Do I ship it?

GamesPlatformerPlatformer + Zombies

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Zombie Platformer?

Platformer + Zombies

Of 41 developers who shipped a Zombie 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.. 74 more are announced, ×3.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $900, ×1.4 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $270; 1 in 20 cleared $20k, ×33 the market median. Revenue is up 20% on the market; 74 games are announced against 23 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.4 times the market baseline, revenue up 20% on the market, 74 announced, ×3.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Platformer + Zombies
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 41
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $359 → $1.2k → $898 → $4.5k → $898 → $360 → $599 (still earning) → $718 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Platformer + Zombies: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 41
Bottom 30% $270 (exactly $270)
Median $898 (exactly $898)
Top 25% $4.8k (exactly $4,795)
Top 5% $21k (exactly $20,760)
Developers, 2 yr 41
Released games 172
Announced 74
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
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 20% on the market, supply 30% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 7%, 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Platformer
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Zombies
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Platformer; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, Action, 2D Platformer
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Side Scroller, 3D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 74% positive over 715 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $270, median $900, 1 in 4 over $4.7k, 1 in 20 over $20k.

3 in 10 developers made under $270. All of the 19 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 74 games are announced against 23 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.2 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
Deadlight older $14.99 9,386 78% 282k $4.2M (exactly $4,220,884) Tequila Works, S.L.
The Final Station older $14.99 6,739 88% 202k $3.0M (exactly $3,030,528) DO MY BEST
DEAD OR SCHOOL older $24.99 2,607 84% 78k $2.0M (exactly $1,954,468) Studio Nanafushi
Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 older $12.99 4,742 94% 142k $1.8M (exactly $1,847,957) Rogueside, Claeysbrothers
DEADBOLT older $9.99 4,852 96% 146k $1.5M (exactly $1,454,144) Hopoo Games
Ben and Ed older $9.99 4,592 82% 138k $1.4M (exactly $1,376,222) Sluggerfly
Zombotron older $14.99 2,974 89% 89k $1.3M (exactly $1,337,408) Ant.Karlov Games
Zombie Night Terror older $12.99 3,352 93% 101k $1.3M (exactly $1,306,274) NoClip
Guns, Gore & Cannoli older $9.99 3,681 91% 110k $1.1M (exactly $1,103,196) Rogueside, Claeysbrothers
Ben and Ed - Blood Party older $14.99 2,297 88% 69k $1.0M (exactly $1,032,961) Sluggerfly
Haunted Lands $5.99 251 77% 7.5k $45k (exactly $45,105) alevgor
Soulbind: Tales Of The Underworld $7.99 88 73% 2.6k $21k (exactly $21,094) Rubedo Games
Deadliest Pigeon $6.99 99 93% 3.0k $21k (exactly $20,760) Rusty Rex
VonGarland Castle : Beyond Blood $14.99 42 57% 1.3k $19k (exactly $18,887) Ash Jackson
Don't Look Behind $4.99 81 58% 2.4k $12k (exactly $12,126) Simon Au Yeung
Strange Brew $14.99 24 100% 720 $11k (exactly $10,793) Electric Monk Media
Stone 4 Souls $9.99 32 78% 960 $9.6k (exactly $9,590) Adeilson S Vieira
Zombie Flick | 僵尸快打 $5.99 51 45% 1.5k $9.2k (exactly $9,165) Yiming
The Hilltop Funeral · EA $6.99 29 72% 870 $6.1k (exactly $6,081) BROKENCIGS, fumigawa
Wet Dreams Spa $9.99 18 83% 540 $5.4k (exactly $5,395) Xlyph Bara Games

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