Do I ship it?

GamesTurn-Based StrategyTurn-Based Strategy + Match 3

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Match 3 Turn-Based Strategy?

Turn-Based Strategy + Match 3

Of 21 developers who shipped a Match 3 Turn-Based Strategy 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.. 33 more are announced, ×2.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $180, ×0.3 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $50. 33 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.8 per shipper, while revenue is up 2050% on the market.

Deciding numbers: median 0.3 times the market baseline, revenue up 2050% on the market, 33 announced, ×2.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Turn-Based Strategy + Match 3
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 21
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.9k → $0 → $535 → $178 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Turn-Based Strategy + Match 3: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 21
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $178 (exactly $178)
Top 25% $3.9k (exactly $3,896)
Top 5% $37k (exactly $37,488)
Developers, 2 yr 21
Released games 54
Announced 33
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 2050% on the market, supply 35% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 13%, 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.

Turn-Based Strategy
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
Turn-Based Strategy, Match 3; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Roguelike, Strategy, Turn-Based Tactics
Price point
$5.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 448 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 $3.8k, 1 in 20 over $37k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. 9 in 10 of the 11 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 33 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Turn-Based Strategy with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + WuxiaFair12 devs · median $19k · 17 announced
  2. + Cold WarFair18 devs · median $9.9k · 22 announced
  3. + RomeFair15 devs · median $9.0k · 18 announced
  4. + LootFair86 devs · median $6.3k · 97 announced
  5. + MiningFair10 devs · median $4.5k · 14 announced
  6. + DwarvesFair7 devs · median $3.7k · 12 announced
  7. + IdlerFair50 devs · median $3.6k · 45 announced
  8. + Asynchronous MultiplayerFair43 devs · median $3.6k · 54 announced
  9. + TanksFair25 devs · median $3.0k · 24 announced
  10. + SokobanFair11 devs · median $2.1k · 11 announced
  11. + Top-Down ShooterFair13 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  12. + SpaceFair107 devs · median $1.5k · 143 announced

All 187 pairs on the Turn-Based Strategy page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
The Legend of Bum-Bo older $14.99 5,654 80% 170k $2.5M (exactly $2,542,604) Edmund McMillen, James Interactive, Rid… (Edmund McMillen, James Interactive, Ridiculon)
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition older $17.99 434 80% 13k $234k (exactly $234,230) Dotemu, Capybara Games
Sagrada older $9.99 317 94% 9.5k $95k (exactly $95,005) Dire Wolf
ANTHEM#9 $14.99 125 87% 3.8k $56k (exactly $56,212) koeda
Legends of Gems $8.99 139 81% 4.2k $37k (exactly $37,488) 南京西木优洛网络科技有限公司
Merge & Blade older $9.99 121 76% 3.6k $36k (exactly $36,264) Magic Cube
Minesweeper Collector 2 older $9.99 97 89% 2.9k $29k (exactly $29,071) Anton Kryukov
Kaamos: Puzzle Roguelike $9.99 73 87% 2.2k $22k (exactly $21,878) Pepperbox Studios
Talent Club ~ Match 3 Puzzle older $6.99 83 69% 2.5k $17k (exactly $17,405) Ex-Erotia
Roguematch : The Extraplanar Invasion $14.99 33 84% 990 $15k (exactly $14,840) Starstruck Games
Match! The 12 CZ Wars $5.99 27 100% 810 $4.9k (exactly $4,852) CorvusCorax Studio
Dexterous: Time to Steal $9.99 13 100% 390 $3.9k (exactly $3,896) HalfZach
Dialoop -Roguelite Puzzle- $7.99 16 81% 480 $3.8k (exactly $3,835) Byking Inc.
Hunk Battle Gems $9.99 2 100% 60 $599 (exactly $599) NamekoKing777
Gyre $0.99 18 100% 540 $535 (exactly $535) Klaxix
Mysteerie $5.99 2 100% 60 $359 (exactly $359) Mallow Games

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