Games › Class-Based › Class-Based + Card Game
Should I ship a Card Game Class-Based game?
Class-Based + Card Game
Of 30 developers who shipped a Card Game Class-Based game 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.. 76 more are announced, ×4.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 7 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.4k, ×1.6 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $900; 1 in 20 cleared $220k, ×149 the market median. Revenue is down 15% on the market; 76 games are announced against 16 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $899 (exactly $899) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.4k (exactly $2,398) |
| Top 25% | $7.3k (exactly $7,253) |
| Top 5% | $223k (exactly $223,374) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 30 |
| Released games | 76 |
| Announced | 76 |
| Effort | 7 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| 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 down 15% on the market, supply 15% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 21%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Class-Based
- effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
- Card Game
- effort 2 / 10 · high · rules engine and card data
What it takes
- Effort
- 7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
- Systems
- Class-Based, Card Game; 9 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Roguelike, Roguelike Deckbuilder, Roguelite
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
- Art
- 8 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 78% positive over 2,364 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $900. 7 in 10 of the 14 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 76 games are announced against 16 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.8 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Class-Based with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + AutomationFair
- + Bullet HeavenFair
- + SupernaturalLong shot
- + 2D PlatformerLong shot
- + FPSPoor odds
- + MMORPGPoor odds
- + Base BuildingPoor odds
- + WarPoor odds
- + Souls-likePoor odds
- + MilitaryPoor odds
- + Third-Person ShooterPoor odds
- + WargamePoor odds
Comparable games
Gloomhaven 2021 · $14M 
Dice & Fold 2024 · $1.4M 
RUNGORE 2024 · $446k 
Shadowveil: Legend of The Five Rings 2025 · $352k 
Quantum Protocol 2020 · $244k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Gloomhaven | older | $34.99 | 13,628 82% | 409k | $14M (exactly $14,305,312) | Flaming Fowl Studios, Saber Interactive |
| | Dice & Fold | older | $12.99 | 3,491 83% | 105k | $1.4M (exactly $1,360,443) | Tinymice Entertainment |
| | RUNGORE | older | $14.99 | 991 85% | 30k | $446k (exactly $445,653) | YOUR_MOM'S_HP, RavenJm |
| | Shadowveil: Legend of The Five Rings | $24.99 | 469 74% | 14k | $352k (exactly $351,609) | Palindrome Interactive | |
| | Quantum Protocol | older | $12.99 | 625 90% | 19k | $244k (exactly $243,562) | Kaio Meris |
 | Cube Chaos | $11.99 | 621 95% | 19k | $223k (exactly $223,374) | Wunarg | |
 | Monster Slayers | older | $8.99 | 804 79% | 24k | $217k (exactly $216,839) | Nerdook Productions |
 | Dawncaster | The RPG Cardventure | $19.99 | 274 81% | 8.2k | $164k (exactly $164,318) | Wanderlost Interactive | |
 | Spin Hero | $7.99 | 573 73% | 17k | $137k (exactly $137,348) | Sphere Studios | |
 | Power Chord | older | $19.99 | 170 71% | 5.1k | $102k (exactly $101,949) | Big Blue Bubble |
 | Witch and Council : The Card | $14.99 | 182 48% | 5.5k | $82k (exactly $81,845) | G1 Playground | |
 | Doomspire | $14.99 | 140 55% | 4.2k | $63k (exactly $62,958) | Crater Studios | |
 | Card Artisan | $12.99 | 36 91% | 1.1k | $14k (exactly $14,029) | Fullen Games | |
 | Seekers of Eclipse | $10.99 | 22 86% | 660 | $7.3k (exactly $7,253) | ThinKING Cat Games | |
 | Dolven | $19.99 | 12 75% | 360 | $7.2k (exactly $7,196) | Covyne Entertainment, The Kids From Yes… (Covyne Entertainment, The Kids From Yesterday) | |
 | DEATHMARK | · EA | $4.99 | 35 91% | 1.1k | $5.2k (exactly $5,240) | Wired Creations Studio |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
Your address goes to Buttondown, which sends the letter, and nowhere else. Every issue has an unsubscribe link. No tracking beyond the open count Buttondown keeps.