Do I ship it?

Games › Deckbuilding › Deckbuilding + Post-apocalyptic

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Post-apocalyptic Deckbuilding?

Deckbuilding + Post-apocalyptic

Of 31 developers who shipped a Post-apocalyptic 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.. 91 more are announced, ×4.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $4.8k, ×7.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $960; 1 in 20 cleared $550k, ×879 the market median. Revenue is down 85% on the market; 91 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 7.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 85% on the market, 91 announced, ×4.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Deckbuilding + Post-apocalyptic
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 31
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $6.7k → $2.5k → $34k → $16k → $3.5k → $839 → $9.6k (still earning) → $2.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Deckbuilding + Post-apocalyptic: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 31
Bottom 30% $959 (exactly $959)
Median $4.8k (exactly $4,795)
Top 25% $48k (exactly $47,976)
Top 5% $552k (exactly $552,005)
Developers, 2 yr 31
Released games 80
Announced 91
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $9.99

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 down 85% on the market, supply 90% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 19%, 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Deckbuilding
effort 3 / 10 · high · card pools and run logic
Post-apocalyptic
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Deckbuilding; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Roguelike, Strategy, Card Game
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Story Rich
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 84% positive over 4,155 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $960, median $4.8k, 1 in 4 over $47k, 1 in 20 over $550k.

3 in 10 developers made under $960. 7 in 10 of the 15 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 91 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.3 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Deckbuilding with a different setting or mood, 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

Beneath Oresa 2023 · $841k As We Descend 2025 · EA · $801k OVIS LOOP 2025 · EA · $552k Nowhere Prophet 2019 · $541k Mech Armada 2022 · $392k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Beneath Oresa older $24.99 1,122 78% 34k $841k (exactly $841,163) Broken Spear Inc.
As We Descend · EA $19.99 1,336 86% 40k $801k (exactly $801,199) Box Dragon
OVIS LOOP · EA $16.99 1,083 88% 32k $552k (exactly $552,005) LIFUEL
Nowhere Prophet older $24.99 721 77% 22k $541k (exactly $540,534) Sharkbomb Studios
Mech Armada older $19.99 653 81% 20k $392k (exactly $391,604) Lioncode Games
Death Roads: Tournament older $14.99 729 80% 22k $328k (exactly $327,831) The Knights of Unity
Shambles: Sons of Apocalypse $19.99 340 77% 10k $204k (exactly $203,898) EXLIX
Ancient Enemy older $16.99 386 89% 12k $197k (exactly $196,744) Grey Alien Games
Draft of Darkness older $14.99 336 94% 10k $151k (exactly $151,099) Crawly Games
Duelists of Eden older $4.99 856 95% 26k $128k (exactly $128,143) Thomas Moon Kang
Frostrain 2 $10.99 374 89% 11k $123k (exactly $123,308) nemonan
City Defense Z $9.99 300 74% 9.0k $90k (exactly $89,910) Good Mood Games
Snow Ash $14.99 179 73% 5.4k $80k (exactly $80,496) Ember Studio
Worlds Upon The Wind $9.99 238 99% 7.1k $71k (exactly $71,329) Max Shawabkeh
Project Afterfall · EA $19.99 80 75% 2.4k $48k (exactly $47,976) MuHa Games, Eerie Forest Studio
The Dead Await $12.99 108 67% 3.2k $42k (exactly $42,088) Shotx
Voice of Belldona · EA $11.99 117 72% 3.5k $42k (exactly $42,085) StoryCropStudio

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