Do I ship it?

GamesClass-BasedClass-Based + JRPG

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a JRPG Class-Based game?

Class-Based + JRPG

Of 45 developers who shipped a JRPG 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.. 71 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $4.5k, ×3.0 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $1.2k; 1 in 20 cleared $1.1M, ×739 the market median. Revenue is up 10% on the market; 71 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 3.0 times the market baseline, revenue up 10% on the market, 71 announced, ×2.6 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Class-Based + JRPG
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 45
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.6k → $43k → $9.6k → $23k → $1.9k → $6.0k → $1.8k (still earning) → $7.6k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Class-Based + JRPG: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 45
Bottom 30% $1.2k (exactly $1,199)
Median $4.5k (exactly $4,496)
Top 25% $40k (exactly $40,484)
Top 5% $1.1M (exactly $1,106,385)
Developers, 2 yr 45
Released games 113
Announced 71
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 up 10% on the market, supply 40% more 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Class-Based
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
JRPG
effort 6 / 10 · medium · effort 6 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
Class-Based, JRPG; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Turn-Based Combat, Adventure
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, 2D, Anime
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 90% positive over 16,312 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $1.2k, median $4.5k, 1 in 4 over $40k, 1 in 20 over $1.1M.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.2k. 8 in 10 of the 20 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 71 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Class-Based with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + AutomationFair19 devs · median $6.6k · 22 announced
  2. + Bullet HeavenFair21 devs · median $2.4k · 38 announced
  3. + SupernaturalLong shot18 devs · median $599 · 21 announced
  4. + 2D PlatformerLong shot26 devs · median $539 · 30 announced
  5. + FPSPoor odds22 devs · median $70k · 70 announced
  6. + MMORPGPoor odds7 devs · median $61k · 57 announced
  7. + Base BuildingPoor odds18 devs · median $33k · 44 announced
  8. + WarPoor odds17 devs · median $32k · 59 announced
  9. + Souls-likePoor odds16 devs · median $18k · 29 announced
  10. + MilitaryPoor odds17 devs · median $13k · 42 announced
  11. + Third-Person ShooterPoor odds11 devs · median $13k · 53 announced
  12. + WargamePoor odds14 devs · median $9.4k · 28 announced

All 111 pairs on the Class-Based page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles $49.99 5,673 89% 170k $8.5M (exactly $8,507,798) Square Enix
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven $49.99 3,921 93% 118k $5.9M (exactly $5,880,324) Square Enix, xeen Inc.
Visions of Mana older $59.99 2,117 76% 64k $3.8M (exactly $3,809,965) Square Enix
BRAVELY DEFAULT II older $59.99 1,732 80% 52k $3.1M (exactly $3,117,080) Square Enix, Claytechworks
FINAL FANTASY older $11.99 8,120 95% 244k $2.9M (exactly $2,920,764) Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY VI older $17.99 4,600 92% 138k $2.5M (exactly $2,482,620) Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY IV older $17.99 2,807 91% 84k $1.5M (exactly $1,514,938) Square Enix
Final Fantasy III (3D Remake) older $15.99 3,011 81% 90k $1.4M (exactly $1,444,377) Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY III older $17.99 2,639 93% 79k $1.4M (exactly $1,424,268) Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY V older $17.99 2,332 89% 70k $1.3M (exactly $1,258,580) Square Enix
The Nameless: Slay Dragon $17.99 2,050 91% 62k $1.1M (exactly $1,106,385) The Nameless Epic
BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster $39.99 803 91% 24k $963k (exactly $963,359) Square Enix, Cattle Call Inc.
Dice Gambit $24.99 1,080 87% 32k $810k (exactly $809,676) Chromatic Ink
Fantasy Maiden Wars - DREAM OF THE STRAY DREAMER - $34.99 582 98% 17k $611k (exactly $610,925) さんぼん堂
The Use of Life $19.99 764 90% 23k $458k (exactly $458,171) だらねこげーむず/Daraneko Games
Prelude Dark Pain · EA $19.99 345 77% 10k $207k (exactly $206,896) QUICKFIREGAMES
Path of the Abyss $6.99 664 92% 20k $139k (exactly $139,241) Suzuki Suzuzou
ZENONIA 1 $9.99 430 80% 13k $129k (exactly $128,871) Com2us Holdings, CFK Co., Ltd.

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