Do I ship it?

GamesSplit ScreenSplit Screen + Strategy

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Split Screen Strategy game?

Split Screen + Strategy

Of 37 developers who shipped a Split Screen 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.. 52 more are announced, ×2.5 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: dead, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $300 in the last 2 years and $450 over 4, against a market of $630 for a 5 / 10 build. 21 developers shipped in the last year and 52 games are announced.

Deciding numbers: median 0.5 times the market baseline, revenue down 80% on the market, 52 announced, ×2.5 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Split Screen + Strategy
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 37
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $3.0k → $4.0k → $1.4k → $299 → $0 (still earning) → $449 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Split Screen + Strategy: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 37
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $299 (exactly $299)
Top 25% $3.9k (exactly $3,896)
Top 5% $20k (exactly $19,712)
Developers, 2 yr 37
Released games 120
Announced 52
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
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 80% on the market, supply 30% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 17%, 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.

Split Screen
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Strategy
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
Split Screen, Strategy; 4 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Local Multiplayer, Action, Co-op
Price point
$6.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Art
3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, 3D, Cartoony
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 87% positive over 393 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 $300, 1 in 4 over $3.8k, 1 in 20 over $19k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. Nearly all of the 21 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 52 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.5 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

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

  1. + Automobile SimStrong odds25 devs · median $5.5k · 14 announced
  2. + DrivingFair54 devs · median $6.0k · 56 announced
  3. + Immersive SimFair12 devs · median $6.0k · 14 announced
  4. + HorrorFair16 devs · median $4.3k · 18 announced
  5. + SportsFair58 devs · median $4.0k · 52 announced
  6. + RPGFair28 devs · median $450 · 31 announced
  7. + Score AttackLong shot23 devs · median $300 · 24 announced
  8. + CollectathonPoor odds10 devs · median $38k · 16 announced
  9. + Online Co-OpPoor odds30 devs · median $25k · 63 announced
  10. + Female ProtagonistPoor odds15 devs · median $18k · 20 announced
  11. + Open WorldPoor odds20 devs · median $10k · 27 announced
  12. + Tower DefensePoor odds8 devs · median $7.9k · 10 announced

All 84 pairs on the Split Screen page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition older $39.99 27,485 88% 825k $33M (exactly $32,973,754) Larian Studios
The Escapists 2 older $19.99 26,452 90% 794k $16M (exactly $15,863,264) Team17, Mouldy Toof Studios
Stick Fight: The Game older $4.99 99,952 93% 3.0M $15M (exactly $14,962,814) Landfall West
Hydroneer older $14.99 27,131 85% 814k $12M (exactly $12,200,811) Foulball Hangover
Who's Your Daddy?! older $9.99 25,797 80% 774k $7.7M (exactly $7,731,361) Evil Tortilla Games
STAR WARS™ Battlefront older $19.99 5,190 79% 156k $3.1M (exactly $3,112,443) DICE
LEGO® The Hobbit™ older $19.99 5,086 78% 153k $3.1M (exactly $3,050,074) Traveller's Tales, Feral Interactive (M… (Traveller's Tales, Feral Interactive (Mac))
HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed older $24.99 3,798 90% 114k $2.8M (exactly $2,847,361) Digital Cybercherries
Worms Ultimate Mayhem older $14.99 4,303 89% 129k $1.9M (exactly $1,935,059) Team17 Digital Ltd
Tooth and Tail older $19.99 2,887 82% 87k $1.7M (exactly $1,731,334) Pocketwatch Games
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids $29.99 90 83% 2.7k $81k (exactly $80,973) Snapshot Games Inc.
Bonelords $6.99 94 92% 2.8k $20k (exactly $19,712) Z0 Game Studios
Live Hard, Die Hard $4.99 83 89% 2.5k $12k (exactly $12,425) Asobism.Co.,Ltd
Wild Ice $19.99 17 100% 510 $10k (exactly $10,195) Journey Bound Games
Ultimate Blacksmith Tycoon ~The Appraiser-Shopkeeper Conquers the Blacksmith Trade~ · EA $14.99 15 80% 450 $6.7k (exactly $6,746) Quench Forge
Jelly Troops $8.99 22 90% 660 $5.9k (exactly $5,933) Nukenin
Idle Inferno $5.99 30 60% 900 $5.4k (exactly $5,391) TUNA TUN
Goo Goo Grapplers $7.99 20 100% 600 $4.8k (exactly $4,794) Both Good
Deepest Trench $14.99 9 66% 270 $4.0k (exactly $4,047) Favor Games
Sorcery Slam $9.99 13 100% 390 $3.9k (exactly $3,896) Earth Shatter Games

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