Games › Runner › Runner + Psychological
Should I ship a Psychological Runner?
Runner + Psychological
Only 14 developers shipped a Psychological Runner 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, Campfire: Night One, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 12 more are announced.
Verdict: fair, for a 3 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $840, ×1.8 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, with 3 in 10 under $300. Revenue is up 180% on the market; 12 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $299 (exactly $299) |
|---|---|
| Median | $839 (exactly $839) |
| Top 25% | $1.5k (exactly $1,498) |
| Top 5% | $5.4k (exactly $5,396) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 14 |
| Released games | 35 |
| Announced | 12 |
| Effort | 3 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | High |
| Typical price | $2.99 |
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 180% on the market, supply as many developers as the period before.
Free games: 6%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is high: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Runner
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
- Psychological
- effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
What it takes
- Effort
- 3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
- Systems
- Runner; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry 3D Platformer, Action, Action-Adventure
- Price point
- $2.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
- Art
- 5 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, First-Person, Colorful
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $2.99.
The top 10 games average 81% positive over 149 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $300. All of the 8 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 12 games are announced against 7 developers who shipped in the last year.
Adjacent niches
Runner with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + LootFair
- + Local MultiplayerFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Visual NovelFair
- + Time AttackFair
- + FPSLong shot
- + 4 Player LocalPoor odds
- + MusicPoor odds
- + Co-opPoor odds
- + Online Co-OpPoor odds
- + Interactive FictionPoor odds
- + ManagementPoor odds
Comparable games
Star Sky 2015 · $35k 
Doodle Adventure of Chameleon 2024 · $16k 
TAURONOS 2017 · $7.2k 
Star Sky 3 2018 · $7.1k 
Campfire: Night One 2026 · $5.4k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Star Sky | older | $3.99 | 295 78% | 8.9k | $35k (exactly $35,312) | JMJ Interactive, Mårten Jonsson |
| | Doodle Adventure of Chameleon | older | $8.99 | 58 94% | 1.7k | $16k (exactly $15,643) | Cube of Cube |
| | TAURONOS | older | $4.99 | 48 87% | 1.4k | $7.2k (exactly $7,186) | cavalie_ro, S.C. 16 BIT NIGHTS S.R.L. |
| | Star Sky 3 | older | $3.99 | 59 88% | 1.8k | $7.1k (exactly $7,062) | Mårten Jonsson, JMJ Interactive |
| | Campfire: Night One | $14.99 | 12 91% | 360 | $5.4k (exactly $5,396) | Prisca, Mezey Krisztián | |
 | Running Girl | older | $9.99 | 18 50% | 540 | $5.4k (exactly $5,395) | TonAme |
 | Umbral | older | $9.99 | 18 83% | 540 | $5.4k (exactly $5,395) | Walter O. M. Junior |
 | Hypotheses on the Symmetry between Vision and Hands | $1.99 | 54 96% | 1.6k | $3.2k (exactly $3,224) | Finger tip | |
 | Skyward Dream | older | $5.99 | 17 76% | 510 | $3.1k (exactly $3,055) | KEFROST MANUFACTURE |
 | TUTUTUTU - Tea party | older | $15.99 | 5 60% | 150 | $2.4k (exactly $2,398) | Bizarre games |
 | Corridor Exit 8 | $1.99 | 37 64% | 1.1k | $2.2k (exactly $2,209) | Mynoki Games | |
 | LightQb | $9.99 | 5 80% | 150 | $1.5k (exactly $1,498) | RobDoesStuff | |
 | UNDERGROUND | $1.99 | 17 58% | 510 | $1.0k (exactly $1,015) | UncleScrooge | |
 | Mr HappyFunFace | $2.99 | 10 90% | 300 | $897 (exactly $897) | Big Red Eight | |
 | The Cursed Ward | $13.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $839 (exactly $839) | Psychoception Productions | |
 | 独特的友谊 - Special Friendship | $2.99 | 6 66% | 180 | $538 (exactly $538) | U0U0X幽灵 | |
 | Hot Pig Jump! | $3.99 | 4 100% | 120 | $479 (exactly $479) | DekkaRuby Games | |
 | Level P | $4.99 | 2 50% | 60 | $299 (exactly $299) | Jinakuma |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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