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Should I ship a Local Co-Op Combat Racing game?
Combat Racing + Local Co-Op
Only 19 developers shipped a Local Co-Op Combat Racing 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, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 32 more are announced, ×4.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 6 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.1k, ×1.7 the market's $630 for a 6 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $24M, ×38380 the market median. Revenue is up 45% on the market; 32 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.1k (exactly $1,078) |
| Top 25% | $19k (exactly $19,064) |
| Top 5% | $24M (exactly $24,102,456) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 19 |
| Released games | 55 |
| Announced | 32 |
| Effort | 6 / 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 up 45% on the market, supply 40% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 9%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Combat Racing
- effort 6 / 10 · low · vehicle physics plus weapons and AI drivers
- Local Co-Op
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Combat Racing, Local Co-Op; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Arcade, Local Multiplayer, Racing
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Family Friendly, 1990's
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 93% positive over 12,732 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. 9 in 10 of the 13 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 32 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Combat Racing with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + CollectathonFair
- + SandboxFair
- + PlatformerFair
- + RhythmFair
- + ParkourFair
- + RPGFair
- + 2D PlatformerLong shot
- + Beat 'em upLong shot
- + SurvivalPoor odds
- + Post-apocalypticPoor odds
- + DystopianPoor odds
- + Split ScreenPoor odds
Comparable games
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds 2025 · $24M 
Need for Speed™ Most Wanted 2020 · $15M 
Road Redemption 2017 · $6.5M 
TRAIL OUT 2022 · $1.8M 
Split/Second 2014 · $1.0M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds | $69.99 | 11,479 93% | 344k | $24M (exactly $24,102,456) | Sonic Team | |
| | Need for Speed™ Most Wanted | older | $19.99 | 25,197 77% | 756k | $15M (exactly $15,110,641) | Criterion Games |
| | Road Redemption | older | $19.99 | 10,842 83% | 325k | $6.5M (exactly $6,501,947) | Redemption Road, Pixel Dash Studios |
| | TRAIL OUT | older | $19.99 | 3,019 81% | 91k | $1.8M (exactly $1,810,494) | GOOD BOYS |
| | Split/Second | older | $19.99 | 1,683 80% | 50k | $1.0M (exactly $1,009,295) | Black Rock Studio |
 | The Karters 2: Turbo Charged | · EA | $29.99 | 1,043 91% | 31k | $938k (exactly $938,387) | Pixel Edge Games |
 | Make Way | older | $14.99 | 1,615 91% | 48k | $726k (exactly $726,266) | Ice BEAM |
 | Fling to the Finish | older | $19.99 | 849 85% | 25k | $509k (exactly $509,145) | SplitSide Games |
 | BlazeRush | older | $9.99 | 1,031 88% | 31k | $309k (exactly $308,991) | Targem Games |
 | Super Indie Karts | · EA older | $19.99 | 453 80% | 14k | $272k (exactly $271,664) | One Legged Seagull |
 | Blazing Trail | $12.99 | 63 85% | 1.9k | $25k (exactly $24,551) | Gamenergy studio | |
 | Matchbox™ Driving Adventures | $39.99 | 16 81% | 480 | $19k (exactly $19,195) | Casual Brothers Ltd. | |
 | Mythic Kart Maker | · EA | $11.99 | 53 83% | 1.6k | $19k (exactly $19,064) | Dream Mix Games |
 | Exo Wanderers | · EA | $11.99 | 22 100% | 660 | $7.9k (exactly $7,913) | 什工坊SueStudio |
 | Road Defense Racing | $3.99 | 36 97% | 1.1k | $4.3k (exactly $4,309) | Minicactus Games | |
 | Carnage Kart X | · EA | $4.99 | 11 90% | 330 | $1.6k (exactly $1,647) | Two Brain Games |
 | Death Metal Derby | $14.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $1.3k (exactly $1,349) | Turtle Duck Studio | |
 | Anarchy Road | $5.99 | 6 50% | 180 | $1.1k (exactly $1,078) | Bunker Brothers LLC |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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