Do I ship it?

GamesMechanicsGrid-Based Movement

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Grid-Based Movement game?

Grid-Based Movement

Of 777 developers who shipped a Grid-Based Movement 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.. 1,118 more are announced, ×2.4 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 3 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $600, ×1.3 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $150; 1 in 20 cleared $53k, ×113 the market median. Revenue is down 25% on the market; 1,118 games are announced against 457 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.3 times the market baseline, revenue down 25% on the market, 1,118 announced, ×2.4 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Grid-Based Movement
Fig. 1 · this niche among 355
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 777
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $1.4k → $1.2k → $1.4k → $899 → $899 → $629 → $359 (still earning) → $300 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Grid-Based Movement: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 777
Bottom 30% $150 (exactly $150)
Median $599 (exactly $599)
Top 25% $3.7k (exactly $3,742)
Top 5% $54k (exactly $53,514)
Developers, 2 yr 777
Released games 2,189
Announced 1,118
Effort 3 / 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 down 25% on the market, supply 40% 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 high: the lowest rating among its tags.

Grid-Based Movement
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
Grid-Based Movement
Price point
$4.99 typical · top 25% priced $14.99 or above
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $14.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.

The top 10 games average 88% positive over 65,127 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $150, median $600, 1 in 4 over $3.7k, 1 in 20 over $53k.

3 in 10 developers made under $150. 9 in 10 of the 382 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 1,118 games are announced against 457 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.4 per shipper.

Plate 6 · every pair with this tag

All pairs with Grid-Based Movement

127 pairs · ranked by verdict, then medianwith: mechanics · settings · any
  1. 3D Platformer + Grid-Based Movement Dead $1.5k 14 devs
  2. Sports + Grid-Based Movement Dead $1.3k 8 devs
  3. Grid-Based Movement + Visual Novel Dead $1.3k 6 devs
  4. Grid-Based Movement + Science Dead $900 9 devs
  5. Grid-Based Movement + Demons Dead $599 11 devs
  6. Grid-Based Movement + Hidden Object Dead $479 16 devs
  7. Grid-Based Movement + Match 3 Dead $449 22 devs
  8. Grid-Based Movement + Underground Dead $419 18 devs
  9. Grid-Based Movement + Board Game Dead $359 97 devs
  10. Grid-Based Movement + Incremental Dead $359 34 devs
  11. Grid-Based Movement + Point & Click Dead $359 31 devs
  12. Grid-Based Movement + Modern Dead $359 20 devs
  13. Grid-Based Movement + Choose Your Own Adventure Dead $359 9 devs
  14. Real Time Tactics + Grid-Based Movement Dead $300 30 devs
  15. Grid-Based Movement + Rhythm Dead $300 14 devs
  16. 2D Platformer + Grid-Based Movement Dead $298 27 devs
  17. Arcade + Grid-Based Movement Dead $239 121 devs
  18. Grid-Based Movement + Solitaire Dead $180 13 devs
  19. Grid-Based Movement + Futuristic Dead $179 44 devs
  20. Grid-Based Movement + Precision Platformer Dead $179 9 devs
  21. Grid-Based Movement + Chess Dead $150 29 devs
  22. Grid-Based Movement + Score Attack Dead $120 71 devs
  23. Physics + Grid-Based Movement Dead $120 22 devs
  24. Grid-Based Movement + Artificial Intelligence Dead $120 20 devs
  25. Local Multiplayer + Grid-Based Movement Dead $59 29 devs
  26. Grid-Based Movement + Runner Dead $0 13 devs
  27. 4 Player Local + Grid-Based Movement Dead $0 9 devs
Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
XCOM® 2 older $19.99 79,998 84% 2.4M $48M (exactly $47,974,801) Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Mac),… (Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux))
STAR WARS Zero Company™ $49.99 19,521 82% 586k $29M (exactly $29,275,644) Bit Reactor
Battle Brothers older $29.99 26,118 87% 784k $23M (exactly $23,498,365) Overhype Studios
MENACE · EA $39.99 12,281 90% 368k $15M (exactly $14,733,516) Overhype Studios
King Arthur: Knight's Tale older $44.99 6,722 83% 202k $9.1M (exactly $9,072,683) NeocoreGames
TRIANGLE STRATEGY older $59.99 3,239 78% 97k $5.8M (exactly $5,829,228) Square Enix, ARTDINK
Xenonauts 2 $39.99 4,853 81% 146k $5.8M (exactly $5,822,144) Goldhawk Interactive
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors $9.99 18,587 96% 558k $5.6M (exactly $5,570,524) poncle, Nosebleed Interactive
Might & Magic X - Legacy older $29.99 3,178 65% 95k $2.9M (exactly $2,859,247) Ubisoft
Persona 5 Tactica older $59.99 1,526 74% 46k $2.7M (exactly $2,746,342) ATLUS
Sol Cesto $13.99 4,838 91% 145k $2.0M (exactly $2,030,509) Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospir… (Tambouille, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale)
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked $29.99 1,235 82% 37k $1.1M (exactly $1,111,130) Resolution Games
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch $24.99 1,293 81% 39k $969k (exactly $969,362) Ocean Drive Studio, Inc.
Card-en-Ciel $24.99 856 90% 26k $642k (exactly $641,743) INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
Those Who Rule $17.99 1,116 89% 33k $602k (exactly $602,305) Eldin Turulja
Warside $24.99 547 68% 16k $410k (exactly $410,086) LAVABIRD

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