 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
Automobile Sim, Transportation; 9 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Immersive Sim, Driving
Price point
$11.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
Art
7 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Realistic, First-Person, Relaxing
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $11.99.

The top 10 games average 83% positive over 57,868 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 $8.1k, 1 in 4 over $130k, 1 in 20 over $8.3M.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.8k. 7 in 10 of the 33 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 91 games are announced against 32 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.8 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
Euro Truck Simulator 2 older $19.99 756,984 97% 23M $454M (exactly $453,963,305) SCS Software
American Truck Simulator older $19.99 165,692 97% 5.0M $99M (exactly $99,365,492) SCS Software
Forza Motorsport older $69.99 12,148 51% 364k $26M (exactly $25,507,156) Turn 10
RoadCraft $39.99 13,527 74% 406k $16M (exactly $16,228,342) Saber Interactive
The Bus $39.99 7,831 73% 235k $9.4M (exactly $9,394,851) TML-Studios
My Winter Car · EA $14.99 18,614 94% 558k $8.4M (exactly $8,370,716) Amistech Games
Construction Simulator older $24.99 10,606 82% 318k $8.0M (exactly $7,951,318) weltenbauer. Software Entwicklung GmbH
OMSI 2: Steam Edition older $29.99 8,586 84% 258k $7.7M (exactly $7,724,824) MR-Software GbR
SimRail - The Railway Simulator $34.99 5,307 85% 159k $5.6M (exactly $5,570,758) SimRail S.A.
Motor Town: Behind The Wheel · EA older $19.99 8,971 93% 269k $5.4M (exactly $5,379,909) P3 Games
Train Sim World® 6 $49.99 2,485 78% 75k $3.7M (exactly $3,726,754) Dovetail Games
Train Sim World® 5 $39.99 3,028 80% 91k $3.6M (exactly $3,632,692) Dovetail Games
Cheap Car Repair $19.69 3,603 91% 108k $2.1M (exactly $2,128,292) Little Dog Games
RUNNING TRAIN | 走ル列車! · EA $19.99 1,594 97% 48k $956k (exactly $955,922) Novatetsu Games
Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator $29.99 993 50% 30k $893k (exactly $893,402) Aesir Interactive
Bus Bound $29.99 886 72% 27k $797k (exactly $797,134) stillalive studios

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