Do I ship it?

GamesClass-BasedClass-Based + Platformer

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Platformer Class-Based game?

Class-Based + Platformer

Only 13 developers shipped a Platformer Class-Based game 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, SNOW BROS. SPECIAL: ANNIVERSARY EDITION, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 26 more are announced, ×2.9 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $600, ×0.4 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $50. 26 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.9 per shipper, while revenue is down 85% on the market.

Deciding numbers: median 0.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 85% on the market, 26 announced, ×2.9 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Class-Based + Platformer
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: $297 → $0 → $599 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Class-Based + Platformer: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 13
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $599 (exactly $599)
Top 25% $1.9k (exactly $1,948)
Top 5% $29k (exactly $28,790)
Developers, 2 yr 13
Released games 46
Announced 26
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $5.99

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 85% on the market, supply 125% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 30%, 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
Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high 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, Platformer; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry 2D Platformer, Action, Adventure
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $29.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Side Scroller
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $29.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 8 games average 88% positive over 90 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $600, 1 in 4 over $1.9k, 1 in 20 over $28k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. All of the 6 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 26 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.9 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
Vagante older $14.99 4,118 90% 124k $1.9M (exactly $1,851,865) Nuke Nine
Paw Paw Paw older $9.99 177 71% 5.3k $53k (exactly $53,047) Simpleton
SNOW BROS. SPECIAL: ANNIVERSARY EDITION $29.99 32 78% 960 $29k (exactly $28,790) CRT GAMES
Angvik 2 older $5.00 177 94% 5.3k $27k (exactly $26,550) Alastair John Jack
Machina Blade older $11.99 51 72% 1.5k $18k (exactly $18,345) Guilda Entertainment
Towertale older $9.99 50 90% 1.5k $15k (exactly $14,985) MiSou Games
Plague Breaker older $11.99 31 87% 930 $11k (exactly $11,151) Wozzy Games Limited
Mythic Dungeons older $8.99 29 34% 870 $7.8k (exactly $7,821) Eurus Game Studio
4 The Elements older $7.99 14 42% 420 $3.4k (exactly $3,356) Mito Games
Myriad Realms $3.99 22 81% 660 $2.6k (exactly $2,633) 吸怪
Slime Battles $4.99 15 100% 450 $2.2k (exactly $2,246) Nish Studios
RAD: Repeat After Death $12.99 5 100% 150 $1.9k (exactly $1,948) Exploding Soes
Plighters $9.99 3 100% 90 $899 (exactly $899) viraelin
Cube Snake $2.99 10 100% 300 $897 (exactly $897) Kabum
Apex Path: BOLT · EA $9.99 2 100% 60 $599 (exactly $599) Sanswolf
Rain of Awakening $5.99 1 100% 30 $180 (exactly $180) SandwichBoi
PingWin $0.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) GameBit Hubert Klich
Drop Dimensions $1.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Stone Circle Software Ltd

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