Games › Turn-Based Combat › Turn-Based Combat + Dragons
Should I ship a Dragon Turn-Based Combat game?
Turn-Based Combat + Dragons
Of 47 developers who shipped a Dragon Turn-Based Combat 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.. 67 more are announced, ×2.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.7k, ×4.3 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $480; 1 in 20 cleared $1.1M, ×1762 the market median. Revenue is down 10% on the market; 67 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $479 (exactly $479) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.7k (exactly $2,696) |
| Top 25% | $53k (exactly $53,082) |
| Top 5% | $1.1M (exactly $1,106,385) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 47 |
| Released games | 135 |
| Announced | 67 |
| 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 down 10% on the market, supply 80% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 15%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Turn-Based Combat
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
- Dragons
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Turn-Based Combat; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Adventure, Exploration
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $49.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, 2D, Anime
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $49.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 82% positive over 13,031 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $480. 8 in 10 of the 21 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 67 games are announced against 31 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.2 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Turn-Based Combat with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + WuxiaStrong odds
- + Hack and SlashStrong odds
- + RomeFair
- + CookingFair
- + UndergroundFair
- + IdlerFair
- + DiceFair
- + Traditional RoguelikeFair
- + ArcadeFair
- + Tower DefenseFair
- + Artificial IntelligenceFair
- + SolitaireFair
Comparable games
DRAGON QUEST® XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ - Definitive Edition 2020 · $13M 
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection 2026 · $12M 
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined 2026 · $3.8M 
Monster Hunter Stories 2024 · $1.5M 
DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince 2024 · $1.4M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | DRAGON QUEST® XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ - Definitive Edition | older | $39.99 | 10,446 92% | 313k | $13M (exactly $12,532,066) | Square Enix |
| | Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection | $69.99 | 5,605 77% | 168k | $12M (exactly $11,768,818) | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. | |
| | DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined | $59.99 | 2,138 88% | 64k | $3.8M (exactly $3,847,759) | Square Enix, HEXADRIVE Inc. | |
| | Monster Hunter Stories | older | $29.99 | 1,615 90% | 48k | $1.5M (exactly $1,453,016) | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| | DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince | older | $39.99 | 1,158 71% | 35k | $1.4M (exactly $1,389,253) | Square Enix |
 | Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes | older | $24.99 | 1,655 78% | 50k | $1.2M (exactly $1,240,754) | Stardock Entertainment |
 | The Nameless: Slay Dragon | $17.99 | 2,050 91% | 62k | $1.1M (exactly $1,106,385) | The Nameless Epic | |
 | LUNAR Remastered Collection | $49.99 | 576 91% | 17k | $864k (exactly $863,827) | ASHIBI Co., Ltd., GAME ARTS Co., Ltd. | |
 | Dragon Star Varnir | older | $39.99 | 453 78% | 14k | $543k (exactly $543,464) | Idea Factory, Compile Heart |
 | Elemental: Reforged | $29.99 | 478 73% | 14k | $430k (exactly $430,057) | Stardock Entertainment | |
 | None Shall Intrude | $14.99 | 934 73% | 28k | $420k (exactly $420,020) | Aeterna Ludi | |
 | Mamon King | $12.99 | 603 90% | 18k | $235k (exactly $234,989) | LiTMUS Co., Ltd. | |
 | Dragon Song Tavern: Cozy & Adventurous | $19.90 | 274 71% | 8.2k | $164k (exactly $163,578) | Etherous Games Limited | |
 | Beloved Rapture | $19.99 | 237 82% | 7.1k | $142k (exactly $142,129) | Rapturous Studio | |
 | Dark Quest 4 | $19.99 | 136 75% | 4.1k | $82k (exactly $81,559) | Brain Seal Ltd |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
Your address goes to Buttondown, which sends the letter, and nowhere else. Every issue has an unsubscribe link. No tracking beyond the open count Buttondown keeps.