Do I ship it?

GamesQuick-Time EventsQuick-Time Events + Inventory Management

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Quick-Time Events Inventory Management game?

Quick-Time Events + Inventory Management

Only 18 developers shipped a Quick-Time Events Inventory Management 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, Cornerpond, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 28 more are announced, ×2.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.2k, ×2.5 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $230k, ×485 the market median. Revenue is up 190% on the market; 28 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.5 times the market baseline, revenue up 190% on the market, 28 announced, ×2.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Quick-Time Events + Inventory Management
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 18
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $779 → $156k → $239 → $1.3k (still earning) → $1.2k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Quick-Time Events + Inventory Management: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 18
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $1.2k (exactly $1,198)
Top 25% $4.6k (exactly $4,613)
Top 5% $230k (exactly $230,260)
Developers, 2 yr 18
Released games 34
Announced 28
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 up 190% on the market, supply 100% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 15%, 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.

Quick-Time Events
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
Inventory Management
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
Systems
Quick-Time Events, Inventory Management; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Creature Collector, Idler
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $6.99 or above
Art
6 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Cute, Relaxing
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $6.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 95% positive over 3,553 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $150, median $1.2k, 1 in 4 over $4.6k, 1 in 20 over $230k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. 6 in 10 of the 9 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 28 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.3 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Quick-Time Events with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + Dating SimFair17 devs · median $15k · 16 announced
  2. + Shoot 'Em UpFair8 devs · median $1.2k · 12 announced
  3. + Life SimFair28 devs · median $958 · 33 announced
  4. + SimulationFair116 devs · median $748 · 133 announced
  5. + CollectathonFair15 devs · median $720 · 18 announced
  6. + Resource ManagementFair46 devs · median $719 · 55 announced
  7. + FlightFair9 devs · median $657 · 9 announced
  8. + AliensFair12 devs · median $628 · 14 announced
  9. + SpaceFair16 devs · median $597 · 24 announced
  10. + Bullet TimeLong shot10 devs · median $390 · 15 announced
  11. + DemonsLong shot17 devs · median $300 · 22 announced
  12. + Bullet HellLong shot27 devs · median $239 · 25 announced

All 110 pairs on the Quick-Time Events page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Resident Evil 4 (2005) older $19.99 78,502 94% 2.4M $47M (exactly $47,077,649) Capcom
Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator older $29.99 2,222 83% 67k $2.0M (exactly $1,999,133) Cyanide Studio
Thriving City: Song older $18.99 3,054 81% 92k $1.7M (exactly $1,739,864) White Star Studio
Cornerpond $2.99 2,567 97% 77k $230k (exactly $230,260) foolsroom
Bugtopia $5.99 866 92% 26k $156k (exactly $155,620) Nocturnal Games
8 older $12.88 29 96% 870 $11k (exactly $11,206) Thales Caus
Vesperis $13.99 19 47% 570 $8.0k (exactly $7,974) AbnerDev
Pocket Gecko $3.99 49 97% 1.5k $5.9k (exactly $5,865) riyotsa
FuJianStrike $6.99 22 100% 660 $4.6k (exactly $4,613) Mithril_055
Net Gains $6.99 14 92% 420 $2.9k (exactly $2,936) Alec Frey
City 33 $15.99 3 0% 90 $1.4k (exactly $1,439) ebt studios
Slot or Die $13.99 3 33% 90 $1.3k (exactly $1,259) cr0cq
Thunder Infinity $4.99 8 75% 240 $1.2k (exactly $1,198) Enrique G. Galvez
The Art Collector $12.99 2 100% 60 $779 (exactly $779) Shyborg Games

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