Do I ship it?

GamesVisual NovelVisual Novel + Nature

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Nature Visual Novel?

Visual Novel + Nature

Of 78 developers who shipped a Nature Visual Novel 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.. 90 more are announced, ×2.0 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $1.2k, ×2.5 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $300; 1 in 20 cleared $220k, ×467 the market median. Revenue is up 60% on the market; 90 games are announced against 44 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.5 times the market baseline, revenue up 60% on the market, 90 announced, ×2.0 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Visual Novel + Nature
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 78
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $4.1k → $3.6k → $2.9k → $1.2k → $1.8k → $539 → $6.6k (still earning) → $1.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Visual Novel + Nature: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 78
Bottom 30% $299 (exactly $299)
Median $1.2k (exactly $1,197)
Top 25% $9.9k (exactly $9,890)
Top 5% $222k (exactly $221,889)
Developers, 2 yr 78
Released games 224
Announced 90
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 60% on the market, supply 25% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 16%, 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.

Visual Novel
effort 2 / 10 · high · script, choices and static art
Nature
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
Visual Novel; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Choices Matter, Choose Your Own Adventure
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Story Rich, Atmospheric, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 2,899 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $300, median $1.2k, 1 in 4 over $9.8k, 1 in 20 over $220k.

3 in 10 developers made under $300. 9 in 10 of the 44 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 90 games are announced against 44 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.0 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + FMVStrong odds166 devs · median $54k · 146 announced
  2. + City BuilderStrong odds10 devs · median $19k · 8 announced
  3. + MusicStrong odds27 devs · median $18k · 24 announced
  4. + TrainsStrong odds12 devs · median $8.0k · 5 announced
  5. + Souls-likeFair25 devs · median $27k · 17 announced
  6. + MinigamesFair20 devs · median $22k · 19 announced
  7. + RhythmFair38 devs · median $18k · 52 announced
  8. + JRPGFair219 devs · median $13k · 265 announced
  9. + Immersive SimFair399 devs · median $7.8k · 453 announced
  10. + SwordplayFair13 devs · median $5.7k · 10 announced
  11. + GamblingFair16 devs · median $5.7k · 12 announced
  12. + DiplomacyFair16 devs · median $5.4k · 19 announced

All 188 pairs on the Visual Novel page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen older $59.99 1,328 93% 40k $2.4M (exactly $2,390,002) AQUAPLUS
SEASON: A letter to the future older $24.99 1,832 93% 55k $1.4M (exactly $1,373,450) Scavengers Studio
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten older $59.99 759 80% 23k $1.4M (exactly $1,365,972) AQUAPLUS
Chicken Police - Paint it RED! older $19.99 1,624 94% 49k $974k (exactly $973,913) The Wild Gentlemen
Summer in Mara older $19.99 1,464 75% 44k $878k (exactly $877,961) Chibig
Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy $39.99 526 90% 16k $631k (exactly $631,042) Microids Studio Paris
Witchy Life Story older $19.99 965 80% 29k $579k (exactly $578,710) Sundew Studios
Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered $59.99 289 83% 8.7k $520k (exactly $520,113) AQUAPLUS
Know by heart older $19.99 792 89% 24k $475k (exactly $474,962) Ice-Pick Lodge
Camp Buddy: Scoutmaster Season older $39.99 354 94% 11k $425k (exactly $424,694) BLits Games
Mika and The Witch's Mountain $19.99 671 86% 20k $402k (exactly $402,399) Chibig, Nukefist
Deer & Boy $19.99 370 94% 11k $222k (exactly $221,889) Lifeline Games
Asbury Pines · EA $12.99 558 90% 17k $217k (exactly $217,453) Chaystar Unlimited LLC
Horny: Zero Moan 🔞🦕 $14.99 121 69% 3.6k $54k (exactly $54,414) Lewd Star
SEXNATURAL: MILFs Must Be Filled 😈💦 $14.99 100 84% 3.0k $45k (exactly $44,970) Juicy Peach Games 🍑
Throbbin Hood 🏹🔞 $14.99 99 80% 3.0k $45k (exactly $44,520) BanzaiProject
Him, the Smile & bloom $29.99 44 88% 1.3k $40k (exactly $39,587) EDIA / TEAM Entertainment Inc. MintLip.
MILF's Camp🔥 $9.99 121 76% 3.6k $36k (exactly $36,264) Play and Cum 💦

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