Do I ship it?

GamesClass-BasedClass-Based + Magic

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Magic Class-Based game?

Class-Based + Magic

Of 103 developers who shipped a Magic 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.. 288 more are announced, ×4.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $2.2k, ×1.4 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $450; 1 in 20 cleared $110k, ×74 the market median. Revenue is up 80% on the market; 288 games are announced against 68 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.4 times the market baseline, revenue up 80% on the market, 288 announced, ×4.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Class-Based + Magic
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 103
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.6k → $3.4k → $2.0k → $16k → $899 → $2.9k → $1.6k (still earning) → $2.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Class-Based + Magic: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 103
Bottom 30% $449 (exactly $449)
Median $2.2k (exactly $2,157)
Top 25% $7.8k (exactly $7,794)
Top 5% $111k (exactly $110,589)
Developers, 2 yr 103
Released games 282
Announced 288
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
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 up 80% on the market, supply 90% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 19%, 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
Magic
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 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; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Adventure, Roguelike
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Pixel Graphics
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 85% positive over 10,817 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $450, median $2.2k, 1 in 4 over $7.7k, 1 in 20 over $110k.

3 in 10 developers made under $450. 8 in 10 of the 44 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 288 games are announced against 68 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Class-Based with a different setting or mood, 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
The Elder Scrolls® Online older $19.99 134,421 82% 4.0M $81M (exactly $80,612,274) ZeniMax Online Studios
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles $49.99 5,673 89% 170k $8.5M (exactly $8,507,798) Square Enix
Rabbit and Steel older $14.99 10,159 96% 305k $4.6M (exactly $4,568,502) mino_dev
Visions of Mana older $59.99 2,117 76% 64k $3.8M (exactly $3,809,965) Square Enix
Chronicon older $13.99 8,822 94% 265k $3.7M (exactly $3,702,593) Subworld
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
Demeo older $39.99 1,703 87% 51k $2.0M (exactly $2,043,089) Resolution Games
FINAL FANTASY IV older $17.99 2,807 91% 84k $1.5M (exactly $1,514,938) Square Enix
SKALD: Against the Black Priory older $14.99 3,325 93% 100k $1.5M (exactly $1,495,252) High North Studios AS
Erenshor · EA $19.99 2,153 94% 65k $1.3M (exactly $1,291,154) Burgee Media
Fantasy Maiden Wars - DREAM OF THE STRAY DREAMER - $34.99 582 98% 17k $611k (exactly $610,925) さんぼん堂
Nomad Idle $9.99 852 64% 26k $255k (exactly $255,344) The Fox Knocks
Talisman: Digital 5th Edition $29.99 227 70% 6.8k $204k (exactly $204,232) Nomad Games
Camelot Unchained · EA $9.99 369 38% 11k $111k (exactly $110,589) Unchained Entertainment
Sonny Legacy Collection $9.99 337 91% 10k $101k (exactly $100,999) Krin Juangbhanich
Afallon · EA $11.99 262 79% 7.9k $94k (exactly $94,241) Stargazing interactive
Witch and Council : The Card $14.99 182 48% 5.5k $82k (exactly $81,845) G1 Playground
Final Knight · EA $13.99 180 77% 5.4k $76k (exactly $75,546) 2oclocksoft

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