Games › Swordplay › Swordplay + Horror
Should I ship a Horror Swordplay game?
Swordplay + Horror
Only 13 developers shipped a Horror Swordplay 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, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 37 more are announced, ×9.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: dead, for a 6 / 10 build.
Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $43k against a market of $630. 37 games are announced.
| Bottom 30% | $359 (exactly $359) |
|---|---|
| Median | $43k (exactly $43,189) |
| Top 25% | $668k (exactly $668,258) |
| Top 5% | $24M (exactly $23,682,516) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 13 |
| Released games | 48 |
| Announced | 37 |
| Effort | 6 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $14.99 |
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 2235% on the market, supply 60% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 15%, 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
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Swordplay; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, RPG, Adventure
- Price point
- $14.99 typical · top 25% priced $69.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with First-Person, 3D, Atmospheric
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $69.99 or above; the middle game at $14.99.
The top 10 games average 91% positive over 20,662 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $360. 6 in 10 of the 10 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 37 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×9.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Swordplay with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Visual NovelFair
- + Strategy RPGFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Auto BattlerFair
- + DeckbuildingFair
- + Shoot 'Em UpLong shot
- + SamuraiPoor odds
- + JRPGPoor odds
- + Female ProtagonistPoor odds
- + FightingPoor odds
- + Co-opPoor odds
- + Base BuildingPoor odds
Comparable games
Onimusha: Way of the Sword 2026 · $24M 
Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga 2024 · $14M 
GORN 2019 · $4.5M 
Mortal Sin 2025 · $4.2M 
Hellsplit: Arena 2019 · $2.8M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Onimusha: Way of the Sword | $69.99 | 11,279 89% | 338k | $24M (exactly $23,682,516) | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. | |
| | Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga | older | $49.99 | 9,381 86% | 281k | $14M (exactly $14,068,686) | Ninja Theory |
| | GORN | older | $19.99 | 7,449 94% | 223k | $4.5M (exactly $4,467,165) | Free Lives |
| | Mortal Sin | $24.99 | 5,583 94% | 167k | $4.2M (exactly $4,185,575) | Nikola Todorovic | |
| | Hellsplit: Arena | older | $24.99 | 3,735 83% | 112k | $2.8M (exactly $2,800,130) | Deep Type Games |
 | Soulstice | older | $39.99 | 1,845 76% | 55k | $2.2M (exactly $2,213,446) | Reply Game Studios |
 | Onimusha: Warlords | older | $19.99 | 2,843 93% | 85k | $1.7M (exactly $1,704,947) | CAPCOM CO., LTD |
 | Labyrinth Of The Demon King | $19.99 | 2,116 92% | 63k | $1.3M (exactly $1,268,965) | J. R. Hudepohl | |
 | Dungeons of Blood and Dream | $18.99 | 1,173 93% | 35k | $668k (exactly $668,258) | Lori Vornoy | |
 | Swordsman VR | older | $19.99 | 651 68% | 20k | $390k (exactly $390,405) | Sinn Studio Inc. |
 | Captain Bones : A Pirate's Journey | $14.99 | 348 79% | 10k | $156k (exactly $156,496) | World of Poly | |
 | Breath of Life | $14.99 | 104 78% | 3.1k | $47k (exactly $46,769) | Satur Entertainment | |
 | Lady Death Demonicron | $39.99 | 36 47% | 1.1k | $43k (exactly $43,189) | Art Of Play Interactive | |
 | Ghost Infinite Labyrinth | $7.99 | 15 60% | 450 | $3.6k (exactly $3,596) | riinwin | |
 | 虚衝 - Kyosho | $9.99 | 5 80% | 150 | $1.5k (exactly $1,498) | むつむつプロジェクト（Mutsu'pro） | |
 | Jumpscare Slayer | $3.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $359 (exactly $359) | Rusimitu Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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