Do I ship it?

GamesGrand StrategyGrand Strategy + God Game

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a God Game Grand Strategy?

Grand Strategy + God Game

Only 11 developers shipped a God Game Grand Strategy 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, Extinction Day, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 17 more are announced, ×2.1 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $2.8k, ×1.9 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $600; 1 in 20 cleared $120k, ×82 the market median. Revenue is down 75% on the market; 17 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.9 times the market baseline, revenue down 75% on the market, 17 announced, ×2.1 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Grand Strategy + God Game
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 11
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $127k → $8.6k → $66k → $3.1k → $63k (still earning) → $600 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Grand Strategy + God Game: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 11
Bottom 30% $600 (exactly $600)
Median $2.8k (exactly $2,848)
Top 25% $13k (exactly $12,688)
Top 5% $124k (exactly $123,538)
Developers, 2 yr 11
Released games 50
Announced 17
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 75% on the market, supply 165% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 12%, 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Grand Strategy
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
God Game
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
Grand Strategy, God Game
Price point
$5.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 10 games average 72% positive over 814 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $600, median $2.8k, 1 in 4 over $12k, 1 in 20 over $120k.

3 in 10 developers made under $600. 8 in 10 of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 17 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.1 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + RoguelikeFair18 devs · median $3.3k · 22 announced
  2. + SportsFair21 devs · median $2.1k · 26 announced
  3. + RogueliteFair21 devs · median $2.0k · 23 announced
  4. + CrimeFair8 devs · median $1.9k · 13 announced
  5. + RacingFair8 devs · median $1.8k · 7 announced
  6. + IncrementalFair17 devs · median $1.3k · 27 announced
  7. + Artificial IntelligenceLong shot21 devs · median $750 · 38 announced
  8. + TabletopLong shot26 devs · median $450 · 26 announced
  9. + Turn-BasedPoor odds19 devs · median $131k · 20 announced
  10. + SandboxPoor odds59 devs · median $51k · 125 announced
  11. + Real-Time with PausePoor odds15 devs · median $37k · 29 announced
  12. + DiplomacyPoor odds54 devs · median $34k · 117 announced

All 104 pairs on the Grand Strategy page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator 2 older $19.99 7,206 84% 216k $4.3M (exactly $4,321,438) Brilliant Game Studios
Dominions 5 - Warriors of the Faith older $39.99 1,924 94% 58k $2.3M (exactly $2,308,223) Illwinter Game Design
Dominions 6 - Rise of the Pantokrator older $44.99 1,686 90% 51k $2.3M (exactly $2,275,594) Illwinter Game Design
Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension older $34.99 1,124 89% 34k $1.2M (exactly $1,179,863) Illwinter Game Design
Fantasy Map Simulator · EA older $7.99 4,190 89% 126k $1.0M (exactly $1,004,343) The Stranger
Driftland: The Magic Revival older $19.99 1,439 73% 43k $863k (exactly $862,968) Star Drifters
Shadows of Forbidden Gods older $19.99 1,046 91% 31k $627k (exactly $627,286) Bobby Two Hands
Deity Empires older $24.99 333 86% 10k $250k (exactly $249,650) BaileyHausdorff Systems
Goblins of Elderstone older $19.99 305 69% 9.2k $183k (exactly $182,908) Outerdawn, Lost Goblin
Tiny Civilization older $1.99 2,134 92% 64k $127k (exactly $127,400) 喜人一个
Extinction Day $19.99 206 74% 6.2k $124k (exactly $123,538) DryGin Studios
吾皇万岁 $4.99 422 68% 13k $63k (exactly $63,173) AI GAME STUDIO
Trump Simulator 2025 $3.99 106 91% 3.2k $13k (exactly $12,688) Luke Gayson
Epoch of Guardians $11.99 32 81% 960 $12k (exactly $11,510) 伊洛维游戏
Command by Voice: World Conquest · EA $9.99 19 52% 570 $5.7k (exactly $5,694) Side Meicai
Central Bank $18.99 5 0% 150 $2.8k (exactly $2,848) Nabiulina software, Jerome Powerr studi… (Nabiulina software, Jerome Powerr studio, Rusalka Unreal Labs)
Stellar Industrialist $2.99 18 88% 540 $1.6k (exactly $1,615) PcZ Games
Imperial Wager: The Shattered Crown of Augustus $19.99 1 0% 30 $600 (exactly $600) Ke Zhou
A Game About Creating The Universe $5.99 2 50% 60 $359 (exactly $359) Dream Dimension
Meowpire $3.99 3 0% 90 $359 (exactly $359) TakedaKaeru

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