Do I ship it?

Games › Strategy RPG › Strategy RPG + Shop Keeper

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Shop Keeper Strategy RPG?

Strategy RPG + Shop Keeper

Of 21 developers who shipped a Shop Keeper Strategy RPG 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.. 25 more are announced.

Verdict: fair, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $990, ×1.6 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, with 3 in 10 under $600. Revenue is up 395% on the market; 25 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.6 times the market baseline, revenue up 395% on the market, 25 announced, ×1.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Strategy RPG + Shop Keeper
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 21

not enough cohorts to draw

Outcomes for Strategy RPG + Shop Keeper: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 21
Bottom 30% $599 (exactly $599)
Median $987 (exactly $987)
Top 25% $3.3k (exactly $3,297)
Top 5% $6.7k (exactly $6,746)
Developers, 2 yr 21
Released games 25
Announced 25
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $7.99

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 395% on the market, supply 500% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 16%, 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 RPG
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Shop Keeper
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 RPG, Shop Keeper; 8 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Management, Simulation, Strategy
Price point
$7.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $7.99.

The top 10 games average 77% positive over 881 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $600, median $990, 1 in 4 over $3.2k, 1 in 20 over $6.7k.

3 in 10 developers made under $600. 25 games are announced against 18 developers who shipped in the last year.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + SportsFair23 devs · median $4.7k · 26 announced
  2. + SwordplayFair22 devs · median $2.7k · 28 announced
  3. + Bullet HellFair40 devs · median $2.0k · 31 announced
  4. + EconomyFair95 devs · median $2.0k · 128 announced
  5. + Asynchronous MultiplayerFair8 devs · median $1.6k · 13 announced
  6. + ConspiracyFair19 devs · median $1.2k · 21 announced
  7. + 2D PlatformerFair108 devs · median $479 · 113 announced
  8. + Point & ClickFair43 devs · median $450 · 47 announced
  9. + Turn-BasedPoor odds58 devs · median $63k · 76 announced
  10. + Dating SimPoor odds30 devs · median $35k · 41 announced
  11. + 4XPoor odds15 devs · median $31k · 33 announced
  12. + Martial ArtsPoor odds28 devs · median $18k · 45 announced

All 158 pairs on the Strategy RPG page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith 2026 · $268k Ultimate Blacksmith Tycoon ~The Appraiser-Shopkeeper Conquers the Blacksmith Trade~ 2026 · EA · $6.7k Streaming Race 2026 · $6.6k EL CHISMOSO 2026 · $5.3k Rustbound 2026 · $3.6k
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith $11.99 745 76% 22k $268k (exactly $267,976) Compact Core Games
Ultimate Blacksmith Tycoon ~The Appraiser-Shopkeeper Conquers the Blacksmith Trade~ · EA $14.99 15 80% 450 $6.7k (exactly $6,746) Quench Forge
Streaming Race $11.50 19 73% 570 $6.6k (exactly $6,555) Miranda Studios
EL CHISMOSO $3.99 44 95% 1.3k $5.3k (exactly $5,267) DOGAME
Rustbound $14.99 8 37% 240 $3.6k (exactly $3,598) Wylde Wisp Games
Movie Business - Die Welt der Filme $9.99 11 72% 330 $3.3k (exactly $3,297) SchnoxCore Entertainment
Keepers of the Keep · EA $14.99 6 100% 180 $2.7k (exactly $2,698) KINJAKO
四方行 $4.99 17 76% 510 $2.5k (exactly $2,545) ikarosfd
Soukh · EA $10.99 5 80% 150 $1.6k (exactly $1,648) Noctis Tide Studios
Elixion $2.99 11 100% 330 $987 (exactly $987) Sweet Levelz, https://www.sweetlevelz.c… (Sweet Levelz, https://www.sweetlevelz.com)

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