Games › Shoot 'Em Up › Shoot 'Em Up + Modern
Should I ship a Modern-Day Shoot 'Em Up?
Shoot 'Em Up + Modern
Only 18 developers shipped a Modern-Day Shoot 'Em Up 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, Truxton Extreme, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 23 more are announced.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 4 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.3k, ×2.6 the market's $480 for a 4 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $300; 1 in 20 cleared $69k, ×147 the market median. Revenue is down 75% on the market; 23 games are announced against 14 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $299 (exactly $299) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.3k (exactly $1,258) |
| Top 25% | $3.3k (exactly $3,297) |
| Top 5% | $70k (exactly $69,722) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 18 |
| Released games | 70 |
| Announced | 23 |
| Effort | 4 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $6.99 |
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 75% on the market, supply 250% more 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.
- Shoot 'Em Up
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
- Modern
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
- Systems
- Shoot 'Em Up; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Shooter, Bullet Hell
- Price point
- $6.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Anime
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.
The top 10 games average 85% positive over 292 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $300. 23 games are announced against 14 developers who shipped in the last year.
Adjacent niches
Shoot 'Em Up with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + FaithFair
- + RomanceFair
- + VampiresFair
- + Quick-Time EventsFair
- + IncrementalFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Tower DefenseFair
- + Resource ManagementFair
- + ArcadeFair
- + SwordplayLong shot
- + MusicPoor odds
- + LovecraftianPoor odds
Comparable games
Project Gunship 2022 · EA · $376k 
Truxton Extreme 2026 · $70k 
AHEGAL SEASONS 2019 · $30k 
KILLRUN 2022 · $23k 
无梦少女 DreamlessGirl 2024 · $15k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Project Gunship | · EA older | $14.99 | 836 75% | 25k | $376k (exactly $375,949) | Sklorite Studios LLC |
| | Truxton Extreme | $24.99 | 93 95% | 2.8k | $70k (exactly $69,722) | Tatsujin | |
| | AHEGAL SEASONS | older | $2.99 | 336 90% | 10k | $30k (exactly $30,139) | OppaiMan 2D |
| | KILLRUN | older | $4.99 | 153 67% | 4.6k | $23k (exactly $22,904) | BULKHEAD |
| | 无梦少女 DreamlessGirl | $9.99 | 49 65% | 1.5k | $15k (exactly $14,685) | REZEROR STUDIO | |
 | Deputinization | older | $5.97 | 45 97% | 1.4k | $8.1k (exactly $8,060) | Myttsi Zabav |
 | Struggle Offensive | · EA older | $1.99 | 132 63% | 4.0k | $7.9k (exactly $7,880) | OXO Games |
 | Dr. Professor Scientist's Weapons Testing Facility | older | $4.99 | 48 77% | 1.4k | $7.2k (exactly $7,186) | Cool Smithy Games |
 | Great Tough Bikini 6 | $2.99 | 74 70% | 2.2k | $6.6k (exactly $6,638) | nStarcube | |
 | Neon Ships: The Type'em Up Shooter | older | $4.99 | 43 86% | 1.3k | $6.4k (exactly $6,437) | Sensen Games |
 | Brave Rounds | $14.99 | 12 100% | 360 | $5.4k (exactly $5,396) | PlayShift Games | |
 | Astro Busters | · EA | $9.99 | 11 100% | 330 | $3.3k (exactly $3,297) | Michael Prymus, Piotr Przybył |
 | Red Crucible Assault | · EA | $14.99 | 7 100% | 210 | $3.1k (exactly $3,148) | Massive Head Games |
 | Pain to Satisfaction | · EA | $1.99 | 31 100% | 930 | $1.9k (exactly $1,851) | WSG Entertainment |
 | DA PAPER BOY | $10.99 | 4 75% | 120 | $1.3k (exactly $1,319) | 3D Dojo Studios | |
 | Scouts Out | $6.99 | 6 100% | 180 | $1.3k (exactly $1,258) | Rotating Games | |
 | Don't Forget to Smile | $5.99 | 5 100% | 150 | $898 (exactly $898) | Existerror Digital |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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