Games › Puzzle › Puzzle + Dragons
Should I ship a Dragon Puzzle game?
Puzzle + Dragons
Of 38 developers who shipped a Dragon Puzzle game 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.. 57 more are announced, ×2.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.1 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $240; 1 in 20 cleared $77k, ×124 the market median. Revenue is up 185% on the market; 57 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $239 (exactly $239) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,317) |
| Top 25% | $3.4k (exactly $3,358) |
| Top 5% | $78k (exactly $77,678) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 38 |
| Released games | 141 |
| Announced | 57 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| 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 185% on the market, supply 10% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 13%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Puzzle; 3 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Adventure, Action
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
- Art
- 3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 3D, Cute
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 90% positive over 966 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $240. Nearly all of the 24 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 57 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.7 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Puzzle with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Job SimulatorFair
- + Medical SimFair
- + Roguelike DeckbuilderFair
- + Escape RoomFair
- + VampiresFair
- + CatsFair
- + DemonsFair
- + God GameFair
- + RomanceFair
- + AutomationFair
- + Tower DefenseFair
- + LemmingsFair
Comparable games
Word Game 2022 · $6.2M 
Storyteller 2023 · $3.7M 
Hammerwatch II 2023 · $1.4M 
Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy 2025 · $631k 
Toren 2015 · $286k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Word Game | older | $34.99 | 5,930 93% | 178k | $6.2M (exactly $6,224,721) | Team9 |
| | Storyteller | older | $14.99 | 8,169 88% | 245k | $3.7M (exactly $3,673,599) | Daniel Benmergui |
| | Hammerwatch II | older | $24.99 | 1,871 60% | 56k | $1.4M (exactly $1,402,689) | Crackshell |
| | Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy | $39.99 | 526 90% | 16k | $631k (exactly $631,042) | Microids Studio Paris | |
| | Toren | older | $9.99 | 954 64% | 29k | $286k (exactly $285,914) | Swordtales |
 | Golf Around! | older | $9.99 | 823 94% | 25k | $247k (exactly $246,653) | Hough Studio |
 | Sex and the Furry Titty | older | $6.99 | 996 90% | 30k | $209k (exactly $208,861) | Furlough Games |
 | DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders | older | $29.99 | 158 90% | 4.7k | $142k (exactly $142,153) | Climax Studios Ltd. |
 | Dungeon Of Dragon Knight | older | $11.99 | 315 74% | 9.5k | $113k (exactly $113,306) | HexGameStudio |
 | 文字遊戯(日本語版) | $34.99 | 74 90% | 2.2k | $78k (exactly $77,678) | Team9, ESQUADRA,inc. | |
 | Ultimate Drummer | $5.99 | 170 98% | 5.1k | $31k (exactly $30,549) | Cool 3D World | |
 | Spellbound Beauties | $6.99 | 72 83% | 2.2k | $15k (exactly $15,098) | Lunar Kiss Games | |
 | Rune Ark | $6.99 | 29 65% | 870 | $6.1k (exactly $6,081) | WelesGames | |
 | DungeonSweeper | $7.99 | 21 76% | 630 | $5.0k (exactly $5,034) | Smoketree Studios | |
 | Katana Dragon | $9.99 | 16 81% | 480 | $4.8k (exactly $4,795) | Tsunoa Games | |
 | Scale Mail | $3.99 | 34 100% | 1.0k | $4.1k (exactly $4,070) | Jam Jar Game Studio | |
 | Spire Blast | $6.99 | 17 100% | 510 | $3.6k (exactly $3,565) | Orbital Knight | |
 | One more gem | $15.99 | 7 100% | 210 | $3.4k (exactly $3,358) | Cosmin Munteanu |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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