Games › Open World › Open World + Political Sim
Should I ship a Political Sim Open World game?
Open World + Political Sim
Only 11 developers shipped a Political Sim Open World game 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, Age of History 2: Definitive Edition, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 37 more are announced, ×4.6 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $4.8k, ×3.2 the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $2.0k; 1 in 20 cleared $770k, ×520 the market median. Revenue is up 35415% on the market; 37 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $1.9k (exactly $1,946) |
|---|---|
| Median | $4.8k (exactly $4,823) |
| Top 25% | $111k (exactly $111,488) |
| Top 5% | $779k (exactly $779,220) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 11 |
| Released games | 45 |
| Announced | 37 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
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 35415% on the market, supply 165% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 16%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Open World
- effort 8 / 10 · low · effort 8 sits in the low band
- Political Sim
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- Open World, Political Sim
- Price point
- $9.99 typical
Why players buy here
The top 10 games average 83% positive over 3,413 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $2.0k. 8 in 10 of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 37 games are announced against 8 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.6 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Open World with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + WuxiaFair
- + 4 Player LocalFair
- + VampiresFair
- + TrainsFair
- + FMVFair
- + GothicFair
- + MarsFair
- + TanksFair
- + FaithLong shot
- + DiplomacyPoor odds
- + Real-Time with PausePoor odds
- + Co-op CampaignPoor odds
Comparable games
| Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Imperator: Rome | older | $39.99 | 19,492 65% | 585k | $23M (exactly $23,384,552) | Paradox Development Studio |
| | Eco | · EA older | $29.99 | 11,375 80% | 341k | $10M (exactly $10,234,088) | Strange Loop Games |
| | Age of History II | older | $5.99 | 47,614 89% | 1.4M | $8.6M (exactly $8,556,236) | Łukasz Jakowski |
| | Tropico 5 | older | $19.99 | 9,796 78% | 294k | $5.9M (exactly $5,874,661) | Haemimont Games |
| | NIMBY Rails | · EA older | $19.99 | 2,228 89% | 67k | $1.3M (exactly $1,336,132) | Weird and Wry |
| | The Guild II Renaissance | older | $9.99 | 3,540 82% | 106k | $1.1M (exactly $1,060,938) | Runeforge Game Studio |
| | Age of History 2: Definitive Edition | $9.99 | 2,600 83% | 78k | $779k (exactly $779,220) | Łukasz Jakowski | |
| | Tropico 3 | older | $9.99 | 843 90% | 25k | $253k (exactly $252,647) | Haemimont Games |
| | RUSSIAPHOBIA | older | $0.99 | 5,589 69% | 168k | $166k (exactly $165,993) | European Flameworms |
| | Astrobuilder | $14.99 | 350 88% | 11k | $157k (exactly $157,395) | wastudio | |
| | Pandora's Toybox | $9.99 | 372 83% | 11k | $111k (exactly $111,488) | BetaLab | |
| | Governance | · EA | $17.99 | 33 66% | 990 | $18k (exactly $17,810) | Governance Studios |
| | Ascendant Dawn | $15.99 | 13 84% | 390 | $6.2k (exactly $6,236) | Nikous Studio | |
| | The Three Kingdoms of Shadows: Xuzhou | $6.99 | 23 82% | 690 | $4.8k (exactly $4,823) | 鹏砚 | |
| | Macht: Cosmic Engine | · EA | $24.99 | 5 80% | 150 | $3.7k (exactly $3,748) | Kestro Games |
| | Doctrine: C.U.L.T. | $4.99 | 13 69% | 390 | $1.9k (exactly $1,946) | Miracles on a Stick | |
| | Uber Urban | $14.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $1.3k (exactly $1,349) | J.F | |
| | Bobbies Evolution | · EA | $2.99 | 1 0% | 30 | $90 (exactly $90) | BeverseStudio |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
Your address goes to Buttondown, which sends the letter, and nowhere else. Every issue has an unsubscribe link. No tracking beyond the open count Buttondown keeps.