Games › Strategy › Strategy + Runner
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.
| 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.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is medium: the lowest rating among its tags.
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
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.
What kills games here
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.
Adjacent niches
Strategy with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + FMVStrong odds
- + Job SimulatorFair
- + BaseballFair
- + LGBTQ+Fair
- + WuxiaFair
- + FarmingFair
- + Martial ArtsFair
- + SubmarineFair
- + NavalFair
- + IdlerFair
- + Shop KeeperFair
- + HackingFair
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.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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