Do I ship it?

GamesManagementManagement + Match 3

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Match 3 Management game?

Management + Match 3

Only 10 developers shipped a Match 3 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, Neon Village, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 12 more are announced, ×3.0 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $1.2k against a market of $630. 12 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 1.9 times the market baseline, revenue up 20% on the market, 12 announced, ×3.0 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Management + Match 3
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 10
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.6k → $1.2k → $1.2k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Management + Match 3: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 10
Bottom 30% $987 (exactly $987)
Median $1.2k (exactly $1,197)
Top 25% $9.7k (exactly $9,712)
Top 5% $44k (exactly $43,756)
Developers, 2 yr 10
Released games 38
Announced 12
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $4.99

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 20% on the market, supply 35% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 16%, 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
Match 3
effort 2 / 10 · high · grid matching rules and cascades

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Management, Match 3
Price point
$4.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 8 games average 78% positive over 366 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $990, median $1.2k, 1 in 4 over $9.7k, 1 in 20 over $43k.

3 in 10 developers made under $990. 8 in 10 of the 6 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 12 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.0 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
Tiny Civilization older $1.99 2,134 92% 64k $127k (exactly $127,400) 喜人一个
Adorable Crush older $2.99 630 76% 19k $57k (exactly $56,511) Mature Games
Neon Village $9.99 146 86% 4.4k $44k (exactly $43,756) Encraft
Ink Reverie $9.99 146 74% 4.4k $44k (exactly $43,756) Rolling Cat Studio
Minesweeper Collector 2 older $9.99 97 89% 2.9k $29k (exactly $29,071) Anton Kryukov
CrossOver: Roll For Initiative older $9.99 52 80% 1.6k $16k (exactly $15,584) Gaterooze, Ink, MicroProse Software
Sarcophag older $0.99 362 74% 11k $11k (exactly $10,751) Crew Lab
Naughty Store Manager $11.99 27 33% 810 $9.7k (exactly $9,712) eroverse
Package Runner older $9.99 30 86% 900 $9.0k (exactly $8,991) Oddity
Super Crane Bug older $7.99 15 86% 450 $3.6k (exactly $3,596) CalixJumio
Cheese Party $4.99 12 100% 360 $1.8k (exactly $1,796) Raincode
大荒消劫录 $3.99 10 50% 300 $1.2k (exactly $1,197) 辰酉游戏
CatMelon - Suika Game $2.99 12 100% 360 $1.1k (exactly $1,076) Climbing Goat Games
Professional Cats $2.99 11 100% 330 $987 (exactly $987) Rebelião Studio
Suika Idle $2.99 2 100% 60 $179 (exactly $179) GoldPumpkin Inc.
Jean's Beach Restaurant $9.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Afeel Inc
T*RIFF U!! $3.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) drill

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