Do I ship it?

Games › Puzzle Platformer › Puzzle Platformer + Match 3

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Match 3 Puzzle Platformer?

Puzzle Platformer + Match 3

Of 22 developers who shipped a Match 3 Puzzle Platformer 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.. 15 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $180 in the last 2 years and $180 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 12 developers shipped in the last year and 15 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.4 times the market baseline, revenue up 80% on the market, 15 announced, ×1.3 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Puzzle Platformer + Match 3
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 22
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $599 → $2.7k → $1.4k → $60 → $120 → $1.3k (still earning) → $0 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Puzzle Platformer + Match 3: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 22
Bottom 30% $30 (exactly $30)
Median $178 (exactly $178)
Top 25% $1.3k (exactly $1,348)
Top 5% $3.8k (exactly $3,835)
Developers, 2 yr 22
Released games 84
Announced 15
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 80% on the market, supply 20% 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Puzzle Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high 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
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Puzzle Platformer, Match 3; 3 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Puzzle, Logic, Physics
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $8.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Cute, 2D, 3D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $8.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 94% positive over 110 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $180, 1 in 4 over $1.3k, 1 in 20 over $3.8k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. All of the 10 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 15 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + RomanceFair41 devs · median $1.5k · 38 announced
  2. + Inventory ManagementFair20 devs · median $1.1k · 26 announced
  3. + Life SimFair20 devs · median $657 · 21 announced
  4. + SimulationFair216 devs · median $479 · 181 announced
  5. + Grid-Based MovementFair62 devs · median $449 · 56 announced
  6. + SokobanFair51 devs · median $358 · 49 announced
  7. + LovecraftianPoor odds11 devs · median $9.3k · 22 announced
  8. + Co-op CampaignPoor odds26 devs · median $9.0k · 53 announced
  9. + MetroidvaniaPoor odds91 devs · median $5.3k · 264 announced
  10. + SwordplayPoor odds8 devs · median $4.2k · 19 announced
  11. + Split ScreenPoor odds24 devs · median $3.6k · 35 announced
  12. + Hack and SlashPoor odds18 devs · median $3.0k · 80 announced

All 169 pairs on the Puzzle Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

FURRY SEX: Cabaret 💋🔞 2021 · $63k Waifu Secret 2021 · $40k Puzzle - LINES AND KNOTS 2020 · $16k Witch Schools: Love Potions 2022 · $15k Darkest Hunters 2017 · $14k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
FURRY SEX: Cabaret 💋🔞 older $6.99 299 71% 9.0k $63k (exactly $62,700) Furry Tails
Waifu Secret older $1.99 677 72% 20k $40k (exactly $40,417) Romantic Room
Puzzle - LINES AND KNOTS older $9.99 52 88% 1.6k $16k (exactly $15,584) PlayToday
Witch Schools: Love Potions older $9.99 49 95% 1.5k $15k (exactly $14,685) Dnovel
Darkest Hunters older $5.99 78 51% 2.3k $14k (exactly $14,017) ECC GAMES S.A.
ILY older $7.99 42 97% 1.3k $10k (exactly $10,067) FreeAnimals_Software, Dnovel
MOVERS IN THE WAREHOUSE older $24.99 11 90% 330 $8.2k (exactly $8,247) Bocharov Games
Fat Mask older $9.99 27 85% 810 $8.1k (exactly $8,092) Paper Cult
Jamhouse $7.99 29 100% 870 $7.0k (exactly $6,951) Lumworks
Last Standing older $2.99 73 56% 2.2k $6.5k (exactly $6,548) DIIV SOFT Co., LTD.
Dialoop -Roguelite Puzzle- $7.99 16 81% 480 $3.8k (exactly $3,835) Byking Inc.
Ruku's Heart Balloon $8.99 14 100% 420 $3.8k (exactly $3,776) RucKyGAMES
Spire Blast $6.99 17 100% 510 $3.6k (exactly $3,565) Orbital Knight
Elemental Realms $3.99 12 100% 360 $1.4k (exactly $1,436) Bunker Games
See-Through Bubbles $8.99 5 80% 150 $1.3k (exactly $1,348) BLAZER inc
Munchy Cat $3.99 10 70% 300 $1.2k (exactly $1,197) Blueberry Studio
Ocean Pop! : Calypso Collision $4.99 3 100% 90 $449 (exactly $449) circyn software
Hot Pot Game $3.99 3 100% 90 $359 (exactly $359) theis
See-Through Marbles $8.99 1 100% 30 $270 (exactly $270) BLAZER inc

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