Games › Sandbox › Sandbox + Runner
Should I ship a Runner Sandbox?
Sandbox + Runner
Of 25 developers who shipped a Runner Sandbox 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.. 29 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: dead, for a 6 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $240 in the last 2 years and $300 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 6 / 10 build. 12 developers shipped in the last year and 29 games are announced.
| Bottom 30% | $60 (exactly $60) |
|---|---|
| Median | $238 (exactly $238) |
| Top 25% | $537 (exactly $537) |
| Top 5% | $103k (exactly $102,981) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 25 |
| Released games | 64 |
| Announced | 29 |
| Effort | 6 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Medium |
| Typical price | $3.99 |
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 45% on the market, supply 10% fewer developers than the period before.
Free games: 16%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 6 / 10 · full 3D single-player, physics sims, content-heavy RPG
- Systems
- Sandbox, Runner; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Adventure, 3D Platformer, Platformer
- Price point
- $3.99 typical · top 25% priced $13.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Third Person, Atmospheric
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $13.99 or above; the middle game at $3.99.
The top 10 games average 85% positive over 1,170 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $60. 8 in 10 of the 17 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 29 games are announced against 12 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Sandbox with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + FightingStrong odds
- + Turn-BasedFair
- + World War IIFair
- + MinigamesFair
- + ProgrammingFair
- + CatsFair
- + SportsFair
- + GamblingFair
- + Auto BattlerFair
- + Combat RacingFair
- + Trading Card GameFair
- + IdlerFair
Comparable games
Island Notes 2025 · $344k 
Espire 1: VR Operative 2019 · $228k 
Rocket Boots Mania 2025 · $103k 
Switchcars 2021 · $44k 
Kitchen Simulator 2 2017 · $12k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Island Notes | $12.99 | 884 82% | 27k | $344k (exactly $344,495) | KangBaoGame | |
| | Espire 1: VR Operative | older | $19.99 | 381 54% | 11k | $228k (exactly $228,486) | Digital Lode Immersive Media |
| | Rocket Boots Mania | $14.99 | 229 99% | 6.9k | $103k (exactly $102,981) | Luma Play | |
| | Switchcars | older | $8.99 | 164 90% | 4.9k | $44k (exactly $44,231) | Altfuture |
| | Kitchen Simulator 2 | older | $4.99 | 80 48% | 2.4k | $12k (exactly $11,976) | WhackAKey Games |
 | Rabbit Simulator | older | $4.99 | 55 81% | 1.7k | $8.2k (exactly $8,234) | Meng Games |
 | Saints and Sinners | · EA older | $6.99 | 22 63% | 660 | $4.6k (exactly $4,613) | threeW |
 | PEE WAR！ | older | $1.99 | 61 93% | 1.8k | $3.6k (exactly $3,642) | LBR games, Integer games |
 | Sounds of Nature | older | $7.99 | 6 50% | 180 | $1.4k (exactly $1,438) | BB STUDIO |
 | Trump Tariff | $1.99 | 21 71% | 630 | $1.3k (exactly $1,254) | Valkeala Software, Tero Lunkka | |
 | Fear Simulator VR | $3.99 | 8 25% | 240 | $958 (exactly $958) | Overbuilt S.A. | |
 | Treasure Hunter: Echo of War | $9.99 | 3 66% | 90 | $899 (exactly $899) | Ulab Games | |
 | Do Not Fall | $13.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $839 (exactly $839) | After Life Studio | |
 | Match 'Em | $1.99 | 9 100% | 270 | $537 (exactly $537) | Mina Pêcheux | |
 | Beer Runner | $1.99 | 9 88% | 270 | $537 (exactly $537) | Bonittor Games | |
 | Psycho Path | $7.99 | 2 100% | 60 | $479 (exactly $479) | Twinties studio | |
 | Backflip Madness 2 | $4.99 | 3 100% | 90 | $449 (exactly $449) | Hubert Śliwka |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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