Do I ship it?

GamesStrategy RPGStrategy RPG + Capitalism

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Capitalist Strategy RPG?

Strategy RPG + Capitalism

Of 27 developers who shipped a Capitalist Strategy RPG 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.. 44 more are announced, ×2.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $900, ×1.4 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $160k, ×264 the market median. Revenue is down 95% on the market; 44 games are announced against 19 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 95% on the market, 44 announced, ×2.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Strategy RPG + Capitalism
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 27
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $8.9k → $2.4k → $7.7k → $2.3k → $6.0k → $1.3k (still earning) → $90 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Strategy RPG + Capitalism: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 27
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $899 (exactly $899)
Top 25% $6.0k (exactly $5,998)
Top 5% $166k (exactly $165,688)
Developers, 2 yr 27
Released games 59
Announced 44
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $7.99

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 95% on the market, supply 140% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 15%, 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.

Strategy RPG
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium 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
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Strategy RPG; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Strategy, Economy
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $17.99 or above
Art
8 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $17.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 1,847 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $150, median $900, 1 in 4 over $5.9k, 1 in 20 over $160k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. 8 in 10 of the 12 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 44 games are announced against 19 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.3 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Strategy RPG with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + SportsFair23 devs · median $4.7k · 26 announced
  2. + SwordplayFair22 devs · median $2.7k · 28 announced
  3. + Bullet HellFair40 devs · median $2.0k · 31 announced
  4. + EconomyFair95 devs · median $2.0k · 128 announced
  5. + Asynchronous MultiplayerFair8 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  6. + ConspiracyFair19 devs · median $1.2k · 21 announced
  7. + Shop KeeperFair21 devs · median $987 · 25 announced
  8. + 2D PlatformerFair108 devs · median $479 · 113 announced
  9. + Point & ClickFair43 devs · median $450 · 47 announced
  10. + Turn-BasedPoor odds58 devs · median $63k · 76 announced
  11. + Dating SimPoor odds30 devs · median $35k · 41 announced
  12. + 4XPoor odds15 devs · median $31k · 33 announced

All 158 pairs on the Strategy RPG page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Q-UP $9.99 1,126 93% 34k $337k (exactly $337,462) Everybody House Games
This Grand Life 2 $17.99 307 88% 9.2k $166k (exactly $165,688) Poking Water Games
Deadwater Saloon older $19.99 186 63% 5.6k $112k (exactly $111,544) Tanglefoot Games
Black Gold - Shining Town $13.99 255 80% 7.7k $107k (exactly $107,024) Morexingame
Suzukuri Dungeon: Karin in the Mountain older $24.99 138 73% 4.1k $103k (exactly $103,459) Karin Project
Epic Manager - Create Your Own Adventuring Agency! older $17.99 184 61% 5.5k $99k (exactly $99,305) ManaVoid Entertainment
中年失业模拟器When a man lose his job older $7.99 344 77% 10k $82k (exactly $82,457) Kwing works
Brocula older $19.99 87 43% 2.6k $52k (exactly $52,174) Destroyer Doggo
The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 · EA $29.99 23 60% 690 $21k (exactly $20,693) Ashborne Games
大宋广记 · EA older $8.99 73 75% 2.2k $20k (exactly $19,688) 希望城
Business War: ERP Sandbox Simulation $15.99 33 84% 990 $16k (exactly $15,830) 夜与潜伏者
中年失业模拟器2-When a man lose his job 2 $5.99 43 60% 1.3k $7.7k (exactly $7,727) Kwing works
Seven Seas: Adventures · EA $24.99 8 25% 240 $6.0k (exactly $5,998) Concept Games
Nuice Industries · EA $7.99 25 96% 750 $6.0k (exactly $5,992) CastleWind
EmpireX - Business, Real Estate and Crime Simulator $14.99 8 75% 240 $3.6k (exactly $3,598) darkwolf66
電視夢工場 $3.99 19 52% 570 $2.3k (exactly $2,274) T-Time Technology CO., LTD.

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