Should I ship a Thriller PvP game?
PvP + Thriller
Of 31 developers who shipped a Thriller PvP 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.. 61 more are announced, ×3.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $540, ×0.4 the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $240. 61 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.4 per shipper, while revenue is down 70% on the market.
| Bottom 30% | $239 (exactly $239) |
|---|---|
| Median | $539 (exactly $539) |
| Top 25% | $13k (exactly $13,174) |
| Top 5% | $328k (exactly $328,172) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 31 |
| Released games | 79 |
| Announced | 61 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| 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 down 70% on the market, supply 40% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 19%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- PvP; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Co-op, Stealth
- Price point
- $4.99 typical · top 25% priced $13.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, First-Person, Dark
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $13.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.
The top 10 games average 76% positive over 5,025 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $240. 8 in 10 of the 14 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 61 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
PvP with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.
- + BaseballFair
- + TransportationFair
- + BasketballFair
- + Football (American)Fair
- + BikesFair
- + GolfFair
- + World War IFair
- + IncrementalFair
- + BilliardsFair
- + TennisLong shot
- + TypingLong shot
- + SpellingLong shot
Comparable games
| Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Secret Neighbor: Hello Neighbor Multiplayer | older | $19.99 | 14,865 86% | 446k | $8.9M (exactly $8,914,540) | Hologryph, Eerie Guest Studios |
| | Fear Therapy | · EA older | $4.99 | 3,630 68% | 109k | $543k (exactly $543,411) | Black Flag Studios |
| | Granny: Escape Together | $9.99 | 1,661 79% | 50k | $498k (exactly $497,802) | CreepyToad | |
| | Final Sentence | $9.99 | 1,095 84% | 33k | $328k (exactly $328,172) | Button Mash | |
| | KILLER INN | · EA | $9.99 | 670 44% | 20k | $201k (exactly $200,799) | Square Enix, Tactic Studios |
| | SIDE EFFECTS | $4.99 | 858 83% | 26k | $128k (exactly $128,443) | hirohun, Mr.Pootsley, Jaybooty, Lofar42 | |
| | Terrordrome - Reign of the Legends | $19.99 | 168 72% | 5.0k | $101k (exactly $100,750) | Huracan Studio | |
| | Midnight Murder Club | $9.99 | 304 71% | 9.1k | $91k (exactly $91,109) | Velan Studios | |
| | Holy Purge : Exorcist | older | $9.99 | 168 69% | 5.0k | $50k (exactly $50,350) | Celeritas Games |
| | NIGHT CROW | older | $15.99 | 85 68% | 2.6k | $41k (exactly $40,774) | Ge-Aivan |
| | Damned 2 | · EA | $13.99 | 92 84% | 2.8k | $39k (exactly $38,612) | 9heads Game Studios |
| | Jumpscare Simulator: System Breach | $4.99 | 88 90% | 2.6k | $13k (exactly $13,174) | Durultay Games | |
| | Cursed Deal | $7.99 | 51 98% | 1.5k | $12k (exactly $12,225) | Massive Crystal Studios | |
| | DON'T GET GOT | · EA | $4.99 | 38 47% | 1.1k | $5.7k (exactly $5,689) | Bossa Studios |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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