Do I ship it?

GamesPlatformerPlatformer + Superhero

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Superhero Platformer?

Platformer + Superhero

Of 24 developers who shipped a Superhero Platformer 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.. 32 more are announced, ×2.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $360 in the last 2 years and $450 over 4, against a market of $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build. 13 developers shipped in the last year and 32 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.2 times the market baseline, revenue down 15% on the market, 32 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Superhero
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 24
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $208 → $1.8k → $179 → $3.4k → $270 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Superhero: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 24
Bottom 30% $120 (exactly $120)
Median $359 (exactly $359)
Top 25% $3.4k (exactly $3,352)
Top 5% $25k (exactly $25,192)
Developers, 2 yr 24
Released games 80
Announced 32
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $7.99

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 15% on the market, supply 20% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 8%, 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 low: the lowest rating among its tags.

Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Superhero
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
Platformer; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Adventure, 2D Platformer
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 1990's, Cartoony
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 232 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $120, median $360, 1 in 4 over $3.3k, 1 in 20 over $25k.

3 in 10 developers made under $120. All of the 13 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 32 games are announced against 13 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Dating SimStrong odds19 devs · median $3.0k · 15 announced
  2. + PinballStrong odds10 devs · median $2.5k · 6 announced
  3. + Combat RacingFair28 devs · median $899 · 38 announced
  4. + FMVFair9 devs · median $899 · 10 announced
  5. + SimulationFair281 devs · median $628 · 235 announced
  6. + Grid-Based MovementFair23 devs · median $539 · 18 announced
  7. + AutomationFair13 devs · median $449 · 16 announced
  8. + Turn-Based TacticsLong shot15 devs · median $360 · 18 announced
  9. + LGBTQ+Poor odds42 devs · median $7.2k · 90 announced
  10. + Co-op CampaignPoor odds32 devs · median $6.5k · 90 announced
  11. + JRPGPoor odds14 devs · median $5.8k · 38 announced
  12. + SkateboardingPoor odds14 devs · median $4.8k · 23 announced

All 206 pairs on the Platformer page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes older $19.99 22,663 95% 680k $14M (exactly $13,591,001) Traveller's Tales
SpeedRunners older $14.99 22,842 94% 685k $10M (exactly $10,272,047) DoubleDutch Games
Gravity Circuit older $16.99 3,028 94% 91k $1.5M (exactly $1,543,372) Domesticated Ant Games
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure older $19.99 1,941 80% 58k $1.2M (exactly $1,164,018) 5th Cell Media
Batman™: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition older $19.99 1,682 44% 50k $1.0M (exactly $1,008,695) Armature Studio, LLC
Amazing Frog? 2 · EA older $19.99 726 77% 22k $435k (exactly $435,382) Fayju
Sunblaze older $14.99 322 90% 9.7k $145k (exactly $144,803) Games From Earth
Smelter older $19.99 165 64% 5.0k $99k (exactly $98,950) X PLUS Co., Ltd.
MARVEL MaXimum Collection $24.99 111 76% 3.3k $83k (exactly $83,217) Limited Run Games
Supercow older $7.99 183 97% 5.5k $44k (exactly $43,865) Nevosoft
Dog Man: Mission Impawsible $29.99 28 96% 840 $25k (exactly $25,192) Floor 84 Studio
Rabbiman Adventures $14.99 21 100% 630 $9.4k (exactly $9,444) ISRACHEM LTD
Basureroes: Invasion $11.99 14 100% 420 $5.0k (exactly $5,036) Javs Game Studios
Ninja Five-O $24.99 5 80% 150 $3.7k (exactly $3,748) Limited Run Games, Inc.
Kokoro Clover SUN - Prehistoric Invaders! $3.99 28 100% 840 $3.4k (exactly $3,352) ひこてる
SantaCorps 4 $4.99 9 88% 270 $1.3k (exactly $1,347) Virtuoso Neomedia
Raanaa - The Shaman Girl $12.99 3 100% 90 $1.2k (exactly $1,169) Miksapix Interactive, Red Stage Enterta… (Miksapix Interactive, Red Stage Entertainment)
Witchy Tower $2.99 10 100% 300 $897 (exactly $897) Changefairy
Outer Space Bar $8.99 3 66% 90 $809 (exactly $809) OZNA STUDIO

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