Games › Deckbuilding › Deckbuilding + Mystery
Should I ship a Mystery Deckbuilding?
Deckbuilding + Mystery
Of 46 developers who shipped a Mystery 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.. 106 more are announced, ×3.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.1k, ×2.3 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $81k, ×171 the market median. Revenue is up 80% on the market; 106 games are announced against 32 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.1k (exactly $1,077) |
| Top 25% | $15k (exactly $14,809) |
| Top 5% | $81k (exactly $81,058) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 46 |
| Released games | 82 |
| Announced | 106 |
| 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 80% on the market, supply 130% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 12%, excluded from money figures.
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
- Mystery
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
- Systems
- Deckbuilding; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Roguelike, Strategy
- Price point
- $6.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Atmospheric, Story Rich
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.
The top 10 games average 89% positive over 6,137 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. 9 in 10 of the 17 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 106 games are announced against 32 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Deckbuilding with a different setting or mood, 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
Sol Cesto 2026 · $2.0M 
Iris and the Giant 2020 · $377k 
Sovereign Syndicate 2024 · $344k 
Dead Town Tales 2023 · $150k 
Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter 2026 · $141k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Sol Cesto | $13.99 | 4,838 91% | 145k | $2.0M (exactly $2,030,509) | Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospir… (Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale) | |
| | Iris and the Giant | older | $17.99 | 698 87% | 21k | $377k (exactly $376,711) | Louis Rigaud |
| | Sovereign Syndicate | older | $19.99 | 573 79% | 17k | $344k (exactly $343,628) | Crimson Herring Studios |
| | Dead Town Tales | older | $11.99 | 417 82% | 13k | $150k (exactly $149,995) | 拾遗工作室 |
| | Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter | $14.99 | 314 90% | 9.4k | $141k (exactly $141,206) | Mango Factory | |
 | Sanatorium - A Mental Asylum Simulator | $12.99 | 208 59% | 6.2k | $81k (exactly $81,058) | Zeitglas | |
 | THE SPIRIT LIFT | $19.99 | 118 94% | 3.5k | $71k (exactly $70,765) | prettysmart games | |
 | The Magister | older | $14.99 | 103 91% | 3.1k | $46k (exactly $46,319) | Nerdook Productions |
 | Arcana of Paradise —The Tower— | older | $19.99 | 74 66% | 2.2k | $44k (exactly $44,378) | 株式会社タストα |
 | JARS | older | $11.99 | 104 71% | 3.1k | $37k (exactly $37,409) | Mousetrap Games |
 | Echo Generation 2 | $24.99 | 41 73% | 1.2k | $31k (exactly $30,738) | Cococucumber | |
 | Vegangsters | $12.99 | 69 92% | 2.1k | $27k (exactly $26,889) | Poison Pill Games | |
 | Love, Internet, and Murder Magic | $3.99 | 217 72% | 6.5k | $26k (exactly $25,975) | Renka | |
 | 全网有点怪 | $7.99 | 106 66% | 3.2k | $25k (exactly $25,408) | Aluba Van+ | |
 | Dreamcards | $9.99 | 82 98% | 2.5k | $25k (exactly $24,575) | Soneka Games | |
 | Desktop Detective | $4.99 | 144 88% | 4.3k | $22k (exactly $21,557) | Conradical Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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