Do I ship it?

Games › Strategy RPG › Strategy RPG + Grid-Based Movement

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Grid-Based Movement Strategy RPG?

Strategy RPG + Grid-Based Movement

Of 53 developers who shipped a Grid-Based Movement Strategy RPG 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.. 156 more are announced, ×5.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $9.9k, ×16 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $900; 1 in 20 cleared $5.8M, ×9271 the market median. Revenue is up 245% on the market; 156 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 15.7 times the market baseline, revenue up 245% on the market, 156 announced, ×5.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Strategy RPG + Grid-Based Movement
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 53
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.6k → $14k → $13k → $23k → $8.5k → $33k → $899 (still earning) → $9.9k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Strategy RPG + Grid-Based Movement: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 53
Bottom 30% $899 (exactly $899)
Median $9.9k (exactly $9,880)
Top 25% $73k (exactly $73,485)
Top 5% $5.8M (exactly $5,822,144)
Developers, 2 yr 53
Released games 144
Announced 156
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $12.99

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 up 245% on the market, supply as many developers as the period before.

Free games: 13%, 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.

Strategy RPG
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Grid-Based Movement
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Strategy RPG, Grid-Based Movement; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Strategy, Turn-Based Tactics
Price point
$12.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Isometric
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $12.99.

The top 10 games average 85% positive over 41,196 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $900, median $9.9k, 1 in 4 over $73k, 1 in 20 over $5.8M.

3 in 10 developers made under $900. 8 in 10 of the 30 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 156 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year, ×5.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + SportsFair23 devs · median $4.7k · 26 announced
  2. + SwordplayFair22 devs · median $2.7k · 28 announced
  3. + Bullet HellFair40 devs · median $2.0k · 31 announced
  4. + EconomyFair95 devs · median $2.0k · 128 announced
  5. + Asynchronous MultiplayerFair8 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  6. + ConspiracyFair19 devs · median $1.2k · 21 announced
  7. + Shop KeeperFair21 devs · median $987 · 25 announced
  8. + 2D PlatformerFair108 devs · median $479 · 113 announced
  9. + Point & ClickFair43 devs · median $450 · 47 announced
  10. + Turn-BasedPoor odds58 devs · median $63k · 76 announced
  11. + Dating SimPoor odds30 devs · median $35k · 41 announced
  12. + 4XPoor odds15 devs · median $31k · 33 announced

All 158 pairs on the Strategy RPG page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

STAR WARS Zero Company™ 2026 · $29M Battle Brothers 2017 · $23M MENACE 2026 · EA · $15M King Arthur: Knight's Tale 2022 · $9.1M TRIANGLE STRATEGY 2022 · $5.8M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
STAR WARS Zero Company™ $49.99 19,521 82% 586k $29M (exactly $29,275,644) Bit Reactor
Battle Brothers older $29.99 26,118 87% 784k $23M (exactly $23,498,365) Overhype Studios
MENACE · EA $39.99 12,281 90% 368k $15M (exactly $14,733,516) Overhype Studios
King Arthur: Knight's Tale older $44.99 6,722 83% 202k $9.1M (exactly $9,072,683) NeocoreGames
TRIANGLE STRATEGY older $59.99 3,239 78% 97k $5.8M (exactly $5,829,228) Square Enix, ARTDINK
Xenonauts 2 $39.99 4,853 81% 146k $5.8M (exactly $5,822,144) Goldhawk Interactive
Persona 5 Tactica older $59.99 1,526 74% 46k $2.7M (exactly $2,746,342) ATLUS
Low Magic Age · EA older $14.99 3,342 89% 100k $1.5M (exactly $1,502,897) Low Magic Studios
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked $29.99 1,235 82% 37k $1.1M (exactly $1,111,130) Resolution Games
Classified: France '44 older $39.99 844 70% 25k $1.0M (exactly $1,012,547) Absolutely Games
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch $24.99 1,293 81% 39k $969k (exactly $969,362) Ocean Drive Studio, Inc.
Those Who Rule $17.99 1,116 89% 33k $602k (exactly $602,305) Eldin Turulja
Veterum $19.99 204 85% 6.1k $122k (exactly $122,339) Crasleen Games
Jupiter Hell Classic · EA $14.99 230 95% 6.9k $103k (exactly $103,431) ChaosForge
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

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