Do I ship it?

GamesPlatformerPlatformer + Detective

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Detective Platformer?

Platformer + Detective

Of 23 developers who shipped a Detective Platformer 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.. 38 more are announced, ×4.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $450, ×0.9 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $50; 1 in 20 cleared $24k, ×52 the market median. Revenue is up 475% on the market; 38 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 0.9 times the market baseline, revenue up 475% on the market, 38 announced, ×4.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Detective
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 23
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.0k → $2.1k → $1.4k → $359 → $4.9k → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Detective: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 23
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $450 (exactly $450)
Top 25% $3.9k (exactly $3,896)
Top 5% $25k (exactly $24,929)
Developers, 2 yr 23
Released games 72
Announced 38
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $5.99

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 475% on the market, supply 45% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 17%, 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Detective
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Platformer; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Puzzle, Exploration, Puzzle Platformer
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 3D, First-Person
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 91% positive over 1,708 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $450, 1 in 4 over $3.8k, 1 in 20 over $24k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. 9 in 10 of the 19 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 38 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Platformer with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + Dating SimStrong odds19 devs · median $3.0k · 15 announced
  2. + PinballStrong odds10 devs · median $2.5k · 6 announced
  3. + Combat RacingFair28 devs · median $899 · 38 announced
  4. + FMVFair9 devs · median $899 · 10 announced
  5. + SimulationFair281 devs · median $628 · 235 announced
  6. + Grid-Based MovementFair23 devs · median $539 · 18 announced
  7. + AutomationFair13 devs · median $449 · 16 announced
  8. + Turn-Based TacticsLong shot15 devs · median $360 · 18 announced
  9. + LGBTQ+Poor odds42 devs · median $7.2k · 90 announced
  10. + Co-op CampaignPoor odds32 devs · median $6.5k · 90 announced
  11. + JRPGPoor odds14 devs · median $5.8k · 38 announced
  12. + SkateboardingPoor odds14 devs · median $4.8k · 23 announced

All 206 pairs on the Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Contrast older $9.99 4,548 90% 136k $1.4M (exactly $1,363,036) Compulsion Games
Supraworld · EA $29.99 1,471 91% 44k $1.3M (exactly $1,323,459) Supra Games
Hello Neighbor VR: Search and Rescue older $29.99 223 72% 6.7k $201k (exactly $200,633) Steel Wool Studios
FURRY SEX: Cabaret 💋🔞 older $6.99 299 71% 9.0k $63k (exactly $62,700) Furry Tails
Insecticide Part 1 older $3.99 357 76% 11k $43k (exactly $42,733) Crackpot Entertainment
The Library of Babel older $18.99 61 70% 1.8k $35k (exactly $34,752) Tanuki Game Studio
Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora older $14.99 74 70% 2.2k $33k (exactly $33,278) Glass Bottom Games
SEX Prison [18+] older $6.99 136 50% 4.1k $29k (exactly $28,519) Romantic Room
Ghostland Yard older $9.99 87 97% 2.6k $26k (exactly $26,074) Obelisk Studio
Together in Forgotten Lands $7.99 104 90% 3.1k $25k (exactly $24,929) Vellichor Games
Memori · EA $14.99 22 95% 660 $9.9k (exactly $9,893) PracticalNPC
YinYang Street: Separate Ways $7.99 27 85% 810 $6.5k (exactly $6,472) 彼云工作室
Saving Princess Of Mars $14.99 11 100% 330 $4.9k (exactly $4,947) Hrtz Games
Local Opera $9.99 13 30% 390 $3.9k (exactly $3,896) Dreamy_Chat
方块 Block $2.99 33 93% 990 $3.0k (exactly $2,960) GlanielStudio
Mikoshi: The Lost Crystals $5.99 11 90% 330 $2.0k (exactly $1,977) DremGames
The Newton Mystery $5.99 8 100% 240 $1.4k (exactly $1,438) In The Snow Studios
1964 Operation Velvet Twins $5.99 8 87% 240 $1.4k (exactly $1,438) SEEP

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