Do I ship it?

Games › Platformer › Platformer + Top-Down Shooter

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Top-Down Shooter Platformer?

Platformer + Top-Down Shooter

Of 21 developers who shipped a Top-Down Shooter 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.. 17 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $180 in the last 2 years and $150 over 4, against a market of $480 for a 3 / 10 build. 9 developers shipped in the last year and 17 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.4 times the market baseline, revenue up 170% on the market, 17 announced, ×1.9 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Top-Down Shooter
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 21
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $90 → $0 → $165 → $599 → $359 → $418 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Top-Down Shooter: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 21
Bottom 30% $119 (exactly $119)
Median $180 (exactly $180)
Top 25% $599 (exactly $599)
Top 5% $1.3k (exactly $1,258)
Developers, 2 yr 21
Released games 82
Announced 17
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $3.00

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 170% on the market, supply 25% fewer 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.

Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Top-Down Shooter
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
Platformer, Top-Down Shooter; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry 2D Platformer, Action, Action-Adventure
Price point
$3.00 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 3D, Anime
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $3.00.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 58 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 $180, 1 in 4 over $590, 1 in 20 over $1.2k.

3 in 10 developers made under $120. 9 in 10 of the 16 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 17 games are announced against 9 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Platformer with a different second tag, 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

Touhou Endless Dream 2021 · $409k God's Trigger 2019 · $198k Sus Virus Amogus 2024 · $61k Speed Limit 2021 · $41k Astro Duel 2 2024 · $35k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Touhou Endless Dream older $7.99 1,705 93% 51k $409k (exactly $408,688) a10a010, MyACG Studio
God's Trigger older $14.99 441 72% 13k $198k (exactly $198,318) One More Level
Sus Virus Amogus older $39.99 51 82% 1.5k $61k (exactly $61,185) Galactic Geckon
Speed Limit older $9.99 136 80% 4.1k $41k (exactly $40,759) Gamechuck
Astro Duel 2 older $19.99 59 100% 1.8k $35k (exactly $35,382) Rusty Moyher
Eliosi's Hunt older $9.99 64 68% 1.9k $19k (exactly $19,181) TDZ Games, Gamecraft Studios
Ruvato: Original Complex older $14.99 38 81% 1.1k $17k (exactly $17,089) REMIMORY
F*ck the HELL out older $4.99 95 86% 2.9k $14k (exactly $14,222) Galactic Geckon
Ashworld older $14.99 22 54% 660 $9.9k (exactly $9,893) Orangepixel
TWWWR older $3.99 79 98% 2.4k $9.5k (exactly $9,456) Emlise, Nostalgiatree
Kira Kira Magical Stars $5.99 13 84% 390 $2.3k (exactly $2,336) Michirin
Kuentame $5.99 7 100% 210 $1.3k (exactly $1,258) ApeHardware
Revolvermen $9.99 3 100% 90 $899 (exactly $899) Oskar Wetterbrandt
Kapuritto-kyu Minigame Collection $1.99 11 90% 330 $657 (exactly $657) SOULCHAN
Final Payload $2.99 7 71% 210 $628 (exactly $628) kazakovstudios, Sharkgame
WildWorlds: Zyxaranth's Domain $9.99 2 100% 60 $599 (exactly $599) James Hummel
Cat Watch $1.99 7 100% 210 $418 (exactly $418) Decimate Software, Minicactus Games
Corrupted World $11.99 1 100% 30 $360 (exactly $360) Alexis Guilbault
Record of Beautiful Men and Beautiful Women $2.99 4 50% 120 $359 (exactly $359) TITK GAME
Devastablance. Mountain Brotherhood $3.00 3 100% 90 $270 (exactly $270) Shvap Games Studio

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