Do I ship it?

GamesQuick-Time EventsQuick-Time Events + Investigation

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Quick-Time Events Investigation game?

Quick-Time Events + Investigation

Only 16 developers shipped a Quick-Time Events 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, The Occultist, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 27 more are announced, ×2.5 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 $210k, ×462 the market median. Revenue is down 35% on the market; 27 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.5 times the market baseline, revenue down 35% on the market, 27 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Quick-Time Events + Investigation
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 16
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.3k → $599 (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Quick-Time Events + Investigation: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 16
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $1.2k (exactly $1,166)
Top 25% $9.9k (exactly $9,856)
Top 5% $220k (exactly $219,527)
Developers, 2 yr 16
Released games 38
Announced 27
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 35% on the market, supply 120% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 16%, 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
Investigation
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, Investigation
Price point
$4.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 10 games average 75% positive over 718 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 $9.8k, 1 in 20 over $210k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. All of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 27 games are announced against 11 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 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
Heavy Rain older $19.99 26,503 85% 795k $16M (exactly $15,893,849) Quantic Dream
Accident older $14.99 1,462 76% 44k $657k (exactly $657,461) Duality Games, Spirit Games Studio
The Occultist $29.99 244 74% 7.3k $220k (exactly $219,527) DALOAR
Nothing To Declare $9.99 234 76% 7.0k $70k (exactly $70,130) Rogue Duck Interactive
EDENGATE: The Edge of Life older $6.99 204 68% 6.1k $43k (exactly $42,779) 505 Pulse
Neon Blood $17.99 73 60% 2.2k $39k (exactly $39,398) ChaoticBrain Studios
INPUT6 older $3.99 160 96% 4.8k $19k (exactly $19,152) GOOSTRONAUT GAMES
The Divine Deception older $14.99 38 86% 1.1k $17k (exactly $17,089) Themisian
Mad Experiments: Escape Room - Sanctuary $6.99 47 65% 1.4k $9.9k (exactly $9,856) PlayTogether Studio
Gigant older $3.99 38 78% 1.1k $4.5k (exactly $4,549) UKZ Arts
The Power of Fish $4.99 25 96% 750 $3.7k (exactly $3,742) Strangefish Studios
5 Minutes Until Self-Destruction $1.99 28 96% 840 $1.7k (exactly $1,672) Part Time Monkey
House of the Vigil $0.99 45 93% 1.4k $1.3k (exactly $1,336) Zapster
Dr Voss’ Escape Room $2.99 13 53% 390 $1.2k (exactly $1,166) Vexos Games
Addy $4.99 5 100% 150 $748 (exactly $748) Sofia Gyger
Freaking Hallway $4.99 4 75% 120 $599 (exactly $599) Coolguy Club

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