Games › Party-Based RPG › Party-Based RPG + Deckbuilding
Should I ship a Deckbuilding Party-Based RPG?
Party-Based RPG + Deckbuilding
Of 38 developers who shipped a Deckbuilding Party-Based RPG 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.. 70 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 6 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $12k, ×19 the market's $630 for a 6 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $2.7k; 1 in 20 cleared $640k, ×1032 the market median. Revenue is up 195% on the market; 70 games are announced against 29 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $2.7k (exactly $2,697) |
|---|---|
| Median | $12k (exactly $11,909) |
| Top 25% | $73k (exactly $73,127) |
| Top 5% | $648k (exactly $648,051) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 38 |
| Released games | 73 |
| Announced | 70 |
| Effort | 6 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $11.99 |
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 195% on the market, supply 220% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 10%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Party-Based RPG
- effort 6 / 10 · medium · effort 6 sits in the medium band
- Deckbuilding
- effort 3 / 10 · high · card pools and run logic
What it takes
- Effort
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Party-Based RPG, Deckbuilding; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Strategy, Card Battler
- Price point
- $11.99 typical · top 25% priced $17.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Anime, Colorful
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $17.99 or above; the middle game at $11.99.
The top 10 games average 90% positive over 10,077 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $2.7k. 7 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 70 games are announced against 29 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Party-Based RPG with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Board GameFair
- + Point & ClickFair
- + 2D PlatformerFair
- + Hidden ObjectFair
- + Martial ArtsPoor odds
- + Dating SimPoor odds
- + SandboxPoor odds
- + BuildingPoor odds
- + AutomationPoor odds
- + Turn-BasedPoor odds
- + Base BuildingPoor odds
- + IncrementalPoor odds
Comparable games
Gloomhaven 2021 · $14M 
Chrono Ark 2024 · $9.5M 
Gordian Quest 2022 · $3.2M 
Knock on the Coffin Lid 2024 · $2.0M 
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech 2019 · $1.5M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Gloomhaven | older | $34.99 | 13,628 82% | 409k | $14M (exactly $14,305,312) | Flaming Fowl Studios, Saber Interactive |
| | Chrono Ark | older | $24.99 | 12,623 90% | 379k | $9.5M (exactly $9,463,463) | Al Fine |
| | Gordian Quest | older | $19.99 | 5,259 88% | 158k | $3.2M (exactly $3,153,822) | Mixed Realms Pte Ltd, Swag Soft Holding… (Mixed Realms Pte Ltd, Swag Soft Holdings Pte Ltd) |
| | Knock on the Coffin Lid | older | $24.99 | 2,727 82% | 82k | $2.0M (exactly $2,044,432) | RedBoon |
| | SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech | older | $24.99 | 1,953 87% | 59k | $1.5M (exactly $1,464,164) | Image & Form Games |
 | DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince | older | $39.99 | 1,158 71% | 35k | $1.4M (exactly $1,389,253) | Square Enix |
 | Rebellion GODSOUL: Awakening | · EA | $17.99 | 2,458 85% | 74k | $1.3M (exactly $1,326,583) | U-Secret Studio |
 | Ooblets | older | $29.99 | 1,388 91% | 42k | $1.2M (exactly $1,248,784) | Glumberland |
 | Journey to the West | older | $19.99 | 1,470 79% | 44k | $882k (exactly $881,559) | Z Studio |
 | Kabuto Park | $4.99 | 4,329 99% | 130k | $648k (exactly $648,051) | Doot | |
 | Viractal: Will You Trust Your Party? | $24.99 | 448 88% | 13k | $336k (exactly $335,866) | Sting | |
 | Battle Suit Aces | $19.99 | 347 90% | 10k | $208k (exactly $208,096) | Trinket Studios | |
 | Shards of Order | $9.99 | 578 90% | 17k | $173k (exactly $173,227) | Fardust | |
 | Bones and Coins | $7.99 | 638 72% | 19k | $153k (exactly $152,929) | Troyd Games | |
 | Hive Blight | · EA | $12.49 | 367 94% | 11k | $138k (exactly $137,515) | OptizOnion |
 | NEODUEL: Backpack Monsters | $11.99 | 357 79% | 11k | $128k (exactly $128,413) | dicehit, Rogue Duck Interactive | |
 | YGGDRA REFRAIN | $9.99 | 311 79% | 9.3k | $93k (exactly $93,207) | BD | |
 | Water Margin Scrolls | $9.99 | 244 40% | 7.3k | $73k (exactly $73,127) | QingHe Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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