Do I ship it?

GamesOtomeOtome + Mystery

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Mystery Otome?

Otome + Mystery

Of 32 developers who shipped a Mystery Otome 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.. 65 more are announced, ×3.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $5.8k, ×12 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $2.6k; 1 in 20 cleared $250k, ×545 the market median. Revenue is down 40% on the market; 65 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 12.1 times the market baseline, revenue down 40% on the market, 65 announced, ×3.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Otome + Mystery
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 32
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $13k → $36k → $18k → $34k → $36k → $2.5k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Otome + Mystery: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 32
Bottom 30% $2.5k (exactly $2,518)
Median $5.8k (exactly $5,760)
Top 25% $43k (exactly $42,722)
Top 5% $259k (exactly $258,941)
Developers, 2 yr 32
Released games 91
Announced 65
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $11.99

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 40% on the market, supply 15% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 14%, 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.

Otome
effort 2 / 10 · high · effort 2 sits in the high band
Mystery
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Otome; 9 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Dating Sim, Adventure, Visual Novel
Price point
$11.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, Anime, 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $11.99.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 6,208 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $2.6k, median $5.8k, 1 in 4 over $42k, 1 in 20 over $250k.

3 in 10 developers made under $2.6k. 8 in 10 of the 16 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 65 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Otome with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + IncrementalStrong odds12 devs · median $7.0k · 11 announced
  2. + 2D PlatformerFair21 devs · median $420 · 28 announced
  3. + Immersive SimPoor odds24 devs · median $11k · 30 announced
  4. + LGBTQ+Poor odds45 devs · median $9.9k · 93 announced
  5. + Dating SimPoor odds110 devs · median $7.8k · 192 announced
  6. + Interactive FictionPoor odds71 devs · median $7.8k · 126 announced
  7. + Character CustomizationPoor odds16 devs · median $7.5k · 39 announced
  8. + SimulationPoor odds69 devs · median $7.2k · 120 announced
  9. + Choose Your Own AdventurePoor odds65 devs · median $6.5k · 118 announced
  10. + RPGPoor odds58 devs · median $6.5k · 121 announced
  11. + Word GamePoor odds22 devs · median $6.5k · 34 announced
  12. + Female ProtagonistPoor odds117 devs · median $5.8k · 199 announced

All 32 pairs on the Otome page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Hatoful Boyfriend older $9.99 5,533 94% 166k $1.7M (exactly $1,658,240) Mediatonic, Hato Moa
月华辉映之刻 $11.99 4,227 89% 127k $1.5M (exactly $1,520,452) 侠客狗工作室
Amnesia™: Memories older $9.99 3,721 92% 112k $1.1M (exactly $1,115,184) Idea Factory, Design Factory
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly older $29.99 825 84% 25k $742k (exactly $742,252) IDEA FACTORY
7'scarlet older $29.99 796 74% 24k $716k (exactly $716,161) IDEA FACTORY, TOYBOX
Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk older $29.99 600 84% 18k $540k (exactly $539,820) IDEA FACTORY
Folie Fatale older $5.99 2,608 86% 78k $469k (exactly $468,658) Kanmidoko (神海処)
Steam Prison older $34.99 388 81% 12k $407k (exactly $407,284) HuneX
Ten Trials of Babel: The Doppelganger Maze older $2.99 4,312 92% 129k $387k (exactly $386,786) 红渊
Touken Ranbu Warriors older $59.99 197 87% 5.9k $355k (exactly $354,541) KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
我的恋爱逃生攻略 Love to Live $9.99 864 85% 26k $259k (exactly $258,941) 番茄炖肉制作组
Heart Cage $20.99 363 97% 11k $229k (exactly $228,581) RiceLoveCoffee
The Ethereal Dream $19.99 263 74% 7.9k $158k (exactly $157,721) 鸭子与葱制作组
Demonheart: The Cursed Trial $24.99 115 90% 3.5k $86k (exactly $86,216) Rolling Crown
BUSTAFELLOWS season2 $49.99 53 86% 1.6k $79k (exactly $79,484) NIPPON CULTURAL BROADCASTING EXTEND INC.
Veloria $14.99 100 89% 3.0k $45k (exactly $44,970) WANDERING WITCH PROIECTUM
Andromeda Six · EA $14.99 95 96% 2.9k $43k (exactly $42,722) Wanderlust Games
Drops of Death $11.99 100 92% 3.0k $36k (exactly $35,970) Snowhaven Studios, Crystal Game Works
Genso Manège $39.99 28 82% 840 $34k (exactly $33,592) MAGES. Inc.

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