Games › Racing › Racing + Procedural Generation
Should I ship a Procedural Generation Racing game?
Racing + Procedural Generation
Of 50 developers who shipped a Procedural Generation Racing game 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.. 87 more are announced, ×4.0 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 6 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $600, level with the market's $630 for a 6 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $26k, ×42 the market median. Revenue is up 145% on the market; 87 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $150 (exactly $150) |
|---|---|
| Median | $599 (exactly $599) |
| Top 25% | $3.9k (exactly $3,897) |
| Top 5% | $26k (exactly $26,258) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 50 |
| Released games | 201 |
| Announced | 87 |
| Effort | 6 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $5.99 |
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 145% on the market, supply 20% fewer 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.
- Racing
- effort 6 / 10 · low · vehicle handling, track content and opponent AI
- Procedural Generation
- effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
What it takes
- Effort
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Racing, Procedural Generation; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Driving, Physics, Action
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Third Person, Colorful
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 87% positive over 1,120 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $150. 9 in 10 of the 33 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 87 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.0 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Racing with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + CapitalismStrong odds
- + ModernFair
- + TransportationFair
- + AutomationFair
- + Grand StrategyFair
- + Time AttackFair
- + Auto BattlerFair
- + Time ManipulationFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Choices MatterFair
- + City BuilderLong shot
- + Inventory ManagementPoor odds
Comparable games
Descenders 2019 · $15M 
AudioSurf 2008 · $2.7M 
Audiosurf 2 2015 · $2.4M 
Superflight 2017 · $991k 
UNDER the SAND - a road trip simulator 2020 · $933k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Descenders | older | $24.99 | 19,836 95% | 595k | $15M (exactly $14,871,049) | RageSquid |
| | AudioSurf | older | $9.99 | 8,901 95% | 267k | $2.7M (exactly $2,667,630) | Dylan Fitterer |
| | Audiosurf 2 | older | $14.99 | 5,364 82% | 161k | $2.4M (exactly $2,412,191) | Dylan Fitterer |
| | Superflight | older | $2.99 | 11,047 96% | 331k | $991k (exactly $990,916) | GrizzlyGames |
| | UNDER the SAND - a road trip simulator | older | $19.99 | 1,556 78% | 47k | $933k (exactly $933,133) | IndieMax |
 | Race The Sun | older | $9.99 | 1,974 93% | 59k | $592k (exactly $591,608) | Flippfly LLC |
 | Descenders Next | · EA | $29.99 | 389 79% | 12k | $350k (exactly $349,983) | RageSquid |
 | Death Roads: Tournament | older | $14.99 | 729 80% | 22k | $328k (exactly $327,831) | The Knights of Unity |
 | Exo Rally Championship | $24.99 | 374 90% | 11k | $280k (exactly $280,388) | Exbleative | |
 | Dino Run DX | older | $5.99 | 1,124 95% | 34k | $202k (exactly $201,983) | Pixeljam |
 | REDLINE CROOKS | $11.99 | 73 100% | 2.2k | $26k (exactly $26,258) | Alexander Golke | |
 | SCHROTT: Roguelike Racer | · EA | $12.99 | 49 91% | 1.5k | $19k (exactly $19,095) | Ivy Juice |
 | The Undercut: Racing Manager | · EA | $14.99 | 42 80% | 1.3k | $19k (exactly $18,887) | Staz.Tech |
 | Speed Demons 2 | $14.99 | 26 92% | 780 | $12k (exactly $11,692) | Radiangames | |
 | Horse Runner DX | $4.99 | 58 91% | 1.7k | $8.7k (exactly $8,683) | Mat Makes Games | |
 | Designated Driver Simulator | · EA | $17.99 | 16 62% | 480 | $8.6k (exactly $8,635) | PostSIM |
 | Hangin' Off! | · EA | $5.99 | 45 93% | 1.4k | $8.1k (exactly $8,086) | Sk1ds Retro Works |
 | Synthwave Dream '85 | $3.99 | 48 100% | 1.4k | $5.7k (exactly $5,746) | LoneDev |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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