Do I ship it?

GamesRhythmRhythm + Hidden Object

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Hidden Object Rhythm game?

Rhythm + Hidden Object

Only 14 developers shipped a Hidden Object Rhythm game 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, 30 Birds, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 12 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $390 in the last 2 years and $450 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 8 developers shipped in the last year and 12 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.8 times the market baseline, revenue down 70% on the market, 12 announced, ×1.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Rhythm + Hidden Object
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 14
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $239 → $2.9k → $599 → $390 → $59 → $8.2k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Rhythm + Hidden Object: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 14
Bottom 30% $90 (exactly $90)
Median $390 (exactly $390)
Top 25% $3.8k (exactly $3,776)
Top 5% $74k (exactly $74,479)
Developers, 2 yr 14
Released games 41
Announced 12
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $6.99

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 70% on the market, supply 35% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 5%, 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.

Rhythm
effort 3 / 10 · medium · audio sync, timing precision and music rights
Hidden Object
effort 2 / 10 · high · static scenes with click targets

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Rhythm, Hidden Object
Price point
$6.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 10 games average 95% positive over 280 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $90, median $390, 1 in 4 over $3.7k, 1 in 20 over $74k.

3 in 10 developers made under $90. 8 in 10 of the 6 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 12 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Choose Your Own AdventureStrong odds23 devs · median $3.3k · 18 announced
  2. + Third-Person ShooterStrong odds6 devs · median $3.3k · 6 announced
  3. + Visual NovelFair38 devs · median $18k · 52 announced
  4. + ModernFair15 devs · median $13k · 15 announced
  5. + Artificial IntelligenceFair8 devs · median $7.8k · 13 announced
  6. + LGBTQ+Fair23 devs · median $7.2k · 26 announced
  7. + ManagementFair19 devs · median $5.9k · 24 announced
  8. + Beat 'em upFair17 devs · median $4.5k · 15 announced
  9. + Dating SimFair21 devs · median $3.1k · 17 announced
  10. + Choices MatterFair36 devs · median $2.4k · 35 announced
  11. + SimulationFair114 devs · median $980 · 100 announced
  12. + Combat RacingFair10 devs · median $802 · 9 announced

All 110 pairs on the Rhythm page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Rap Pop Jump Core older $29.99 91 89% 2.7k $82k (exactly $81,873) Galactic Geckon
30 Birds $17.99 138 96% 4.1k $74k (exactly $74,479) RAM RAM Games, Business Goose Studios
SUPER 56 older $6.99 146 94% 4.4k $31k (exactly $30,616) Onion Soup Interactive
Don't Crash $4.99 68 98% 2.0k $10k (exactly $10,180) Override Studio
The PARADOGX Incident $10.99 25 92% 750 $8.2k (exactly $8,242) Artibex
Poop Spotter ~ The game to improve the quality of poop~ older $2.99 46 95% 1.4k $4.1k (exactly $4,126) EXO Games
Puzzle Dazzle $8.99 14 100% 420 $3.8k (exactly $3,776) Smash Game Studios
Catarro older $4.99 21 90% 630 $3.1k (exactly $3,144) Bad Kid Games
The Fantastic Kitty Rue older $5.99 17 94% 510 $3.1k (exactly $3,055) Ink Rose Inc, Studio SyndiCat, TYM Stud… (Ink Rose Inc, Studio SyndiCat, TYM Studio)
DETUNED older $5.99 16 87% 480 $2.9k (exactly $2,875) ApeHardware
PathUp! $6.99 7 85% 210 $1.5k (exactly $1,468) Geghamyan Hrachya
Escape the House $0.99 22 95% 660 $653 (exactly $653) REVO Team's
Estrella Quest $12.99 1 0% 30 $390 (exactly $390) Estrella Dev
Kiss and Tal: Seduced by Sorcery $3.99 2 100% 60 $239 (exactly $239) Onyx DreamMaker Games
A Piano Tale · EA $2.99 2 50% 60 $179 (exactly $179) Pianogo Studio
Part Of My Heart $2.99 1 0% 30 $90 (exactly $90) Dee Odd Games

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