Do I ship it?

GamesClass-BasedClass-Based + Space

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Space Class-Based game?

Class-Based + Space

Only 18 developers shipped a Space 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, Starship Troopers: Extermination, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 49 more are announced, ×4.5 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 $360; 1 in 20 cleared $26M, ×17852 the market median. Revenue is down 15% on the market; 49 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 15% on the market, 49 announced, ×4.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Class-Based + Space
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 18
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $987 → $19k → $4.8k → $1.8k → $6.9k → $897 → $2.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Class-Based + Space: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 18
Bottom 30% $359 (exactly $359)
Median $2.4k (exactly $2,398)
Top 25% $6.9k (exactly $6,920)
Top 5% $27M (exactly $26,742,683)
Developers, 2 yr 18
Released games 57
Announced 49
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $6.99

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 55% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 9%, 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
Space
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 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; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Combat, Action Roguelike
Price point
$6.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 80% positive over 30,768 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $360, median $2.4k, 1 in 4 over $6.9k, 1 in 20 over $26M.

3 in 10 developers made under $360. 9 in 10 of the 8 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 49 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.5 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
Deep Rock Galactic older $29.99 303,142 97% 9.1M $273M (exactly $272,736,857) Ghost Ship Games
Starship Troopers: Extermination $29.99 29,724 80% 892k $27M (exactly $26,742,683) Offworld
Risk of Rain Returns older $14.99 24,795 89% 744k $11M (exactly $11,150,312) Hopoo Games
GNOSIA older $24.99 4,855 93% 146k $3.6M (exactly $3,639,794) Petit Depotto
PULSAR: Lost Colony older $19.99 4,409 89% 132k $2.6M (exactly $2,644,077) Leafy Games
TRIBES 3: Rivals · EA older $19.99 1,324 61% 40k $794k (exactly $794,003) Prophecy Games
Down with the Ship · EA $14.99 817 93% 25k $367k (exactly $367,405) Iron Anchor Games
Space Food Truck older $9.99 216 71% 6.5k $65k (exactly $64,735) One Man Left Studios
Gemini Wars older $9.99 141 32% 4.2k $42k (exactly $42,258) Camel 101
Deadnaut: Signal Lost older $14.99 92 85% 2.8k $41k (exactly $41,372) Screwfly Studios
Neon Striker · EA $4.99 85 87% 2.6k $13k (exactly $12,724) Zeno's Adventure Team, Nickonhawk Games
Sovereign's End $14.99 19 94% 570 $8.5k (exactly $8,544) NQR Games Inc.
Project Lazarus 2 $6.99 33 75% 990 $6.9k (exactly $6,920) Terapoly
Cosmic Carnage $4.49 37 94% 1.1k $5.0k (exactly $4,984) LionSword
Into the M.A.W. $14.99 11 100% 330 $4.9k (exactly $4,947) Moonrise Studios
All Systems Operational $9.99 14 100% 420 $4.2k (exactly $4,196) Seatoad LLC
Hyperspace Striker · EA $9.99 8 75% 240 $2.4k (exactly $2,398) DAEMONTECH
Neon Pulsefire $3.99 20 95% 600 $2.4k (exactly $2,394) Marian Kunz

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