Do I ship it?

Games › Tower Defense › Tower Defense + Science

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Science Tower Defense?

Tower Defense + Science

Only 7 developers shipped a Science Tower Defense 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, Zombie Cure Lab, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 14 more are announced, ×3.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 3 / 10 build.

Only 4 developers shipped this in the last year, under the 5 a verdict needs; over 2 years the middle one made $2.4k against a market of $480. 14 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 5.0 times the market baseline, revenue down 10% on the market, 14 announced, ×3.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Tower Defense + Science
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 7
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $90 → $450 → $3.2k → $4.7k → $2.4k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Tower Defense + Science: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 7
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $2.4k (exactly $2,395)
Top 25% $4.7k (exactly $4,676)
Top 5% $295k (exactly $294,632)
Developers, 2 yr 7
Released games 28
Announced 14
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $6.99

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 10% on the market, supply 35% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 21%, 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Tower Defense
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band
Science
effort 3 / 10 · high · effort 3 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
3 / 10 · small 2D action, light systems
Systems
Tower Defense
Price point
$6.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

Fewer than 10 games in the last 2 years; sentiment and price figures use the all window.

The top 25% priced at $11.99 or above; the middle game at $6.72.

The top 10 games average 70% positive over 591 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $2.4k, 1 in 4 over $4.6k, 1 in 20 over $290k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. 14 games are announced against 4 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Tower Defense with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + DwarvesStrong odds10 devs · median $6.7k · 9 announced
  2. + MiningFair33 devs · median $6.3k · 45 announced
  3. + Survival HorrorFair14 devs · median $1.9k · 16 announced
  4. + CapitalismFair15 devs · median $1.6k · 20 announced
  5. + TanksFair14 devs · median $1.5k · 13 announced
  6. + MechsFair24 devs · median $1.5k · 24 announced
  7. + IdlerFair108 devs · median $1.2k · 136 announced
  8. + PuzzleFair64 devs · median $1.0k · 67 announced
  9. + Gun CustomizationFair26 devs · median $958 · 32 announced
  10. + LogicFair40 devs · median $955 · 44 announced
  11. + On-Rails ShooterFair11 devs · median $899 · 12 announced
  12. + Psychological HorrorFair8 devs · median $897 · 8 announced

All 150 pairs on the Tower Defense page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Zombie Cure Lab 2025 · $295k Survivor Cells 2024 · $11k Dr. Professor Scientist's Weapons Testing Facility 2022 · $7.2k Gelluloid Domination 2025 · $4.7k Geometry Defense: Infinite 2018 · EA · $3.6k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Zombie Cure Lab $24.99 393 65% 12k $295k (exactly $294,632) Thera Bytes GmbH
Survivor Cells older $9.99 37 78% 1.1k $11k (exactly $11,089) YAW Studios
Dr. Professor Scientist's Weapons Testing Facility older $4.99 48 77% 1.4k $7.2k (exactly $7,186) Cool Smithy Games
Gelluloid Domination $11.99 13 84% 390 $4.7k (exactly $4,676) Tractor Set GO!
Geometry Defense: Infinite · EA older $9.99 12 58% 360 $3.6k (exactly $3,596) Zebec Games
Orbitect older $9.99 11 63% 330 $3.3k (exactly $3,297) Propulsion Games
Bioguard older $2.99 36 91% 1.1k $3.2k (exactly $3,229) GOROGUI Games
DEAREND $6.99 15 73% 450 $3.1k (exactly $3,146) KUROSAWACREATE
Chemistower $4.99 16 100% 480 $2.4k (exactly $2,395) Wunoumenal
Super Virus Defense older $3.99 10 100% 300 $1.2k (exactly $1,197) Mad Noodle Studios
Xenocrystal TD · EA $4.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Nalu Games
Destroy the Asteroids $10.00 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Ranie Soares da Costa
thelastonebullet $6.72 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Taha Demir

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