Do I ship it?

GamesPlatformerPlatformer + Dogs

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Dog Platformer?

Platformer + Dogs

Of 45 developers who shipped a Dog 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.. 54 more are announced, ×3.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $1.8k, ×3.8 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $450; 1 in 20 cleared $82k, ×174 the market median. Revenue is down 10% on the market; 54 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 3.8 times the market baseline, revenue down 10% on the market, 54 announced, ×3.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Dogs
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 45
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $89 → $1.6k → $7.7k → $2.4k → $2.9k → $897 → $2.1k (still earning) → $899 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Dogs: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 45
Bottom 30% $449 (exactly $449)
Median $1.8k (exactly $1,797)
Top 25% $7.6k (exactly $7,645)
Top 5% $82k (exactly $82,467)
Developers, 2 yr 45
Released games 152
Announced 54
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 down 10% on the market, supply 40% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 13%, 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
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
Platformer; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Action, Exploration
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Cute, 2D, Colorful
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 90% positive over 3,615 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 $7.6k, 1 in 20 over $82k.

3 in 10 developers made under $450. 9 in 10 of the 32 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 54 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.2 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
Valiant Hearts: The Great War™ / Soldats Inconnus : Mémoires de la Grande Guerre™ older $14.99 24,468 95% 734k $11M (exactly $11,003,260) Ubisoft Montpellier
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin older $29.99 5,004 92% 150k $4.5M (exactly $4,502,099) Edelweiss
Pratfall $7.99 2,797 90% 84k $670k (exactly $670,441) Quad Head
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist older $7.99 1,346 91% 40k $323k (exactly $322,636) Outerminds Inc.
Grapple Dog older $14.99 707 88% 21k $318k (exactly $317,938) Medallion Games
Montaro older $0.99 10,625 94% 319k $316k (exactly $315,562) JCKSLAP
Paw Patrol: On A Roll! older $29.99 345 84% 10k $310k (exactly $310,396) Torus Games
BioGun older $19.99 488 87% 15k $293k (exactly $292,654) Dapper Dog Digital
Valiant Hearts: Coming Home older $14.99 529 62% 16k $238k (exactly $237,891) Ubisoft Da Nang, Ubisoft Montpellier
Turbo Pug older $1.99 2,234 92% 67k $133k (exactly $133,370) Space Cat Studios, SnowFlame, Back To B… (Space Cat Studios, SnowFlame, Back To Basics Gaming)
Stars In The Trash $11.99 279 97% 8.4k $100k (exactly $100,356) Valhalla Cats
Goodboy Galaxy $24.99 110 95% 3.3k $82k (exactly $82,467) Goodboy Galaxy Ltd.
Cosmobreeder Yiffai $14.99 166 84% 5.0k $75k (exactly $74,650) KEMOSHOCO
A Corgi's Cozy Hike $19.99 63 100% 1.9k $38k (exactly $37,781) Scalisco
This Is Fine: Maximum Cope $18.99 53 71% 1.6k $30k (exactly $30,194) Hero Concept
Dog Man: Mission Impawsible $29.99 28 96% 840 $25k (exactly $25,192) Floor 84 Studio
Sunfluffs · EA $11.99 56 100% 1.7k $20k (exactly $20,143) Nuclear Strawberry
Nomyou $11.99 39 56% 1.2k $14k (exactly $14,028) Kudalyn's Creations
Ollie-Oop $12.99 24 91% 720 $9.4k (exactly $9,353) Almost Playable Games

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