Games › Programming › Programming + Investigation
Should I ship a Programming Investigation game?
Programming + Investigation
Only 13 developers shipped a Programming Investigation 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, Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 26 more are announced, ×2.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.0k, ×2.2 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $780; 1 in 20 cleared $380k, ×805 the market median. Revenue is up 35% on the market; 26 games are announced against 10 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $779 (exactly $779) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.0k (exactly $1,048) |
| Top 25% | $1.8k (exactly $1,798) |
| Top 5% | $382k (exactly $382,245) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 13 |
| Released games | 31 |
| Announced | 26 |
| Effort | 4 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
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 35% on the market, supply 235% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 13%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Programming
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
- Investigation
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- Programming, Investigation; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Puzzle, Simulation, Logic
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Dark, Minimalist
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 96% positive over 942 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $780. 26 games are announced against 10 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Programming with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Base BuildingFair
- + Auto BattlerFair
- + RogueliteFair
- + SandboxFair
- + Time ManagementFair
- + AutomationFair
- + Turn-Based TacticsFair
- + SimulationFair
- + RobotsFair
- + CrimeFair
- + Sci-fiFair
- + FuturisticFair
Comparable games
while True: learn() 2019 · $2.9M 
Arctic Eggs 2024 · $1.6M 
Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division 2026 · $382k 
Tron: Identity 2023 · $123k 
Bombe 2023 · $114k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | while True: learn() | older | $12.99 | 7,350 91% | 221k | $2.9M (exactly $2,864,295) | Luden.io |
| | Arctic Eggs | older | $9.99 | 5,343 95% | 160k | $1.6M (exactly $1,601,297) | The Water Museum, cockydoody, abmarnie,… (The Water Museum, cockydoody, abmarnie, Cameron Ginex) |
| | Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division | $14.99 | 850 97% | 26k | $382k (exactly $382,245) | Thomas Hsu | |
| | Tron: Identity | older | $14.99 | 274 79% | 8.2k | $123k (exactly $123,218) | Bithell Games |
| | Bombe | older | $9.99 | 379 95% | 11k | $114k (exactly $113,586) | Charlie Brej |
 | Midnight Protocol | older | $14.99 | 237 87% | 7.1k | $107k (exactly $106,579) | LuGus Studios |
 | [Chilla's Art] The Caregiver | 終焉介護 | older | $4.99 | 431 80% | 13k | $65k (exactly $64,521) | Chilla's Art |
 | Cyber Warrior | $19.99 | 39 84% | 1.2k | $23k (exactly $23,388) | Dunke Games | |
 | How To Hack In? | · EA older | $12.99 | 41 87% | 1.2k | $16k (exactly $15,978) | Red Buffalo Interactive |
 | CHAQS | older | $9.90 | 50 76% | 1.5k | $15k (exactly $14,850) | nomorevalid |
 | Void Future: Hacking Protocol | $14.99 | 17 88% | 510 | $7.6k (exactly $7,645) | RVL Interactive | |
 | Cyber Academy | · EA | $11.99 | 5 100% | 150 | $1.8k (exactly $1,798) | JinjaGames |
 | Developer Daily | $9.99 | 6 83% | 180 | $1.8k (exactly $1,798) | Mehan Games | |
 | ESC (Electronics Security Company) | $9.99 | 4 100% | 120 | $1.2k (exactly $1,199) | Electronics Security Company | |
 | Silent Signals | $4.99 | 7 0% | 210 | $1.0k (exactly $1,048) | Vezir Games | |
 | HELLO HACKER | $5.99 | 5 100% | 150 | $898 (exactly $898) | h3ll0h4ck3r | |
 | Agents! Please? | $4.04 | 7 100% | 210 | $848 (exactly $848) | KIB Games | |
 | SYSCALL: RING ZERO | $12.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $779 (exactly $779) | Chilling Moose Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
Your address goes to Buttondown, which sends the letter, and nowhere else. Every issue has an unsubscribe link. No tracking beyond the open count Buttondown keeps.