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Should I ship a Level Editor Time Management game?
Level Editor + Time Management
Only 19 developers shipped a Level Editor Time Management 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 Bus, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 29 more are announced, ×3.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $600, level with the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $180; 1 in 20 cleared $9.3M, ×14960 the market median. Revenue is up 710% on the market; 29 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $180 (exactly $180) |
|---|---|
| Median | $599 (exactly $599) |
| Top 25% | $12k (exactly $11,826) |
| Top 5% | $9.4M (exactly $9,394,851) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 19 |
| Released games | 50 |
| Announced | 29 |
| Effort | 5 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| 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 710% on the market, supply 25% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 10%, 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
- Time Management
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
- Systems
- Level Editor, Time Management; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Strategy, Management, Simulation
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $39.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Relaxing, 3D, Colorful
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $39.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 74% positive over 8,411 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $180. 8 in 10 of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 29 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Level Editor with a different second tag, 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
The Bus 2026 · $9.4M 
Parkitect 2018 · $6.1M 
WE ARE FOOTBALL 2024 2024 · $901k 
Blockbuster Inc. 2024 · $463k 
Mini Airways - ATC simulator 2024 · $401k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | The Bus | $39.99 | 7,831 73% | 235k | $9.4M (exactly $9,394,851) | TML-Studios | |
| | Parkitect | older | $29.99 | 6,809 94% | 204k | $6.1M (exactly $6,126,057) | Texel Raptor |
| | WE ARE FOOTBALL 2024 | older | $39.99 | 751 79% | 23k | $901k (exactly $900,975) | Winning Streak Games GmbH |
| | Blockbuster Inc. | older | $24.99 | 618 51% | 19k | $463k (exactly $463,315) | Super Sly Fox |
| | Mini Airways - ATC simulator | older | $9.99 | 1,339 92% | 40k | $401k (exactly $401,298) | CCC Games, Erabit |
 | Train Valley World | older | $19.99 | 247 69% | 7.4k | $148k (exactly $148,126) | Flazm |
 | Train Valley Origins | $11.95 | 266 75% | 8.0k | $95k (exactly $95,361) | Flazm | |
 | International Basketball Manager 23 | older | $14.99 | 188 85% | 5.6k | $85k (exactly $84,544) | UPLAY Basketball |
 | Together in Battle | $19.99 | 134 90% | 4.0k | $80k (exactly $80,360) | Sinister Design | |
 | Tennis Manager 26 | $39.99 | 46 73% | 1.4k | $55k (exactly $55,186) | Rebound | |
 | Color Factory: Automation Meets Canvas | $4.99 | 79 87% | 2.4k | $12k (exactly $11,826) | Bosphorus Games | |
 | Biletide | $5.99 | 24 100% | 720 | $4.3k (exactly $4,313) | Formic Games | |
 | Bad Janitor | $8.99 | 9 88% | 270 | $2.4k (exactly $2,427) | Mjau Media | |
 | Morse vs. Horse | $4.99 | 10 100% | 300 | $1.5k (exactly $1,497) | Company with your friends | |
 | MyBiz: Pomodoro Desk Tycoon | $2.99 | 10 100% | 300 | $897 (exactly $897) | Bizpro Games | |
 | Sword of Jade: Parallel Dreams | $9.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $599 (exactly $599) | FyreWulff Software |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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