Games › Exploration › Exploration + FMV
Should I ship an Exploration FMV?
Exploration + FMV
Of 45 developers who shipped an Exploration FMV 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.. 76 more are announced, ×3.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $27k, ×56 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $5.2k; 1 in 20 cleared $1.2M, ×2529 the market median. Revenue is down 70% on the market; 76 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $5.1k (exactly $5,124) |
|---|---|
| Median | $27k (exactly $26,673) |
| Top 25% | $111k (exactly $110,741) |
| Top 5% | $1.2M (exactly $1,201,149) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 45 |
| Released games | 154 |
| Announced | 76 |
| Effort | 4 / 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 70% on the market, supply 10% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 10%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Exploration
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
- FMV
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- Exploration, FMV; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Interactive Fiction, RPG, Simulation
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 7 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, Cinematic, First-Person
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 89% positive over 18,544 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $5.2k. 5 in 10 of the 27 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 76 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.5 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Exploration with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Roguelike DeckbuilderFair
- + MinigamesFair
- + SpaceshipsFair
- + Escape RoomFair
- + Real-Time with PausePoor odds
- + WuxiaPoor odds
- + Extraction ShooterPoor odds
- + Martial ArtsPoor odds
- + Open World Survival CraftPoor odds
- + MMORPGPoor odds
- + FarmingPoor odds
- + Job SimulatorPoor odds
Comparable games
Obduction 2016 · $2.7M 
Her Story 2015 · $2.5M 
Mandate Of Heaven 2025 · $2.4M 
Breakout 13 2023 · $2.1M 
Eclipsium 2025 · $1.3M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Obduction | older | $29.99 | 3,032 78% | 91k | $2.7M (exactly $2,727,890) | Cyan, Inc. |
| | Her Story | older | $9.99 | 8,367 89% | 251k | $2.5M (exactly $2,507,590) | Sam Barlow |
| | Mandate Of Heaven | $14.99 | 5,446 91% | 163k | $2.4M (exactly $2,449,066) | 木焱工作室 | |
| | Breakout 13 | older | $9.99 | 6,899 87% | 207k | $2.1M (exactly $2,067,630) | ALT Lab |
| | Eclipsium | $12.99 | 3,306 91% | 99k | $1.3M (exactly $1,288,348) | Housefire | |
 | STASIS: BONE TOTEM | older | $19.99 | 2,025 93% | 61k | $1.2M (exactly $1,214,392) | THE BROTHERHOOD |
 | Shao Song I | $14.99 | 2,671 81% | 80k | $1.2M (exactly $1,201,149) | 互动之星, 猫眼娱乐 | |
 | Contradiction: Spot The Liar | older | $12.99 | 2,838 94% | 85k | $1.1M (exactly $1,105,969) | Baggy Cat Ltd. |
 | IMMORTALITY | older | $19.99 | 1,768 84% | 53k | $1.1M (exactly $1,060,270) | Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid |
 | 恋爱单选题 | older | $10.99 | 2,424 81% | 73k | $799k (exactly $799,193) | 无忧传媒 |
 | Conquer the world | $12.99 | 1,996 92% | 60k | $778k (exactly $777,841) | 互动之星 | |
 | 荒岛求生：逃出美女岛 | $9.99 | 1,161 93% | 35k | $348k (exactly $347,952) | 翱游科技AlbatrooGame, 荒岛互动娱乐 | |
 | Blood Money: Lethal Eden | $8.99 | 1,262 91% | 38k | $340k (exactly $340,361) | 碧火互娱 | |
 | Dead Take | $14.99 | 752 87% | 23k | $338k (exactly $338,174) | Surgent Studios | |
 | Half Billion: Love Choice | $11.99 | 608 70% | 18k | $219k (exactly $218,698) | 东阳开局互动影视有限公司, 上海哈昔互联网科技有限公司 | |
 | Breaker of fatalism | $10.99 | 613 88% | 18k | $202k (exactly $202,106) | showplay entertainment | |
 | I've Fallen For You! | $7.99 | 729 88% | 22k | $175k (exactly $174,741) | LOVE MOOD STUDIO LIMITED |
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.