Do I ship it?

GamesMoodsAbstract

Specimen · observed

Should I ship an Abstract game?

Abstract

Of 1,027 developers who shipped an Abstract 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.. 1,299 more are announced, ×2.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 2 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $720, ×6.0 the market's $120 for a 2 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $180; 1 in 20 cleared $76k, ×639 the market median. Revenue is flat on the market; 1,299 games are announced against 601 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 6.0 times the market baseline, revenue flat on the market, 1,299 announced, ×2.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Abstract
Fig. 1 · this niche among 355
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 1,027
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $899 → $1.1k → $898 → $598 → $980 → $1.3k → $479 (still earning) → $179 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Abstract: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 1,027
Bottom 30% $179 (exactly $179)
Median $718 (exactly $718)
Top 25% $3.6k (exactly $3,599)
Top 5% $76k (exactly $76,098)
Developers, 2 yr 1,027
Released games 3,643
Announced 1,299
Effort 2 / 10
AI-buildability High
Typical price $4.99

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

Free games: 14%, excluded from money figures.

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Plate 2 · systems and tooling

Can AI deliver it?

AI-buildability for this niche is high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Abstract
effort 2 / 10 · high · effort 2 sits in the high band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
2 / 10 · static 2D art, simple logic
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $11.99 or above
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $11.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 91% positive over 35,302 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $180, median $720, 1 in 4 over $3.5k, 1 in 20 over $76k.

3 in 10 developers made under $180. 9 in 10 of the 612 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 1,299 games are announced against 601 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · every pair with this tag

All pairs with Abstract

0 pairs with a mechanicwith: mechanics · settings · any

No pair with Abstract has 25 games yet.

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Viewfinder older $24.99 11,901 94% 357k $8.9M (exactly $8,922,180) Sad Owl Studios
Antichamber older $19.99 13,656 95% 410k $8.2M (exactly $8,189,503) Alexander Bruce
The Beginner's Guide older $9.99 19,902 88% 597k $6.0M (exactly $5,964,629) Everything Unlimited Ltd.
Date Everything! $29.99 6,629 93% 199k $6.0M (exactly $5,964,111) Sassy Chap Games
Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk older $8.99 20,771 96% 623k $5.6M (exactly $5,601,939) Nikita Kryukov
Manifold Garden older $19.99 7,717 95% 232k $4.6M (exactly $4,627,885) William Chyr Studio
shapez older $9.99 14,252 96% 428k $4.3M (exactly $4,271,324) Tobias Springer
Jusant older $24.99 4,123 93% 124k $3.1M (exactly $3,091,013) DON'T NOD
Pseudoregalia older $5.99 16,978 96% 509k $3.1M (exactly $3,050,947) rittzler
Patrick's Parabox older $19.99 4,985 99% 150k $3.0M (exactly $2,989,504) Patrick Traynor
Stick It to the Stickman · EA $11.99 7,918 96% 238k $2.8M (exactly $2,848,105) Free Lives
Esports Manager 2026 $19.99 3,860 73% 116k $2.3M (exactly $2,314,842) Neurona Games
Mycopunk · EA $14.99 4,081 88% 122k $1.8M (exactly $1,835,226) Pigeons at Play
Skate Story $19.99 2,733 96% 82k $1.6M (exactly $1,638,980) by Sam Eng
LEGO® Voyagers $24.99 1,859 88% 56k $1.4M (exactly $1,393,692) Light Brick Studio
Monument Valley 3 $14.99 2,155 93% 65k $969k (exactly $969,104) ustwo games
Great God Grove $19.99 1,381 98% 41k $828k (exactly $828,186) LimboLane
Verho - Curse of Faces $19.99 1,219 91% 37k $731k (exactly $731,034) Kasur Games
A Game About Feeding A Black Hole $6.99 3,467 88% 104k $727k (exactly $727,030) Aarimous, Thornity

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