Do I ship it?

GamesProcedural GenerationProcedural Generation + Time Travel

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Time-Travel Procedural Generation game?

Procedural Generation + Time Travel

Only 9 developers shipped a Time-Travel Procedural Generation 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, Time Snatcher Handy, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 18 more are announced, ×4.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 4 / 10 build.

Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $3.0k against a market of $480. 18 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 6.3 times the market baseline, revenue up 170% on the market, 18 announced, ×4.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Procedural Generation + Time Travel
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 9

not enough cohorts to draw

Outcomes for Procedural Generation + Time Travel: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 9
Bottom 30% $1.2k (exactly $1,198)
Median $3.0k (exactly $2,997)
Top 25% $4.5k (exactly $4,496)
Top 5% $26k (exactly $26,374)
Developers, 2 yr 9
Released games 26
Announced 18
Effort 4 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
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 170% on the market, supply 20% fewer 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 medium: the lowest rating among its tags.

Procedural Generation
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band
Time Travel
effort 4 / 10 · medium · effort 4 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
4 / 10 · mid 2D, writing-heavy, or simple 3D
Systems
Procedural Generation
Price point
$9.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

Fewer than 10 games in the last 2 years; sentiment and price figures use the all window.

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 85% positive over 605 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $1.2k, median $3.0k, 1 in 4 over $4.4k, 1 in 20 over $26k.

3 in 10 developers made under $1.2k. All of the 5 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 18 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + SnowFair11 devs · median $3.0k · 16 announced
  2. + Traditional RoguelikeFair71 devs · median $2.0k · 93 announced
  3. + DetectiveFair29 devs · median $1.5k · 30 announced
  4. + Word GameFair22 devs · median $1.3k · 23 announced
  5. + TypingFair26 devs · median $1.1k · 11 announced
  6. + IdlerFair98 devs · median $807 · 107 announced
  7. + LogicFair137 devs · median $478 · 149 announced
  8. + Walking SimulatorFair57 devs · median $449 · 62 announced
  9. + Precision PlatformerFair49 devs · median $449 · 42 announced
  10. + Hidden ObjectFair58 devs · median $418 · 56 announced
  11. + Open World Survival CraftPoor odds31 devs · median $77k · 95 announced
  12. + TrainsPoor odds22 devs · median $30k · 35 announced

All 222 pairs on the Procedural Generation page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Time Break Chronicles · EA older $14.99 298 88% 8.9k $134k (exactly $134,011) Warrior General Games, LLC
Time Snatcher Handy $9.99 88 96% 2.6k $26k (exactly $26,374) PulleyBun, ClockworkCats
Oakenfold older $19.99 24 70% 720 $14k (exactly $14,393) Rutger van Dijk
Idle Superpowers older $6.99 61 77% 1.8k $13k (exactly $12,792) Lutsgames
BFF or Die older $7.99 43 65% 1.3k $10k (exactly $10,307) ASA Studio
Afterglitch older $9.99 24 91% 720 $7.2k (exactly $7,193) Vladimir Kudelka
反图灵测试/Anti-TuringTest · EA older $10.99 19 78% 570 $6.3k (exactly $6,264) metagalaxy panda
Panta Rhei - Guardian of Time $9.99 18 94% 540 $5.4k (exactly $5,395) Sappalot Studio, Omme Animation, Nordic… (Sappalot Studio, Omme Animation, Nordic Scoring)
Code Tycoon $9.99 15 80% 450 $4.5k (exactly $4,496) Mennen Games
IDIOTIC (The Game) older $9.99 15 80% 450 $4.5k (exactly $4,496) Emanuel N.M
Iconia Defenders $11.99 12 83% 360 $4.3k (exactly $4,316) Anawim Studios
Collateral Dungeon $9.99 10 100% 300 $3.0k (exactly $2,997) Techosaurus Studios
Unfair Rampage: Knightfall $5.99 14 85% 420 $2.5k (exactly $2,516) Imphenzia
P1: Anchor Light $7.99 5 80% 150 $1.2k (exactly $1,198) Deadbolt Interactive, Perp Games
Idle Time $4.99 6 16% 180 $898 (exactly $898) Woodland Software
Paragon Of Time $2.99 2 100% 60 $179 (exactly $179) Webcess

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