Do I ship it?

Games › FPS › FPS + Steampunk

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Steampunk FPS?

FPS + Steampunk

Only 12 developers shipped a Steampunk FPS in the last 2 years, too few for firm odds: the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.; the top game by est. revenue, SAND: Raiders of Sophie, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 32 more are announced, ×6.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $3.7k, ×2.5 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $720; 1 in 20 cleared $9.3M, ×6248 the market median. Revenue is down 60% on the market; 32 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.5 times the market baseline, revenue down 60% on the market, 32 announced, ×6.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
FPS + Steampunk
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 12
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $13k → $3.7k → $838 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for FPS + Steampunk: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 12
Bottom 30% $719 (exactly $719)
Median $3.7k (exactly $3,742)
Top 25% $49k (exactly $48,551)
Top 5% $9.4M (exactly $9,360,004)
Developers, 2 yr 12
Released games 54
Announced 32
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
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 60% on the market, supply 30% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 19%, excluded from money figures.

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Plate 2 · systems and tooling

Can AI deliver it?

AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.

FPS
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
Steampunk
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
FPS
Price point
$5.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 10 games average 59% positive over 17,749 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $720, median $3.7k, 1 in 4 over $48k, 1 in 20 over $9.3M.

3 in 10 developers made under $720. 9 in 10 of the 8 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 32 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year, ×6.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

FPS with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + LGBTQ+Fair28 devs · median $32k · 22 announced
  2. + Dating SimFair47 devs · median $19k · 36 announced
  3. + IdlerFair22 devs · median $4.2k · 23 announced
  4. + GamblingFair24 devs · median $4.1k · 22 announced
  5. + FaithFair14 devs · median $1.9k · 12 announced
  6. + Precision PlatformerFair37 devs · median $1.6k · 38 announced
  7. + Martial ArtsFair13 devs · median $1.4k · 12 announced
  8. + Walking SimulatorFair172 devs · median $1.2k · 190 announced
  9. + RunnerLong shot39 devs · median $958 · 43 announced
  10. + Action RTSLong shot16 devs · median $899 · 21 announced
  11. + Bullet HellLong shot130 devs · median $629 · 145 announced
  12. + DogsLong shot6 devs · median $594 · 7 announced

All 216 pairs on the FPS page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

BioShock Infinite 2013 · $99M BioShock™ Remastered 2016 · $31M Dishonored 2012 · $20M BioShock™ 2007 · $15M BioShock™ 2 Remastered 2016 · $15M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
BioShock Infinite older $29.99 109,718 93% 3.3M $99M (exactly $98,713,285) Irrational Games, Virtual Programming (… (Irrational Games, Virtual Programming (Linux))
BioShock™ Remastered older $19.99 52,500 83% 1.6M $31M (exactly $31,484,250) 2K Boston, 2K Australia, Blind Squirrel… (2K Boston, 2K Australia, Blind Squirrel, Feral Interactive (Mac))
Dishonored older $9.99 67,504 97% 2.0M $20M (exactly $20,230,949) Arkane Studios
BioShock™ older $19.99 25,188 93% 756k $15M (exactly $15,105,244) 2K Boston, 2K Australia
BioShock™ 2 Remastered older $19.99 24,316 72% 729k $15M (exactly $14,582,305) 2K Marin, 2K China, Digital Extremes, 2… (2K Marin, 2K China, Digital Extremes, 2K Australia, Blind Squirrel, Feral Interactive (Mac))
Thief older $19.99 17,389 75% 522k $10M (exactly $10,428,183) Eidos-Montréal, Feral Interactive (Mac)
SAND: Raiders of Sophie · EA $24.99 12,485 49% 375k $9.4M (exactly $9,360,004) Hologryph, TowerHaus
Dishonored®: Death of the Outsider™ older $29.99 9,801 86% 294k $8.8M (exactly $8,817,960) Arkane Studios
BioShock® 2 older $19.99 11,467 88% 344k $6.9M (exactly $6,876,760) 2K Marin, 2K China, Digital Extremes, 2… (2K Marin, 2K China, Digital Extremes, 2K Australia)
Volcanoids · EA older $19.99 7,679 83% 230k $4.6M (exactly $4,605,096) Volcanoid
Abyssus $24.99 5,014 84% 150k $3.8M (exactly $3,758,996) DoubleMoose Games
Slyders $9.99 162 85% 4.9k $49k (exactly $48,551) Kato Games
The Dawn: Sniper's Way $24.99 18 22% 540 $13k (exactly $13,495) PHOSPHORUS GAMES
Vex Clock $14.99 24 95% 720 $11k (exactly $10,793) Dave Microwaves Games
BROKEN God Awakening $4.99 25 76% 750 $3.7k (exactly $3,742) lamb of game
Westfall · EA $4.99 6 16% 180 $898 (exactly $898) Metavision Studio
The Soul of Romit $3.99 7 57% 210 $838 (exactly $838) Kleon Studio
Keep It Running: Together $5.99 4 100% 120 $719 (exactly $719) EvilDraggie, Evil Turtle Productions
Decodence · EA $3.99 4 75% 120 $479 (exactly $479) Scalar Studios

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