Games › Open World › Open World + Idler
Should I ship an Idler Open World game?
Open World + Idler
Of 50 developers who shipped an Idler Open World 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.. 74 more are announced, ×2.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.3k, ×1.6 the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $450; 1 in 20 cleared $110k, ×74 the market median. Revenue is up 135% on the market; 74 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $449 (exactly $449) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.3k (exactly $2,336) |
| Top 25% | $5.9k (exactly $5,933) |
| Top 5% | $110k (exactly $110,345) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 50 |
| Released games | 136 |
| Announced | 74 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| 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 up 135% on the market, supply 15% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 24%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Open World
- effort 8 / 10 · low · effort 8 sits in the low band
- Idler
- effort 1 / 10 · high · number growth curves and a UI
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- Open World, Idler; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Adventure, Sandbox
- Price point
- $4.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Realistic, 2D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.
The top 10 games average 73% positive over 5,099 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $450. 7 in 10 of the 27 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 74 games are announced against 27 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.7 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Open World with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + WuxiaFair
- + 4 Player LocalFair
- + VampiresFair
- + TrainsFair
- + FMVFair
- + GothicFair
- + MarsFair
- + TanksFair
- + FaithLong shot
- + DiplomacyPoor odds
- + Real-Time with PausePoor odds
- + Co-op CampaignPoor odds
Comparable games
BitCraft Online 2025 · EA · $1.6M 
Beltmatic 2024 · $461k 
👑 Idle Calibur 👑（选王之剑） 2022 · $298k 
Behind Glass: Aquarium Simulator 2025 · $175k 
XiuzhenWorld 2024 · $170k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | BitCraft Online | · EA | $15.99 | 3,334 72% | 100k | $1.6M (exactly $1,599,320) | Clockwork Laboratories, Inc. |
| | Beltmatic | older | $6.99 | 2,199 94% | 66k | $461k (exactly $461,130) | Notional Games |
| | 👑 Idle Calibur 👑（选王之剑） | older | $7.99 | 1,242 85% | 37k | $298k (exactly $297,707) | 绝汪 |
| | Behind Glass: Aquarium Simulator | $14.99 | 390 95% | 12k | $175k (exactly $175,383) | BitBros Inc | |
| | XiuzhenWorld | older | $12.99 | 436 75% | 13k | $170k (exactly $169,909) | Noforgetit |
 | RUSSIAPHOBIA | older | $0.99 | 5,589 69% | 168k | $166k (exactly $165,993) | European Flameworms |
 | Dead District: Survival | older | $9.99 | 415 48% | 12k | $124k (exactly $124,376) | BadBit Games |
 | Road Maintenance Simulator | older | $24.99 | 159 57% | 4.8k | $119k (exactly $119,202) | Caipirinha Games |
 | Real VR Fishing | $19.99 | 184 73% | 5.5k | $110k (exactly $110,345) | Devs United Games, Inc | |
 | Cultivation Magic World | · EA | $12.99 | 276 78% | 8.3k | $108k (exactly $107,557) | DMG Studio |
 | GeckoShop | $9.99 | 342 66% | 10k | $102k (exactly $102,497) | Reptoid | |
 | Giant Waifu Wash Simulator 💦 | $14.99 | 194 65% | 5.8k | $87k (exactly $87,242) | Lewd Star | |
 | XiuzhenWorld2 | $12.99 | 134 67% | 4.0k | $52k (exactly $52,220) | Noforgetit | |
 | 大宋英雄传(SongHeros) | · EA | $9.99 | 161 79% | 4.8k | $48k (exactly $48,252) | LazyManGameStudio |
 | The Dawn: Sniper's Way | $24.99 | 18 22% | 540 | $13k (exactly $13,495) | PHOSPHORUS GAMES | |
 | AFKandia - Epoch of Idle | $5.99 | 66 45% | 2.0k | $12k (exactly $11,860) | Yang++ Game Studio |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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