Do I ship it?

GamesStrategyStrategy + Runner

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Runner Strategy game?

Strategy + Runner

Of 69 developers who shipped a Runner Strategy 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.. 63 more are announced.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $180 in the last 2 years and $180 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 5 / 10 build. 32 developers shipped in the last year and 63 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.3 times the market baseline, revenue up 185% on the market, 63 announced, ×2.0 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Strategy + Runner
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 69
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $178 → $327 → $148 → $269 → $150 → $119 → $240 (still earning) → $180 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Strategy + Runner: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 69
Bottom 30% $60 (exactly $60)
Median $178 (exactly $178)
Top 25% $539 (exactly $539)
Top 5% $24k (exactly $23,900)
Developers, 2 yr 69
Released games 208
Announced 63
Effort 5 / 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 185% on the market, supply 15% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 15%, 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.

Strategy
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Runner
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Strategy, Runner; 5 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Action-Adventure, Adventure
Price point
$3.99 typical · top 25% priced $9.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Colorful, Cute
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $9.99 or above; the middle game at $3.99.

The top 10 games average 93% positive over 1,085 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $60, median $180, 1 in 4 over $530, 1 in 20 over $23k.

3 in 10 developers made under $60. 9 in 10 of the 46 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 63 games are announced against 32 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Strategy with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + FMVStrong odds50 devs · median $65k · 27 announced
  2. + Job SimulatorFair62 devs · median $16k · 74 announced
  3. + BaseballFair14 devs · median $7.5k · 7 announced
  4. + LGBTQ+Fair89 devs · median $6.7k · 91 announced
  5. + WuxiaFair23 devs · median $4.7k · 41 announced
  6. + FarmingFair44 devs · median $4.3k · 42 announced
  7. + Martial ArtsFair81 devs · median $3.0k · 94 announced
  8. + SubmarineFair21 devs · median $2.4k · 23 announced
  9. + NavalFair66 devs · median $2.2k · 88 announced
  10. + IdlerFair696 devs · median $1.9k · 988 announced
  11. + Shop KeeperFair159 devs · median $1.8k · 264 announced
  12. + HackingFair96 devs · median $1.2k · 132 announced

All 275 pairs on the Strategy page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Last Room older $29.99 953 73% 29k $857k (exactly $857,414) Quantum Forge Studios
Furry Killer older $29.99 241 78% 7.2k $217k (exactly $216,828) Sujikon
Relooted $14.99 257 87% 7.7k $116k (exactly $115,573) Nyamakop
Sushi Cat Legacy Collection $4.99 263 95% 7.9k $39k (exactly $39,371) Armor Games Studios
绝命游歌 older $6.99 159 82% 4.8k $33k (exactly $33,342) DreamStep, Wild Kid Games
In a search of a new home older $24.99 36 55% 1.1k $27k (exactly $26,989) Gamesforgames
Stardust Skate $2.99 299 98% 9.0k $27k (exactly $26,820) VchiBan, Aetha
Progress Racer RPG $5.99 133 94% 4.0k $24k (exactly $23,900) Cameron Ladjevardi, David Elliot
Inertia older $0.99 656 82% 20k $19k (exactly $19,483) Loneminded
Zombodesert older $49.99 12 91% 360 $18k (exactly $17,996) Gamesforgames
RHYTHMKILL $9.99 45 82% 1.4k $13k (exactly $13,486) GETTAKE
Inflafrog: Collector's Edition $4.99 28 100% 840 $4.2k (exactly $4,192) Nice Cream
Maniac Path 3 $9.99 12 100% 360 $3.6k (exactly $3,596) Gamesforgames
Jenny Love You $4.99 23 69% 690 $3.4k (exactly $3,443) Phantom Pixel
World Drawn $9.99 11 100% 330 $3.3k (exactly $3,297) Gamesforgames
Nullwake $5.99 14 78% 420 $2.5k (exactly $2,516) DIG Games

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