Should I ship a Mystery PvP game?
PvP + Mystery
Of 61 developers who shipped a Mystery PvP game 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.. 127 more are announced, ×3.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $720, ×0.5 the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150. 127 games are announced against 34 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.7 per shipper, while revenue is up 45% on the market.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $719 (exactly $719) |
| Top 25% | $6.5k (exactly $6,472) |
| Top 5% | $166k (exactly $165,568) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 61 |
| Released games | 167 |
| Announced | 127 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| 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 45% on the market, supply 25% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 30%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- PvP; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Co-op, Investigation
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $18.99 or above
- Art
- 3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Dark, Funny, Realistic
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $18.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 85% positive over 10,424 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. 9 in 10 of the 32 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 127 games are announced against 34 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.7 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
PvP with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + BaseballFair
- + TransportationFair
- + BasketballFair
- + Football (American)Fair
- + BikesFair
- + GolfFair
- + World War IFair
- + IncrementalFair
- + BilliardsFair
- + TennisLong shot
- + TypingLong shot
- + SpellingLong shot
Comparable games
Secret Neighbor: Hello Neighbor Multiplayer 2019 · $8.9M 
In Silence 2021 · $2.8M 
Clue/Cluedo: Classic Edition 2018 · $1.6M 
Feign 2025 · $789k 
METAL GEAR SOLID: Peace Walker - Master Collection Version 2026 · $555k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Secret Neighbor: Hello Neighbor Multiplayer | older | $19.99 | 14,865 86% | 446k | $8.9M (exactly $8,914,540) | Hologryph, Eerie Guest Studios |
| | In Silence | older | $9.99 | 9,450 75% | 284k | $2.8M (exactly $2,832,165) | Ravenhood Games |
| | Clue/Cluedo: Classic Edition | older | $16.99 | 3,096 88% | 93k | $1.6M (exactly $1,578,031) | Marmalade Game Studio Ltd |
| | Feign | $4.99 | 5,270 91% | 158k | $789k (exactly $788,919) | Teneke Kafalar | |
| | METAL GEAR SOLID: Peace Walker - Master Collection Version | $19.99 | 925 79% | 28k | $555k (exactly $554,722) | KONAMI | |
 | Fear Therapy | · EA older | $4.99 | 3,630 68% | 109k | $543k (exactly $543,411) | Black Flag Studios |
 | Sinister Night 2 | $9.99 | 1,800 86% | 54k | $539k (exactly $539,460) | Bug Inventors | |
 | Clue/Cluedo | older | $14.99 | 489 89% | 15k | $220k (exactly $219,903) | Marmalade Game Studio Ltd |
 | Thick As Thieves | $4.99 | 1,106 65% | 33k | $166k (exactly $165,568) | OtherSide Entertainment | |
 | SEVERANCE | · EA | $9.99 | 459 70% | 14k | $138k (exactly $137,562) | Sykes Games |
 | Into Black | $29.99 | 125 87% | 3.8k | $112k (exactly $112,462) | The Binary Mill | |
 | Midnight Murder Club | $9.99 | 304 71% | 9.1k | $91k (exactly $91,109) | Velan Studios | |
 | Dustland | · EA | $22.99 | 100 69% | 3.0k | $69k (exactly $68,970) | RedPad Games |
 | WISE GUYS | · EA | $8.99 | 194 90% | 5.8k | $52k (exactly $52,322) | StonieDude |
 | Deadly Trick | · EA | $8.99 | 141 95% | 4.2k | $38k (exactly $38,028) | Finalblow Co. |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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