Do I ship it?

GamesBullet HellBullet Hell + Science

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Science Bullet Hell?

Bullet Hell + Science

Only 18 developers shipped a Science Bullet Hell 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, Genome Guardian 2, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 28 more are announced, ×2.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $360 in the last 2 years and $360 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 11 developers shipped in the last year and 28 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.8 times the market baseline, revenue up 20% on the market, 28 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Bullet Hell + Science
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 18
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $599 → $239 → $718 → $8.1k → $239 (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Bullet Hell + Science: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 18
Bottom 30% $30 (exactly $30)
Median $360 (exactly $360)
Top 25% $4.7k (exactly $4,676)
Top 5% $197k (exactly $196,677)
Developers, 2 yr 18
Released games 53
Announced 28
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 up 20% on the market, supply 55% more developers than 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Bullet Hell
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Science
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Bullet Hell; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Arena Shooter, Bullet Heaven
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $15.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Fast-Paced, 2D
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 90% positive over 650 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $360, 1 in 4 over $4.6k, 1 in 20 over $190k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. All of the 8 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 28 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Bullet Hell with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + SuperheroStrong odds11 devs · median $3.4k · 7 announced
  2. + FaithFair26 devs · median $17k · 29 announced
  3. + VampiresFair43 devs · median $3.4k · 33 announced
  4. + Creature CollectorFair24 devs · median $3.4k · 33 announced
  5. + Strategy RPGFair40 devs · median $2.0k · 31 announced
  6. + PiratesFair14 devs · median $2.0k · 20 announced
  7. + CatsFair44 devs · median $1.7k · 59 announced
  8. + HackingFair15 devs · median $1.6k · 17 announced
  9. + Time ManagementFair11 devs · median $1.2k · 15 announced
  10. + Card BattlerFair24 devs · median $1.2k · 22 announced
  11. + DemonsFair101 devs · median $1.2k · 125 announced
  12. + Naval CombatFair14 devs · median $1.1k · 16 announced

All 185 pairs on the Bullet Hell page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Genome Guardian older $11.99 711 92% 21k $256k (exactly $255,747) Alpherior
Genome Guardian 2 · EA $15.99 410 95% 12k $197k (exactly $196,677) Alpherior
Gem Defender: Soyjak Survivors older $3.99 1,045 94% 31k $125k (exactly $125,086) Coby Dox, Chudd Howard
Raiden Legacy - Steam Edition older $9.99 259 54% 7.8k $78k (exactly $77,622) Dotemu
ArmorSim · EA $18.99 77 57% 2.3k $44k (exactly $43,867) Timerlan Galimov
REPLIKATOR older $5.99 115 85% 3.5k $21k (exactly $20,666) R_Games
Survivor Cells older $9.99 37 78% 1.1k $11k (exactly $11,089) YAW Studios
ROCKETRON older $5.99 60 86% 1.8k $11k (exactly $10,782) ASTRO PORT
Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES older $9.99 35 100% 1.1k $10k (exactly $10,490) ASTRO PORT
Super reaKtor $4.99 55 100% 1.7k $8.2k (exactly $8,234) SuperSAZ Studio
Brotherhood $9.99 27 96% 810 $8.1k (exactly $8,092) FatCatGames
Virus Rush + Hazard of the Ages $11.99 13 100% 390 $4.7k (exactly $4,676) STRANGER
Hotloop $2.99 47 85% 1.4k $4.2k (exactly $4,216) Tntlaxy GDS
CRT: Corner Right There! $2.99 11 100% 330 $987 (exactly $987) Benevolent Banana Studio
Legend of the Moon 2 $2.99 8 87% 240 $718 (exactly $718) GozipGame
Evoscape $11.99 1 100% 30 $360 (exactly $360) Magic Mill
Accurate Adjacent Ballistics Simulator $9.99 1 0% 30 $300 (exactly $300) MagusForge

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