Do I ship it?

Games › Grid-Based Movement › Grid-Based Movement + Roguelite

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Grid-Based Movement Roguelite?

Grid-Based Movement + Roguelite

Of 92 developers who shipped a Grid-Based Movement Roguelite 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.. 220 more are announced, ×3.9 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.9k, ×4.1 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $420; 1 in 20 cleared $160k, ×341 the market median. Revenue is down 55% on the market; 220 games are announced against 57 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 4.1 times the market baseline, revenue down 55% on the market, 220 announced, ×3.9 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Grid-Based Movement + Roguelite
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 92
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $13k → $4.2k → $3.6k → $3.3k → $5.9k → $1.0k → $3.1k (still earning) → $899 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Grid-Based Movement + Roguelite: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 92
Bottom 30% $419 (exactly $419)
Median $1.9k (exactly $1,946)
Top 25% $19k (exactly $19,424)
Top 5% $162k (exactly $162,132)
Developers, 2 yr 92
Released games 207
Announced 220
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $7.99

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 55% on the market, supply 65% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 8%, 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Grid-Based Movement
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Roguelite
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Grid-Based Movement, Roguelite; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Roguelike, Tactical
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $15.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $15.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 94% positive over 26,907 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $420, median $1.9k, 1 in 4 over $19k, 1 in 20 over $160k.

3 in 10 developers made under $420. 9 in 10 of the 35 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 220 games are announced against 57 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.9 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Grid-Based Movement with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + HistoricalFair22 devs · median $3.0k · 30 announced
  2. + EconomyFair20 devs · median $1.2k · 29 announced
  3. + AutomationFair28 devs · median $959 · 26 announced
  4. + MiningFair12 devs · median $899 · 14 announced
  5. + CollectathonFair17 devs · median $809 · 17 announced
  6. + BuildingFair50 devs · median $719 · 57 announced
  7. + HackingFair14 devs · median $719 · 11 announced
  8. + SokobanFair143 devs · median $657 · 135 announced
  9. + ProgrammingFair23 devs · median $599 · 24 announced
  10. + DogsFair14 devs · median $599 · 7 announced
  11. + PlatformerFair23 devs · median $539 · 18 announced
  12. + Puzzle PlatformerFair62 devs · median $449 · 56 announced

All 126 pairs on the Grid-Based Movement page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

King Arthur: Knight's Tale 2022 · $9.1M Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors 2026 · $5.6M Sol Cesto 2026 · $2.0M Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch 2025 · $969k Card-en-Ciel 2024 · $642k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
King Arthur: Knight's Tale older $44.99 6,722 83% 202k $9.1M (exactly $9,072,683) NeocoreGames
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors $9.99 18,587 96% 558k $5.6M (exactly $5,570,524) poncle, Nosebleed Interactive
Sol Cesto $13.99 4,838 91% 145k $2.0M (exactly $2,030,509) Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospir… (Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale)
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch $24.99 1,293 81% 39k $969k (exactly $969,362) Ocean Drive Studio, Inc.
Card-en-Ciel $24.99 856 90% 26k $642k (exactly $641,743) INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
King Arthur: Legion IX older $19.99 774 72% 23k $464k (exactly $464,168) NeocoreGames
Dungeon Drafters older $24.99 563 76% 17k $422k (exactly $422,081) Manalith Studios
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon older $19.99 518 91% 16k $311k (exactly $310,645) VINE, Yacht Club Games
For The Warp older $14.99 434 72% 13k $195k (exactly $195,170) Massive Galaxy Studios
Shattered Planet older $14.99 406 68% 12k $183k (exactly $182,578) Kitfox Games
THYSIASTERY $17.49 309 80% 9.3k $162k (exactly $162,132) DIRGA
Master of Piece · EA $14.99 197 86% 5.9k $89k (exactly $88,591) I M GAME, I M fine
Cell Command $17.99 159 97% 4.8k $86k (exactly $85,812) Alpherior
Slot & Dungeons $8.99 304 83% 9.1k $82k (exactly $81,989) MUC GAMES
Lost In The Open · EA $15.99 160 61% 4.8k $77k (exactly $76,752) Black Voyage Games
Trolddom $9.99 204 94% 6.1k $61k (exactly $61,139) Plant Based Games

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