Games › Investigation › Investigation + Word Game
Should I ship an Investigation Word Game?
Investigation + Word Game
Of 35 developers who shipped an Investigation Word 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.. 51 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.6 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $600; 1 in 20 cleared $2.0M, ×4259 the market median. Revenue is up 530% on the market; 51 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $600 (exactly $600) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,258) |
| Top 25% | $20k (exactly $19,655) |
| Top 5% | $2.0M (exactly $2,022,933) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 35 |
| Released games | 79 |
| Announced | 51 |
| Effort | 3 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | High |
| Typical price | $5.99 |
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 530% on the market, supply 40% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 9%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is high: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Investigation
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
- Word Game
- effort 1 / 10 · high · dictionary logic and simple UI
What it takes
- Effort
- 3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
- Systems
- Investigation, Word Game; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Visual Novel, RPG
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $12.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, Atmospheric, 2D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $12.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 92% positive over 11,195 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $600. 8 in 10 of the 17 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 51 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Investigation with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Escape RoomFair
- + IdlerFair
- + TriviaLong shot
- + LGBTQ+Poor odds
- + JRPGPoor odds
- + HistoricalPoor odds
- + RomancePoor odds
- + GothicPoor odds
- + LovecraftianPoor odds
- + Dating SimPoor odds
- + Card GamePoor odds
- + SciencePoor odds
Comparable games
Cyber Manhunt 2021 · $4.4M 
Far Away 2021 · $3.0M 
Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring 2021 · $2.6M 
The Séance of Blake Manor 2025 · $2.2M 
Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator 2025 · $2.0M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Cyber Manhunt | older | $9.99 | 14,520 92% | 436k | $4.4M (exactly $4,351,644) | Aluba Van+ |
| | Far Away | older | $12.99 | 7,598 94% | 228k | $3.0M (exactly $2,960,941) | Gratesca |
| | Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring | older | $13.99 | 6,310 95% | 189k | $2.6M (exactly $2,648,307) | 零创游戏(ZerocreationGame) |
| | The Séance of Blake Manor | $19.99 | 3,683 95% | 110k | $2.2M (exactly $2,208,695) | Spooky Doorway | |
| | Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator | $12.99 | 5,191 92% | 156k | $2.0M (exactly $2,022,933) | Aluba Van+ | |
 | 7 Days to End with You | older | $7.99 | 3,327 87% | 100k | $797k (exactly $797,482) | Lizardry |
 | Roman's Christmas / 罗曼圣诞探案集 | older | $10.99 | 1,395 95% | 42k | $460k (exactly $459,932) | SelfCrop Studio |
 | Misty Judgment | $8.99 | 1,170 92% | 35k | $316k (exactly $315,549) | 次元边界 | |
 | Logiart Grimoire | older | $19.99 | 336 94% | 10k | $201k (exactly $201,499) | Jupiter Corporation |
 | Shanghai Summer | older | $12.99 | 393 89% | 12k | $153k (exactly $153,152) | FUTU Studio |
 | Gensokyo：Presumption of Guilt~Pansies Before Dawn | $14.99 | 250 92% | 7.5k | $112k (exactly $112,425) | 戏壤游戏(Xirang Games) | |
 | Puzzle Spy International | $12.50 | 148 91% | 4.4k | $56k (exactly $55,500) | Travel-Friendly Cake | |
 | Rubbings | $9.99 | 183 87% | 5.5k | $55k (exactly $54,845) | 午夜说书人 | |
 | 咒影 Curse of the Shadow | $3.99 | 285 81% | 8.6k | $34k (exactly $34,114) | 小青蛙妙妙制作组 | |
 | 全网有点怪 | $7.99 | 106 66% | 3.2k | $25k (exactly $25,408) | Aluba Van+ | |
 | 无名者 | $7.99 | 97 95% | 2.9k | $23k (exactly $23,251) | Origincourtyard世界庭院, 三七洛九 | |
 | The Kuon Island Nursery Rhyme Murders: Case Notes | $7.99 | 82 54% | 2.5k | $20k (exactly $19,655) | Renka |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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