Do I ship it?

GamesPuzzle PlatformerPuzzle Platformer + Capitalism

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Capitalist Puzzle Platformer?

Puzzle Platformer + Capitalism

Only 13 developers shipped a Capitalist Puzzle Platformer 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, Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 21 more are announced, ×4.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $540, ×1.1 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $59; 1 in 20 cleared $33k, ×71 the market median. Revenue is up 450% on the market; 21 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.1 times the market baseline, revenue up 450% on the market, 21 announced, ×4.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Puzzle Platformer + Capitalism
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 13
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $478 → $1.3k → $1.1k → $2.4k → $2.3k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Puzzle Platformer + Capitalism: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 13
Bottom 30% $59 (exactly $59)
Median $539 (exactly $539)
Top 25% $2.4k (exactly $2,399)
Top 5% $34k (exactly $33,866)
Developers, 2 yr 13
Released games 35
Announced 21
Effort 4 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $9.99

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 450% on the market, supply 45% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 11%, 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Puzzle Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Capitalism
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
Systems
Puzzle Platformer; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action-Adventure, 2D Platformer, Adventure
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 281 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $59, median $540, 1 in 4 over $2.3k, 1 in 20 over $33k.

3 in 10 developers made under $59. 8 in 10 of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 21 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Puzzle Platformer with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RomanceFair41 devs · median $1.5k · 38 announced
  2. + Inventory ManagementFair20 devs · median $1.1k · 26 announced
  3. + Life SimFair20 devs · median $657 · 21 announced
  4. + SimulationFair216 devs · median $479 · 181 announced
  5. + Grid-Based MovementFair62 devs · median $449 · 56 announced
  6. + SokobanFair51 devs · median $358 · 49 announced
  7. + LovecraftianPoor odds11 devs · median $9.3k · 22 announced
  8. + Co-op CampaignPoor odds26 devs · median $9.0k · 53 announced
  9. + MetroidvaniaPoor odds91 devs · median $5.3k · 264 announced
  10. + SwordplayPoor odds8 devs · median $4.2k · 19 announced
  11. + Split ScreenPoor odds24 devs · median $3.6k · 35 announced
  12. + Hack and SlashPoor odds18 devs · median $3.0k · 80 announced

All 169 pairs on the Puzzle Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists $9.99 113 84% 3.4k $34k (exactly $33,866) Neckbolt
The Last Worker older $19.99 46 63% 1.4k $28k (exactly $27,586) Oiffy, Wolf & Wood Interactive Ltd
Antro $14.99 42 92% 1.3k $19k (exactly $18,887) Gatera Studio
Unaccessible $9.99 55 94% 1.7k $16k (exactly $16,484) REMBOT GAMES
Alruna: End of History $11.99 44 88% 1.3k $16k (exactly $15,827) Neckbolt
18Hell:Lost older $7.99 35 91% 1.1k $8.4k (exactly $8,390) DWall Games
Timeworks older $4.99 51 100% 1.5k $7.6k (exactly $7,635) Starworks Studios
Trash Bandits older $14.99 12 100% 360 $5.4k (exactly $5,396) Crab Bucket Software
Denbora $19.99 4 100% 120 $2.4k (exactly $2,399) Bionic Ape
Crude Oil $12.99 6 33% 180 $2.3k (exactly $2,338) Elfsend
Sneaky Fishy $4.99 11 100% 330 $1.6k (exactly $1,647) The Sillies
Residual Christmas $5.99 3 100% 90 $539 (exactly $539) Tizby
Beat Your Boss $3.09 2 50% 60 $185 (exactly $185) Shiba Arts
Ordnance Inc - An Explosive VR Throwing Game $4.99 1 100% 30 $150 (exactly $150) Danny Mather

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