Do I ship it?

GamesDeckbuildingDeckbuilding + Steampunk

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Steampunk Deckbuilding?

Deckbuilding + Steampunk

Only 14 developers shipped a Steampunk Deckbuilding in the last 2 years, too few for firm odds: the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.; the top game by est. revenue, FrostBound, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 29 more are announced, ×3.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $1.8k, ×2.9 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $450; 1 in 20 cleared $530k, ×856 the market median. Revenue is up 5000% on the market; 29 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.9 times the market baseline, revenue up 5000% on the market, 29 announced, ×3.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Deckbuilding + Steampunk
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 14
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $20k → $449 → $47k → $1.8k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Deckbuilding + Steampunk: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 14
Bottom 30% $449 (exactly $449)
Median $1.8k (exactly $1,797)
Top 25% $47k (exactly $47,218)
Top 5% $538k (exactly $537,841)
Developers, 2 yr 14
Released games 28
Announced 29
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 up 5000% on the market, supply 80% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 14%, 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
Steampunk
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; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Card Game, Strategy, Adventure
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
5 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 80% positive over 1,793 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $450, median $1.8k, 1 in 4 over $47k, 1 in 20 over $530k.

3 in 10 developers made under $450. All of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 29 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.2 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

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech older $24.99 1,953 87% 59k $1.5M (exactly $1,464,164) Image & Form Games
FrostBound $14.99 1,196 82% 36k $538k (exactly $537,841) Lyra Studio
Sovereign Syndicate older $19.99 573 79% 17k $344k (exactly $343,628) Crimson Herring Studios
Erannorth Chronicles older $20.99 407 85% 12k $256k (exactly $256,288) Spyridon Thalassinos
Hunter's Moon: A Sovereign Syndicate Adventure $19.99 205 83% 6.2k $123k (exactly $122,938) Crimson Herring Studios
Ironclad Tactics older $14.99 237 75% 7.1k $107k (exactly $106,579) Zachtronics
Snow Ash $14.99 179 73% 5.4k $80k (exactly $80,496) Ember Studio
Dawnmaker older $14.99 156 91% 4.7k $70k (exactly $70,153) Arpentor Studio
Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage · EA $14.99 105 60% 3.2k $47k (exactly $47,218) Fabled Game
Break Siege · EA $14.99 66 84% 2.0k $30k (exactly $29,680) FojoGames
King’s Well $14.99 17 76% 510 $7.6k (exactly $7,645) Fire Brick Games
BULLACATOR -pusher tank battle- · EA $5.99 10 80% 300 $1.8k (exactly $1,797) mongata,K.K
The Mnemograph · EA $4.99 9 100% 270 $1.3k (exactly $1,347) Thousands of Daggers
Gemwielders $9.99 3 100% 90 $899 (exactly $899) Simon Sailer, Enhydra Games
Cardio $4.99 3 100% 90 $449 (exactly $449) Mat'ndCo

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