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Should I ship a Level Editor Open World game?
Open World + Level Editor
Of 28 developers who shipped a Level Editor Open World 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.. 59 more are announced, ×3.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $18k, ×12 the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $3.6k; 1 in 20 cleared $430k, ×288 the market median. Revenue is up 300% on the market; 59 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $3.5k (exactly $3,506) |
|---|---|
| Median | $18k (exactly $17,810) |
| Top 25% | $69k (exactly $69,034) |
| Top 5% | $432k (exactly $431,892) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 28 |
| Released games | 98 |
| Announced | 59 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $12.99 |
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 300% on the market, supply 80% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 9%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Open World
- effort 8 / 10 · low · effort 8 sits in the low band
- Level Editor
- effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- Open World, Level Editor; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Exploration, Automobile Sim, Driving
- Price point
- $12.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, First-Person, Atmospheric
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $12.99.
The top 10 games average 71% positive over 10,051 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $3.6k. 9 in 10 of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 59 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Open World with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + WuxiaFair
- + 4 Player LocalFair
- + VampiresFair
- + TrainsFair
- + FMVFair
- + GothicFair
- + MarsFair
- + TanksFair
- + FaithLong shot
- + DiplomacyPoor odds
- + Real-Time with PausePoor odds
- + Co-op CampaignPoor odds
Comparable games
American Truck Simulator 2016 · $99M 
Train Simulator Classic 2015 · $18M 
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition 2016 · $16M 
The Bus 2026 · $9.4M 
Far Cry® 2 2008 · $5.2M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | American Truck Simulator | older | $19.99 | 165,692 97% | 5.0M | $99M (exactly $99,365,492) | SCS Software |
| | Train Simulator Classic | older | $29.99 | 19,461 73% | 584k | $18M (exactly $17,509,062) | Dovetail Games |
| | Titan Quest Anniversary Edition | older | $19.99 | 25,876 91% | 776k | $16M (exactly $15,517,837) | Iron Lore Entertainment, THQ Nordic |
| | The Bus | $39.99 | 7,831 73% | 235k | $9.4M (exactly $9,394,851) | TML-Studios | |
| | Far Cry® 2 | older | $9.99 | 17,359 75% | 521k | $5.2M (exactly $5,202,492) | Ubisoft Montreal |
 | SPORE™ Galactic Adventures | older | $19.99 | 7,249 89% | 217k | $4.3M (exactly $4,347,225) | EA - Maxis |
 | Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator | older | $49.99 | 1,956 79% | 59k | $2.9M (exactly $2,933,413) | IPACS |
 | Juno: New Origins | older | $19.99 | 3,085 89% | 93k | $1.9M (exactly $1,850,074) | Jundroo, LLC |
 | Mashinky | · EA older | $24.99 | 2,361 84% | 71k | $1.8M (exactly $1,770,042) | Jan Zelený |
 | AirportSim | older | $34.99 | 1,412 67% | 42k | $1.5M (exactly $1,482,176) | MS GAMES, MK STUDIOS |
 | Wreckreation | $39.99 | 360 63% | 11k | $432k (exactly $431,892) | Three Fields Entertainment | |
 | Train Sim World® 7 | $49.99 | 278 74% | 8.3k | $417k (exactly $416,917) | Dovetail Games | |
 | Vaudeville | $19.99 | 283 48% | 8.5k | $170k (exactly $169,715) | Bumblebee Studios | |
 | Gentoo Rescue | $19.99 | 237 99% | 7.1k | $142k (exactly $142,129) | Jagriff | |
 | Backrooms Media | $7.99 | 546 39% | 16k | $131k (exactly $130,876) | NPK Games | |
 | Valkyrie Saga | $7.99 | 288 92% | 8.6k | $69k (exactly $69,034) | Public Void | |
 | Voxile | · EA | $17.99 | 78 69% | 2.3k | $42k (exactly $42,097) | VoxRay Games, Inc. |
 | BMX Bastards | · EA | $16.99 | 71 85% | 2.1k | $36k (exactly $36,189) | CSF Games Studio |
 | Plentiful | · EA | $9.99 | 79 91% | 2.4k | $24k (exactly $23,676) | GabberGames |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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