Do I ship it?

GamesManagementManagement + Local Multiplayer

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Local Multiplayer Management game?

Management + Local Multiplayer

Of 35 developers who shipped a Local Multiplayer Management 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.. 55 more are announced, ×2.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $5.4k, ×8.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $840; 1 in 20 cleared $350k, ×559 the market median. Revenue is down 95% on the market; 55 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 8.6 times the market baseline, revenue down 95% on the market, 55 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Management + Local Multiplayer
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 35
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $70k → $58k → $46k → $19k → $36k → $32k → $599 (still earning) → $899 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Management + Local Multiplayer: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 35
Bottom 30% $838 (exactly $838)
Median $5.4k (exactly $5,395)
Top 25% $40k (exactly $40,160)
Top 5% $351k (exactly $350,942)
Developers, 2 yr 35
Released games 129
Announced 55
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
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 down 95% on the market, supply 40% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 6%, 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.

Management
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Local Multiplayer
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Management, Local Multiplayer; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Simulation, Sports, Local Co-Op
Price point
$12.99 typical · top 25% priced $59.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Realistic, 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $59.99 or above; the middle game at $12.99.

The top 10 games average 66% positive over 29,022 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $840, median $5.4k, 1 in 4 over $40k, 1 in 20 over $350k.

3 in 10 developers made under $840. 6 in 10 of the 18 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 55 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Management with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RomeFair21 devs · median $64k · 23 announced
  2. + Job SimulatorFair195 devs · median $17k · 225 announced
  3. + WesternFair18 devs · median $13k · 22 announced
  4. + Artificial IntelligenceFair114 devs · median $12k · 154 announced
  5. + JRPGFair37 devs · median $9.4k · 35 announced
  6. + MinigamesFair22 devs · median $7.4k · 15 announced
  7. + RhythmFair19 devs · median $5.9k · 24 announced
  8. + UnderwaterFair37 devs · median $5.0k · 54 announced
  9. + CollectathonFair182 devs · median $3.5k · 230 announced
  10. + DwarvesFair13 devs · median $3.2k · 18 announced
  11. + 3D FighterFair11 devs · median $3.1k · 15 announced
  12. + IncrementalFair611 devs · median $1.9k · 893 announced

All 214 pairs on the Management page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
NBA 2K25 older $69.99 30,969 60% 929k $65M (exactly $65,025,609) Visual Concepts
NBA 2K26 $69.99 25,651 66% 770k $54M (exactly $53,859,405) Visual Concepts
NBA 2K27 $69.99 1,698 53% 51k $3.6M (exactly $3,565,291) Visual Concepts
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword older $29.99 3,888 96% 117k $3.5M (exactly $3,498,034) Firaxis Games
Terraforming Mars older $19.99 5,194 71% 156k $3.1M (exactly $3,114,842) Artefacts Studio
Football, Tactics & Glory older $24.99 3,998 87% 120k $3.0M (exactly $2,997,301) Creoteam
Super Mega Baseball 3 older $44.99 1,832 92% 55k $2.5M (exactly $2,472,650) Metalhead Software Inc.
Feed the Cups · EA older $15.99 4,708 72% 141k $2.3M (exactly $2,258,428) Vambear Games
Sid Meier's Civilization® IV older $19.99 2,789 92% 84k $1.7M (exactly $1,672,563) Firaxis Games
Cook, Serve, Delicious! older $12.99 3,713 95% 111k $1.4M (exactly $1,446,956) Vertigo Gaming Inc.
AFL 26 $59.99 195 56% 5.9k $351k (exactly $350,942) Big Ant Studios
Hoop Land · EA $14.99 702 96% 21k $316k (exactly $315,689) Koality Game
Tour de France 2025 $39.99 182 77% 5.5k $218k (exactly $218,345) Cyanide Studio
Franchise Hockey Manager 11 $19.99 148 70% 4.4k $89k (exactly $88,756) game54 Software, Out of the Park Develo… (game54 Software, Out of the Park Developments)
Franchise Hockey Manager 12 $19.99 132 78% 4.0k $79k (exactly $79,160) game54 Software, Out of the Park Develo… (game54 Software, Out of the Park Developments)
Axis Football 2026 $19.99 115 75% 3.5k $69k (exactly $68,966) Axis Games
Diner Bros 2 $14.99 147 87% 4.4k $66k (exactly $66,106) JAYFLGAMES
Gaelic Football Laochra $34.99 52 78% 1.6k $55k (exactly $54,584) Buck Eejit Games

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