Do I ship it?

GamesInvestigationInvestigation + Dogs

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Dog Investigation game?

Investigation + Dogs

Only 11 developers shipped a Dog Investigation game 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, Enigma of Fear, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 16 more are announced, ×4.0 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $3.6k against a market of $480. 16 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 7.6 times the market baseline, revenue up 365% on the market, 16 announced, ×4.0 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Investigation + Dogs
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 11
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $2.2k → $7.2k → $1.4k
Outcomes for Investigation + Dogs: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 11
Bottom 30% $1.4k (exactly $1,438)
Median $3.6k (exactly $3,598)
Top 25% $36k (exactly $35,526)
Top 5% $2.7M (exactly $2,739,586)
Developers, 2 yr 11
Released games 26
Announced 16
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $13.99

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 365% on the market, supply 45% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 8%, 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.

Investigation
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Dogs
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
Investigation
Price point
$13.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 10 games average 95% positive over 3,657 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $1.5k, median $3.6k, 1 in 4 over $35k, 1 in 20 over $2.7M.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.5k. 7 in 10 of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 16 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.0 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Escape RoomFair61 devs · median $2.1k · 50 announced
  2. + IdlerFair15 devs · median $898 · 16 announced
  3. + TriviaLong shot8 devs · median $215 · 9 announced
  4. + LGBTQ+Poor odds42 devs · median $39k · 70 announced
  5. + JRPGPoor odds16 devs · median $12k · 27 announced
  6. + HistoricalPoor odds64 devs · median $9.0k · 121 announced
  7. + RomancePoor odds62 devs · median $9.0k · 101 announced
  8. + GothicPoor odds26 devs · median $8.1k · 54 announced
  9. + LovecraftianPoor odds56 devs · median $7.2k · 104 announced
  10. + Dating SimPoor odds37 devs · median $6.6k · 50 announced
  11. + Card GamePoor odds14 devs · median $6.6k · 34 announced
  12. + SciencePoor odds21 devs · median $5.9k · 36 announced

All 134 pairs on the Investigation page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Blair Witch older $29.99 6,489 78% 195k $5.8M (exactly $5,838,153) Bloober Team SA
Enigma of Fear $29.99 3,045 95% 91k $2.7M (exactly $2,739,586) Dumativa, Cellbit
The Beekeeper's Picnic - A Sherlockian Adventure $13.99 467 97% 14k $196k (exactly $196,000) The Wonder Room
The Good Life older $29.99 198 74% 5.9k $178k (exactly $178,141) White Owls Inc.
Blair Witch VR older $29.99 184 69% 5.5k $166k (exactly $165,545) Bloober Team SA
Inspector Waffles older $12.99 223 95% 6.7k $87k (exactly $86,903) Goloso Games
The Good Dog: Chasing Shadows · EA $14.99 79 86% 2.4k $36k (exactly $35,526) Poultry Party Games
Deep Beyond older $8.99 62 87% 1.9k $17k (exactly $16,721) Avix Games
Lost and Hound older $18.99 29 89% 870 $17k (exactly $16,521) Daisy Ale Soundworks
Animal Doctor older $19.99 27 25% 810 $16k (exactly $16,192) Caipirinha Games
Finch & Archie · EA $11.99 26 92% 780 $9.4k (exactly $9,352) Octarine Arts
Blood On The Thames $14.99 16 93% 480 $7.2k (exactly $7,195) Team Firestorm
The Empress Quest : Full Moons Saga $19.99 6 100% 180 $3.6k (exactly $3,598) Nine Stories Tower Studio
Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes $19.99 5 100% 150 $3.0k (exactly $2,998) Wamill
Murder Is Game Over: The Blackinton Curse $5.99 8 100% 240 $1.4k (exactly $1,438) HitherYon Games
Like a dog $6.99 4 100% 120 $839 (exactly $839) NotSorry
Pack It Out $4.99 1 0% 30 $150 (exactly $150) Deadbug

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