Games › Deckbuilding › Deckbuilding + Match 3
Should I ship a Match 3 Deckbuilding?
Deckbuilding + Match 3
Of 21 developers who shipped a Match 3 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.. 44 more are announced, ×3.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $3.8k, ×8.1 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $810; 1 in 20 cleared $74k, ×156 the market median. Revenue is up 975% on the market; 44 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $807 (exactly $807) |
|---|---|
| Median | $3.8k (exactly $3,835) |
| Top 25% | $10k (exactly $10,180) |
| Top 5% | $74k (exactly $74,216) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 21 |
| Released games | 41 |
| Announced | 44 |
| Effort | 3 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | High |
| 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 up 975% on the market, supply 35% more developers than the period before.
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
- Match 3
- effort 2 / 10 · high · grid matching rules and cascades
What it takes
- Effort
- 3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
- Systems
- Deckbuilding, Match 3; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Roguelike, Puzzle, Roguelike Deckbuilder
- Price point
- $6.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Cartoony, 2D, Colorful
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.
The top 10 games average 91% positive over 1,704 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $810. 9 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 44 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.7 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Deckbuilding with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + AutomationFair
- + Inventory ManagementFair
- + ArcadeFair
- + 2D FighterFair
- + Party GameFair
- + SwordplayFair
- + Point & ClickFair
- + Traditional RoguelikeFair
- + LogicFair
- + LovecraftianPoor odds
- + Dating SimPoor odds
- + Visual NovelPoor odds
Comparable games
The Legend of Bum-Bo 2019 · $2.5M 
Dogpile 2025 · $212k 
Infinite Tao 2023 · $102k 
Lucky Hunter 2024 · $74k 
ANTHEM#9 2026 · $56k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | The Legend of Bum-Bo | older | $14.99 | 5,654 80% | 170k | $2.5M (exactly $2,542,604) | Edmund McMillen, James Interactive, Rid… (Edmund McMillen, James Interactive, Ridiculon) |
| | Dogpile | $9.99 | 708 95% | 21k | $212k (exactly $212,188) | Studio Folly, Toot Games, Foot | |
| | Infinite Tao | older | $3.99 | 852 79% | 26k | $102k (exactly $101,984) | insomnia |
| | Lucky Hunter | $5.99 | 413 89% | 12k | $74k (exactly $74,216) | 159 Studio | |
| | ANTHEM#9 | $14.99 | 125 87% | 3.8k | $56k (exactly $56,212) | koeda | |
 | Neon Village | $9.99 | 146 86% | 4.4k | $44k (exactly $43,756) | Encraft | |
 | Cats on Duty | older | $9.99 | 142 90% | 4.3k | $43k (exactly $42,557) | Prikol Team |
 | Faerie Solitaire Dire | · EA older | $19.99 | 41 68% | 1.2k | $25k (exactly $24,588) | Subsoap |
 | Zombie Solitaire 2 Chapter 1 | older | $8.99 | 90 70% | 2.7k | $24k (exactly $24,273) | rokaplay |
 | Kaamos: Puzzle Roguelike | $9.99 | 73 87% | 2.2k | $22k (exactly $21,878) | Pepperbox Studios | |
 | Gem and Tarot | $4.99 | 68 100% | 2.0k | $10k (exactly $10,180) | SHEN DING | |
 | ChronoBabes | $3.99 | 81 80% | 2.4k | $9.7k (exactly $9,696) | Vinci | |
 | Slime Soup | $4.99 | 50 90% | 1.5k | $7.5k (exactly $7,485) | VANDERMAESEN GAMES | |
 | Match! The 12 CZ Wars | $5.99 | 27 100% | 810 | $4.9k (exactly $4,852) | CorvusCorax Studio | |
 | Dexterous: Time to Steal | $9.99 | 13 100% | 390 | $3.9k (exactly $3,896) | HalfZach |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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