Games › Level Editor › Level Editor + Modern
Should I ship a Modern-Day Level Editor game?
Level Editor + Modern
Only 16 developers shipped a Modern-Day Level Editor 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, Rhythm Doctor, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 30 more are announced, ×4.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $2.2k, ×3.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $15M, ×23893 the market median. Revenue is up 8180% on the market; 30 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $2.2k (exactly $2,249) |
| Top 25% | $210k (exactly $209,557) |
| Top 5% | $15M (exactly $15,005,094) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 16 |
| Released games | 48 |
| Announced | 30 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $6.99 |
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 8180% on the market, supply 20% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 15%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Level Editor
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
- Modern
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Level Editor
- Price point
- $6.99 typical
Why players buy here
The top 10 games average 96% positive over 27,376 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. 8 in 10 of the 10 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 30 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Level Editor with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + Multiple EndingsFair
- + Hidden ObjectFair
- + CollectathonFair
- + Time AttackFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Score AttackFair
- + AutomationLong shot
- + TransportationPoor odds
- + TrainsPoor odds
- + MilitaryPoor odds
- + City BuilderPoor odds
- + Online Co-OpPoor odds
Comparable games
Rhythm Doctor 2025 · $15M 
Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing 2018 · $8.2M 
Syrian Warfare 2017 · $2.2M 
Beatblock 2025 · EA · $556k 
Train Sim World® 7 2026 · $417k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Rhythm Doctor | $19.99 | 25,021 98% | 751k | $15M (exactly $15,005,094) | 7th Beat Games | |
| | Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing | older | $19.99 | 13,633 95% | 409k | $8.2M (exactly $8,175,710) | LuGus Studios |
| | Syrian Warfare | older | $13.99 | 5,246 86% | 157k | $2.2M (exactly $2,201,746) | Cats Who Play |
| | Beatblock | · EA | $14.99 | 1,237 97% | 37k | $556k (exactly $556,279) | BubbleTabby |
| | Train Sim World® 7 | $49.99 | 278 74% | 8.3k | $417k (exactly $416,917) | Dovetail Games | |
 | PowerBeatsVR - VR Fitness | older | $19.99 | 453 85% | 14k | $272k (exactly $271,664) | Five Mind Creations |
 | Hometopia | $8.99 | 777 57% | 23k | $210k (exactly $209,557) | Hometopia Inc. | |
 | Laptop Tycoon | older | $7.99 | 400 74% | 12k | $96k (exactly $95,880) | Roastery Games |
 | RPG Stories | · EA older | $29.99 | 36 77% | 1.1k | $32k (exactly $32,389) | Brave Alice Games |
 | Silicon City | older | $19.99 | 40 62% | 1.2k | $24k (exactly $23,988) | Polycorne |
 | Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins Enhanced | $6.99 | 33 75% | 990 | $6.9k (exactly $6,920) | KDV Games | |
 | KAMI 2 | $4.99 | 20 50% | 600 | $3.0k (exactly $2,994) | State of Play, Hairy Heart | |
 | Trinity Building Editor | $29.99 | 3 33% | 90 | $2.7k (exactly $2,699) | Octopus Entertainment LTD | |
 | Just Futanari 3 | $24.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $2.2k (exactly $2,249) | AhrpuXR | |
 | Beam Bound | $5.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $359 (exactly $359) | GhostJam Games | |
 | stopDrop. | $4.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $299 (exactly $299) | Static City Games, Indie_Myke |
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.