Do I ship it?

GamesTurn-Based TacticsTurn-Based Tactics + Zombies

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Zombie Turn-Based Tactics?

Turn-Based Tactics + Zombies

Of 28 developers who shipped a Zombie Turn-Based Tactics 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.. 41 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.5k, ×2.4 the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $360; 1 in 20 cleared $680k, ×1091 the market median. Revenue is down 85% on the market; 41 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 2.4 times the market baseline, revenue down 85% on the market, 41 announced, ×2.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Turn-Based Tactics + Zombies
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 28
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $8.9k → $1.8k → $3.6k → $2.0k → $360 → $6.5k (still earning) → $1.5k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Turn-Based Tactics + Zombies: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 28
Bottom 30% $359 (exactly $359)
Median $1.5k (exactly $1,497)
Top 25% $42k (exactly $41,690)
Top 5% $685k (exactly $685,454)
Developers, 2 yr 28
Released games 95
Announced 41
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Medium
Typical price $9.99

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 85% on the market, supply 55% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 12%, 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.

Turn-Based Tactics
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band
Zombies
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
Turn-Based Tactics; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry RPG, Strategy, Tactical
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $24.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Dark
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $24.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 80% positive over 3,314 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $360, median $1.5k, 1 in 4 over $41k, 1 in 20 over $680k.

3 in 10 developers made under $360. 8 in 10 of the 13 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 41 games are announced against 17 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Turn-Based Tactics with a different setting or mood, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + TanksFair24 devs · median $3.0k · 24 announced
  2. + AutomationFair28 devs · median $2.9k · 36 announced
  3. + ProgrammingFair14 devs · median $2.4k · 16 announced
  4. + DiceFair47 devs · median $1.6k · 53 announced
  5. + MiningFair10 devs · median $1.5k · 8 announced
  6. + Time ManagementFair65 devs · median $1.4k · 69 announced
  7. + IdlerFair47 devs · median $1.3k · 48 announced
  8. + Psychological HorrorFair55 devs · median $1.0k · 56 announced
  9. + Traditional RoguelikeFair78 devs · median $629 · 95 announced
  10. + PsychologicalFair34 devs · median $629 · 40 announced
  11. + PuzzleFair263 devs · median $598 · 308 announced
  12. + PlatformerLong shot15 devs · median $360 · 18 announced

All 189 pairs on the Turn-Based Tactics page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Pathway older $15.99 1,908 76% 57k $915k (exactly $915,268) Robotality
Warhammer Quest (Classic) older $29.99 897 71% 27k $807k (exactly $807,031) Rodeo Games, Twistplay
The Necromancer's Tale $24.99 921 91% 28k $690k (exactly $690,474) Psychic Software
Urban Strife $34.99 653 69% 20k $685k (exactly $685,454) White Pond Games
Vultures - Scavengers of Death $17.99 532 81% 16k $287k (exactly $287,120) Team Vultures
Black & White older $14.99 612 71% 18k $275k (exactly $275,216) 零创游戏(ZerocreationGame)
That Time I Got Reincarnated as an Orc older $18.99 391 89% 12k $223k (exactly $222,753) HONEYSOFT
Age of Fear: The Undead King older $24.99 294 89% 8.8k $220k (exactly $220,412) Leslaw Sliwko
Dead Grid $12.99 504 93% 15k $196k (exactly $196,409) Atom Void
Age of Fear 3: The Legend older $29.99 164 93% 4.9k $148k (exactly $147,551) Leslaw Sliwko
MEMOLITH: Forsaken by Light $19.99 220 76% 6.6k $132k (exactly $131,934) Black Anchor
Dead Season $19.99 182 69% 5.5k $109k (exactly $109,145) Snail Bite
ZombieCards $5.99 232 48% 7.0k $42k (exactly $41,690) HotScent
Giggle Night: Trixie's Trial · EA $19.99 16 81% 480 $9.6k (exactly $9,595) Anaximanes Entertainment
Necromancer For A Week $7.99 27 96% 810 $6.5k (exactly $6,472) QuietPenguinGaming
Zombie Epoch:Deck Apocalypse $7.99 27 62% 810 $6.5k (exactly $6,472) HY Indie Game

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