Do I ship it?

Games › Deckbuilding › Deckbuilding + Gambling

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Gambling Deckbuilding?

Deckbuilding + Gambling

Of 84 developers who shipped a Gambling Deckbuilding 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.. 161 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.7k, ×3.5 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $420; 1 in 20 cleared $1.5M, ×3210 the market median. Revenue is flat on the market; 161 games are announced against 62 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 3.5 times the market baseline, revenue flat on the market, 161 announced, ×2.6 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Deckbuilding + Gambling
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 84
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $13k → $1.1k → $19k → $2.0k → $1.2k (still earning) → $898 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Deckbuilding + Gambling: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 84
Bottom 30% $419 (exactly $419)
Median $1.7k (exactly $1,678)
Top 25% $26k (exactly $25,793)
Top 5% $1.5M (exactly $1,524,768)
Developers, 2 yr 84
Released games 111
Announced 161
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 flat on the market, supply 180% 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Deckbuilding
effort 3 / 10 · high · card pools and run logic
Gambling
effort 2 / 10 · high · effort 2 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Deckbuilding, Gambling; 9 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Roguelike, Roguelite
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $12.89 or above
Art
6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Pixel Graphics
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $12.89 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 92% positive over 42,522 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $420, median $1.7k, 1 in 4 over $25k, 1 in 20 over $1.5M.

3 in 10 developers made under $420. 8 in 10 of the 25 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 161 games are announced against 62 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Deckbuilding with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + AutomationFair44 devs · median $2.8k · 51 announced
  2. + Inventory ManagementFair98 devs · median $2.5k · 137 announced
  3. + ArcadeFair170 devs · median $1.9k · 234 announced
  4. + 2D FighterFair17 devs · median $959 · 12 announced
  5. + Party GameFair22 devs · median $719 · 30 announced
  6. + SwordplayFair11 devs · median $599 · 13 announced
  7. + Point & ClickFair34 devs · median $598 · 36 announced
  8. + Traditional RoguelikeFair53 devs · median $537 · 79 announced
  9. + LogicFair84 devs · median $419 · 118 announced
  10. + LovecraftianPoor odds19 devs · median $72k · 56 announced
  11. + Dating SimPoor odds13 devs · median $30k · 31 announced
  12. + Visual NovelPoor odds36 devs · median $26k · 64 announced

All 141 pairs on the Deckbuilding page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Nubby's Number Factory 2025 · $2.7M Sol Cesto 2026 · $2.0M Slots & Daggers 2025 · $1.8M Dungeon Clawler 2026 · $1.7M RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike 2026 · $1.5M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Nubby's Number Factory $4.99 18,138 97% 544k $2.7M (exactly $2,715,259) MogDogBlog Productions
Sol Cesto $13.99 4,838 91% 145k $2.0M (exactly $2,030,509) Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospir… (Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale)
Slots & Daggers $7.99 7,421 93% 223k $1.8M (exactly $1,778,814) Friedemann
Dungeon Clawler $14.99 3,716 88% 111k $1.7M (exactly $1,671,085) Stray Fawn Studio
RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike $11.99 4,239 82% 127k $1.5M (exactly $1,524,768) Doraccoon
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers older $14.99 2,988 81% 90k $1.3M (exactly $1,343,704) Purple Moss Collectors
This Ain’t Even Poker, Ya Joker $5.99 1,781 86% 53k $320k (exactly $320,046) Mash
Bingle Bingle $14.99 666 80% 20k $300k (exactly $299,500) Knitting Games
Insider Trading $12.89 600 79% 18k $232k (exactly $232,020) Naiive
Big Winner $12.99 550 82% 17k $214k (exactly $214,335) iFAction Studio
Spin Hero $7.99 573 73% 17k $137k (exactly $137,348) Sphere Studios

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