Do I ship it?

GamesExplorationExploration + Local Multiplayer

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Exploration Local Multiplayer game?

Exploration + Local Multiplayer

Of 66 developers who shipped an Exploration Local Multiplayer 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.. 153 more are announced, ×4.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $3.6k, ×7.6 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $300; 1 in 20 cleared $280k, ×593 the market median. Revenue is down 60% on the market; 153 games are announced against 35 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 7.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 60% on the market, 153 announced, ×4.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Exploration + Local Multiplayer
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 66
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $5.4k → $5.7k → $3.0k → $19k → $3.6k → $3.6k → $860 (still earning) → $10k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Exploration + Local Multiplayer: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 66
Bottom 30% $300 (exactly $300)
Median $3.6k (exactly $3,597)
Top 25% $28k (exactly $27,891)
Top 5% $282k (exactly $281,859)
Developers, 2 yr 66
Released games 207
Announced 153
Effort 4 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $11.99

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 60% on the market, supply 10% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 14%, 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Exploration
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
Local Multiplayer
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
Systems
Exploration, Local Multiplayer; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Local Co-Op, Co-op
Price point
$11.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Colorful, 3D, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $11.99.

The top 10 games average 81% positive over 19,350 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $300, median $3.6k, 1 in 4 over $27k, 1 in 20 over $280k.

3 in 10 developers made under $300. 8 in 10 of the 37 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 153 games are announced against 35 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Exploration with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + Roguelike DeckbuilderFair22 devs · median $8.1k · 26 announced
  2. + MinigamesFair31 devs · median $6.7k · 42 announced
  3. + SpaceshipsFair22 devs · median $3.5k · 28 announced
  4. + Escape RoomFair122 devs · median $2.2k · 109 announced
  5. + Real-Time with PausePoor odds13 devs · median $215k · 24 announced
  6. + WuxiaPoor odds12 devs · median $192k · 35 announced
  7. + Extraction ShooterPoor odds23 devs · median $82k · 61 announced
  8. + Martial ArtsPoor odds25 devs · median $69k · 90 announced
  9. + Open World Survival CraftPoor odds146 devs · median $58k · 354 announced
  10. + MMORPGPoor odds24 devs · median $52k · 213 announced
  11. + FMVPoor odds45 devs · median $27k · 76 announced
  12. + FarmingPoor odds41 devs · median $24k · 58 announced

All 258 pairs on the Exploration page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
It Takes Two older $39.99 218,492 95% 6.6M $262M (exactly $262,124,852) Hazelight Studios
REANIMAL $39.99 13,809 78% 414k $17M (exactly $16,566,657) Tarsier Studios
Goat Simulator older $9.99 54,740 90% 1.6M $16M (exactly $16,405,578) Coffee Stain Studios
Amazing Frog? · EA older $19.99 11,169 94% 335k $6.7M (exactly $6,698,049) Fayju
LEGO® City Undercover older $19.99 7,414 91% 222k $4.4M (exactly $4,446,176) Traveller's Tales
Katamari Damacy REROLL older $29.99 4,939 93% 148k $4.4M (exactly $4,443,618) MONKEYCRAFT Co. Ltd.
Conquest of Elysium 5 older $29.99 1,872 90% 56k $1.7M (exactly $1,684,238) Illwinter Game Design
Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos older $19.99 2,705 77% 81k $1.6M (exactly $1,622,188) Heliocentric Studios
Guacamelee! Gold Edition older $14.99 3,154 93% 95k $1.4M (exactly $1,418,354) Drinkbox Studios
LEGO® Voyagers $24.99 1,859 88% 56k $1.4M (exactly $1,393,692) Light Brick Studio
Agent 64: Spies Never Die $21.64 863 86% 26k $560k (exactly $560,260) Replicant D6
Windswept $19.99 470 92% 14k $282k (exactly $281,859) WeatherFell
Together: Moon Escape $9.99 868 90% 26k $260k (exactly $260,140) CarlosGameDev
Coridden $19.99 426 89% 13k $255k (exactly $255,472) Aftnareld
TRANSFORMERS: Galactic Trials $39.99 93 78% 2.8k $112k (exactly $111,572) 3DClouds
Lumberjacked $4.99 647 83% 19k $97k (exactly $96,856) Inner Realm Studios, Dumb Duck Games
Taival · EA $19.99 134 83% 4.0k $80k (exactly $80,360) Bonobo Software
Escape From Mandrillia: Local Asymmetric VR+PC $12.99 181 95% 5.4k $71k (exactly $70,536) German Bandera

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