Games › Hack and Slash › Hack and Slash + Local Multiplayer
Should I ship a Local Multiplayer Hack and Slash game?
Hack and Slash + Local Multiplayer
Of 44 developers who shipped a Local Multiplayer Hack and Slash 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.. 70 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.5k, ×2.4 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $240; 1 in 20 cleared $550k, ×876 the market median. Revenue is down 75% on the market; 70 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $239 (exactly $239) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.5k (exactly $1,525) |
| Top 25% | $17k (exactly $16,639) |
| Top 5% | $550k (exactly $550,216) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 44 |
| Released games | 160 |
| Announced | 70 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
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 60% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 11%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Hack and Slash
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
- Local Multiplayer
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Hack and Slash, Local Multiplayer; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Local Co-Op, Co-op
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Colorful, 2D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 76% positive over 12,252 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $240. 8 in 10 of the 19 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 70 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Hack and Slash with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Turn-BasedStrong odds
- + Turn-Based CombatStrong odds
- + VampiresFair
- + ModernFair
- + IdlerFair
- + IncrementalFair
- + RomancePoor odds
- + Visual NovelPoor odds
- + Character Action GamePoor odds
- + DestructionPoor odds
- + LGBTQ+Poor odds
- + AutomationPoor odds
Comparable games
Castle Crashers® 2012 · $49M 
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition 2014 · $18M 
Wizard of Legend 2018 · $8.3M 
Rotwood 2026 · $6.7M 
Lost Castle / 失落城堡 2016 · $5.5M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Castle Crashers® | older | $14.99 | 109,654 96% | 3.3M | $49M (exactly $49,311,404) | The Behemoth |
| | DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition | older | $49.99 | 11,886 83% | 357k | $18M (exactly $17,825,434) | KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. |
| | Wizard of Legend | older | $15.99 | 17,322 91% | 520k | $8.3M (exactly $8,309,363) | Contingent99 |
| | Rotwood | $29.99 | 7,459 74% | 224k | $6.7M (exactly $6,710,862) | Klei Entertainment | |
| | Lost Castle / 失落城堡 | older | $9.99 | 18,417 87% | 553k | $5.5M (exactly $5,519,575) | Hunter Studio |
 | Gauntlet™ Slayer Edition | older | $19.99 | 6,690 81% | 201k | $4.0M (exactly $4,011,993) | Arrowhead Game Studios |
 | Ember Knights | older | $19.99 | 6,065 93% | 182k | $3.6M (exactly $3,637,180) | Doom Turtle |
 | Warhammer: Chaosbane | older | $29.99 | 3,274 60% | 98k | $2.9M (exactly $2,945,618) | Eko Software |
 | WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Ultimate Definitive Edition | older | $39.99 | 2,129 88% | 64k | $2.6M (exactly $2,554,161) | KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. |
 | Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic | older | $14.99 | 2,556 83% | 77k | $1.1M (exactly $1,149,433) | MAGES. Inc. |
 | Wild Woods | · EA | $14.99 | 1,746 78% | 52k | $785k (exactly $785,176) | Octofox Games |
 | Gladio Mori | $15.99 | 1,147 82% | 34k | $550k (exactly $550,216) | Plebeian Studio | |
 | DuneCrawl | $19.99 | 568 74% | 17k | $341k (exactly $340,630) | Alientrap | |
 | Coridden | $19.99 | 426 89% | 13k | $255k (exactly $255,472) | Aftnareld | |
 | SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure | $14.99 | 517 70% | 16k | $232k (exactly $232,495) | kopiforge | |
 | Shrine's Legacy | $19.99 | 155 82% | 4.7k | $93k (exactly $92,954) | Positive Concept Games | |
 | Wendigo Blue | · EA | $9.99 | 146 90% | 4.4k | $44k (exactly $43,756) | EndlessFluff |
 | Storm Lancers | $19.99 | 40 62% | 1.2k | $24k (exactly $23,988) | ProbablyMonsters | |
 | Box Knight | $14.99 | 48 93% | 1.4k | $22k (exactly $21,586) | We Made A Thing Studios |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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