Games › Rhythm › Rhythm + Horror
Should I ship a Horror Rhythm game?
Rhythm + Horror
Only 17 developers shipped a Horror 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, Everhood 2, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 29 more are announced, ×3.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.8 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $600; 1 in 20 cleared $1.3M, ×2786 the market median. Revenue is down 90% on the market; 29 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $599 (exactly $599) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,348) |
| Top 25% | $12k (exactly $12,379) |
| Top 5% | $1.3M (exactly $1,323,538) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 17 |
| Released games | 59 |
| Announced | 29 |
| 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 90% on the market, supply 15% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 22%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- Rhythm; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Action-Adventure, Adventure
- Price point
- $4.99 typical · top 25% priced $29.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Dark, Anime
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $29.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.
The top 10 games average 75% positive over 2,747 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $600. 6 in 10 of the 10 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 29 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.2 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Rhythm with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Choose Your Own AdventureStrong odds
- + Third-Person ShooterStrong odds
- + Visual NovelFair
- + ModernFair
- + Artificial IntelligenceFair
- + LGBTQ+Fair
- + ManagementFair
- + Beat 'em upFair
- + Dating SimFair
- + Choices MatterFair
- + SimulationFair
- + Combat RacingFair
Comparable games
Trombone Champ 2022 · $4.6M 
Thumper 2016 · $2.4M 
Everhood 2 2025 · $1.3M 
Incredibox 2021 · $843k 
Dismantling Workshop of Bio-Girl 2025 · $108k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Trombone Champ | older | $14.99 | 10,327 98% | 310k | $4.6M (exactly $4,644,052) | Holy Wow Studios LLC |
| | Thumper | older | $19.99 | 4,056 91% | 122k | $2.4M (exactly $2,432,383) | Drool |
| | Everhood 2 | $19.99 | 2,207 74% | 66k | $1.3M (exactly $1,323,538) | Chris Nordgren, Jordi Roca | |
| | Incredibox | older | $4.99 | 5,633 96% | 169k | $843k (exactly $843,260) | So Far So Good |
| | Dismantling Workshop of Bio-Girl | $29.99 | 120 61% | 3.6k | $108k (exactly $107,964) | 渡里laboratory | |
 | SPOOKWARE | older | $4.99 | 709 79% | 21k | $106k (exactly $106,137) | BEESWAX GAMES |
 | Metal: Hellsinger VR | $29.99 | 107 68% | 3.2k | $96k (exactly $96,268) | Lab42, The Outsiders | |
 | Kizuna AI - Touch the Beat! | older | $34.99 | 65 86% | 2.0k | $68k (exactly $68,230) | Gemdrops, Inc. |
 | Chair F*cking Simulator | older | $1.99 | 774 95% | 23k | $46k (exactly $46,208) | SoSorrySoft |
 | Aim Climb | older | $6.80 | 225 89% | 6.8k | $46k (exactly $45,900) | YuLu |
 | Lover's Enigma | $11.99 | 98 87% | 2.9k | $35k (exactly $35,251) | FallenCranberry Studio | |
 | This Curse Is Metal as Hell! | Kusodeka Bayashi | $2.99 | 138 98% | 4.1k | $12k (exactly $12,379) | HAZECODE | |
 | Clapism | $2.99 | 29 86% | 870 | $2.6k (exactly $2,601) | Woodpile | |
 | Menhera Farm | $6.99 | 12 83% | 360 | $2.5k (exactly $2,516) | Sugar Star, シュガースター | |
 | PERIOD SURVIVAL | $2.99 | 19 100% | 570 | $1.7k (exactly $1,704) | Vaeirus | |
 | Under The Floor | · EA | $8.99 | 5 100% | 150 | $1.3k (exactly $1,348) | No Laugh Studio |
 | Penance | $2.99 | 12 100% | 360 | $1.1k (exactly $1,076) | Scriptorium Artis |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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