Games › Hidden Object › Hidden Object + Underground
Should I ship an Underground Hidden Object?
Hidden Object + Underground
Of 30 developers who shipped an Underground Hidden Object 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.. 36 more are announced, ×2.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.8k, ×3.8 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $540; 1 in 20 cleared $65k, ×138 the market median. Revenue is down 45% on the market; 36 games are announced against 13 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $538 (exactly $538) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.8k (exactly $1,796) |
| Top 25% | $6.0k (exactly $5,994) |
| Top 5% | $65k (exactly $65,391) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 30 |
| Released games | 75 |
| Announced | 36 |
| Effort | 4 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $4.99 |
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 45% on the market, supply 25% fewer 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.
- Hidden Object
- effort 2 / 10 · high · static scenes with click targets
- Underground
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- Hidden Object; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Exploration, Puzzle
- Price point
- $4.99 typical · top 25% priced $15.00 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, First-Person, Atmospheric
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $15.00 or above; the middle game at $4.99.
The top 10 games average 80% positive over 1,969 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $540. 9 in 10 of the 19 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 36 games are announced against 13 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.8 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Hidden Object with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Job SimulatorStrong odds
- + Level EditorFair
- + Dating SimFair
- + CatsFair
- + DogsFair
- + RomanceFair
- + FlightFair
- + City BuilderFair
- + SimulationFair
- + UnderwaterFair
- + Word GameFair
- + Point & ClickFair
Comparable games
マーダーミステリーパラドクス このひと夏の十五年 2023 · $149k 
Cellar Keeper 2026 · $134k 
iDigging 2025 · $65k 
Scamper 2023 · $52k 
TARO IS BACK 2026 · $20k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | マーダーミステリーパラドクス このひと夏の十五年 | older | $19.99 | 249 85% | 7.5k | $149k (exactly $149,325) | 213℉ |
| | Cellar Keeper | $4.99 | 892 89% | 27k | $134k (exactly $133,532) | EgoTrampoline | |
| | iDigging | $2.99 | 729 69% | 22k | $65k (exactly $65,391) | TWEN | |
| | Scamper | older | $19.99 | 87 87% | 2.6k | $52k (exactly $52,174) | Bezbro Games |
| | TARO IS BACK | $15.00 | 44 84% | 1.3k | $20k (exactly $19,800) | BeforeHomeWorks | |
 | Take Notes | $6.99 | 93 96% | 2.8k | $20k (exactly $19,502) | Stoneware Game Studio | |
 | I live under your house. | older | $1.99 | 305 80% | 9.2k | $18k (exactly $18,208) | SpoocleMacBoogle |
 | Tunnels of Despair | older | $5.99 | 59 64% | 1.8k | $11k (exactly $10,602) | BearFighterDev |
 | 100 hidden frogs 2 | older | $0.99 | 327 77% | 9.8k | $9.7k (exactly $9,712) | Anatoliy Loginovskikh |
 | Rat Cage | older | $9.99 | 31 80% | 930 | $9.3k (exactly $9,291) | GosunSoft |
 | Elsewhere Electric | $24.99 | 11 27% | 330 | $8.2k (exactly $8,247) | Games by Stitch | |
 | Slendrina Remake | $3.99 | 65 63% | 2.0k | $7.8k (exactly $7,780) | GearMech | |
 | COLLAPSE COMPANY | · EA | $8.99 | 28 89% | 840 | $7.6k (exactly $7,552) | VOLT-TECKS GAME STUDIO |
 | Cave Hikers | $9.99 | 20 95% | 600 | $6.0k (exactly $5,994) | Studio Spektar, Porcupine Parkour | |
 | Death Sees Twice: Spot the Difference | $2.99 | 64 81% | 1.9k | $5.7k (exactly $5,741) | hirohasu | |
 | Project: Doll Heaven | $4.99 | 23 56% | 690 | $3.4k (exactly $3,443) | Jpegsama |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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