Do I ship it?

Games › Settings › Female Protagonist

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Female-Led game?

Female Protagonist

Of 3,378 developers who shipped a Female-Led 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.. 5,249 more are announced, ×2.7 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

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

The middle developer here made $3.4k, ×7.1 the market's $480 for a 3 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $690; 1 in 20 cleared $500k, ×1064 the market median. Revenue is up 15% on the market; 5,249 games are announced against 1,938 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 7.1 times the market baseline, revenue up 15% on the market, 5,249 announced, ×2.7 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Female Protagonist
Fig. 1 · this niche among 355
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 3,378
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $4.5k → $5.4k → $4.2k → $3.1k → $4.2k → $3.6k → $2.6k (still earning) → $1.9k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Female Protagonist: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 3,378
Bottom 30% $684 (exactly $684)
Median $3.4k (exactly $3,356)
Top 25% $27k (exactly $26,618)
Top 5% $506k (exactly $505,631)
Developers, 2 yr 3,378
Released games 13,456
Announced 5,249
Effort 3 / 10
AI-buildability High
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 up 15% on the market, supply 20% more developers than the period before.

Free games: 12%, 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.

Female Protagonist
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
Price point
$6.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $6.99.

The top 10 games average 86% positive over 994,722 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $690, median $3.4k, 1 in 4 over $26k, 1 in 20 over $500k.

3 in 10 developers made under $690. 8 in 10 of the 2,180 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 5,249 games are announced against 1,938 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.7 per shipper.

Plate 6 · every pair with this tag

All pairs with Female Protagonist

165 pairs · ranked by verdict, then medianwith: mechanics · settings · any
  1. Automation + Female Protagonist Strong odds $4.5k 27 devs
  2. Roguelike Deckbuilder + Female Protagonist Fair $7.8k 35 devs
  3. Local Multiplayer + Female Protagonist Fair $5.8k 61 devs
  4. Simulation + Female Protagonist Fair $5.1k 672 devs
  5. Colony Sim + Female Protagonist Fair $4.6k 7 devs
  6. Typing + Female Protagonist Fair $4.0k 31 devs
  7. Space Sim + Female Protagonist Fair $3.6k 9 devs
  8. Solitaire + Female Protagonist Fair $3.3k 9 devs
  9. Traditional Roguelike + Female Protagonist Fair $2.9k 15 devs
  10. Escape Room + Female Protagonist Fair $2.5k 18 devs
  11. Board Game + Female Protagonist Fair $2.4k 35 devs
  12. Gambling + Female Protagonist Fair $2.4k 20 devs
  13. CRPG + Female Protagonist Fair $2.4k 84 devs
  14. 3D Fighter + Female Protagonist Fair $2.1k 34 devs
  15. Arcade + Female Protagonist Fair $1.5k 372 devs
  16. Incremental + Female Protagonist Fair $1.5k 150 devs
  17. Score Attack + Female Protagonist Fair $1.2k 112 devs
  18. Character Action Game + Female Protagonist Poor odds $58k 14 devs
  19. Turn-Based + Female Protagonist Poor odds $47k 32 devs
  20. Base Building + Female Protagonist Poor odds $31k 26 devs
  21. FMV + Female Protagonist Poor odds $27k 75 devs
  22. Split Screen + Female Protagonist Poor odds $18k 15 devs
  23. Online Co-Op + Female Protagonist Poor odds $14k 46 devs
  24. Swordplay + Female Protagonist Poor odds $13k 39 devs
  25. Farming Sim + Female Protagonist Poor odds $12k 27 devs
  26. Metroidvania + Female Protagonist Poor odds $12k 106 devs
  27. Boomer Shooter + Female Protagonist Poor odds $12k 36 devs
  28. Minigames + Female Protagonist Poor odds $11k 27 devs
  29. JRPG + Female Protagonist Poor odds $11k 304 devs
  30. Level Editor + Female Protagonist Poor odds $8.6k 21 devs
  31. 4 Player Local + Female Protagonist Poor odds $8.5k 15 devs
  32. Dating Sim + Female Protagonist Poor odds $8.3k 403 devs
  33. Card Game + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.8k 104 devs
  34. Deckbuilding + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.8k 96 devs
  35. RPG + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.3k 1,057 devs
  36. Spectacle fighter + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.2k 45 devs
  37. Life Sim + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.1k 169 devs
  38. Hack and Slash + Female Protagonist Poor odds $7.0k 206 devs
  39. Souls-like + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.6k 118 devs
  40. Co-op + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.6k 89 devs
  41. Local Co-Op + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.6k 72 devs
  42. Co-op Campaign + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.6k 19 devs
  43. Card Battler + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.6k 88 devs
  44. Archery + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.5k 13 devs
  45. Turn-Based Combat + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.3k 220 devs
  46. Turn-Based Strategy + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.0k 145 devs
  47. Strategy RPG + Female Protagonist Poor odds $6.0k 93 devs
  48. Management + Female Protagonist Poor odds $5.9k 115 devs
  49. FPS + Female Protagonist Poor odds $5.8k 125 devs
  50. Time Management + Female Protagonist Poor odds $5.8k 105 devs
Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Battlefield™ V 2020 · $355M Assassin's Creed® Odyssey 2018 · $310M Detroit: Become Human 2020 · $272M The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 2016 · $263M It Takes Two 2021 · $262M
Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Battlefield™ V older $49.99 236,709 70% 7.1M $355M (exactly $354,992,487) DICE
Assassin's Creed® Odyssey older $59.99 172,149 89% 5.2M $310M (exactly $309,816,555) Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubiso… (Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Kiev, Ubisoft Shanghai)
Detroit: Become Human older $39.99 226,411 96% 6.8M $272M (exactly $271,625,277) Quantic Dream
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition older $39.99 219,271 94% 6.6M $263M (exactly $263,059,419) Bethesda Game Studios
It Takes Two older $39.99 218,492 95% 6.6M $262M (exactly $262,124,852) Hazelight Studios
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition older $44.99 180,782 95% 5.4M $244M (exactly $244,001,465) Larian Studios
Hollow Knight: Silksong $19.99 386,977 89% 12M $232M (exactly $232,070,107) Team Cherry
Resident Evil Requiem $69.99 106,931 95% 3.2M $225M (exactly $224,523,021) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
EA SPORTS FC™ 26 $69.99 99,773 50% 3.0M $209M (exactly $209,493,368) EA Canada, EA Romania
Resident Evil 2 older $39.99 156,065 97% 4.7M $187M (exactly $187,231,180) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Split Fiction $49.99 78,378 97% 2.4M $118M (exactly $117,543,487) Hazelight Studios
Stellar Blade™ $59.99 61,289 93% 1.8M $110M (exactly $110,301,813) SHIFT UP Corporation
Hades II $29.99 114,419 95% 3.4M $103M (exactly $102,942,774) Supergiant Games
Assassin’s Creed Shadows $69.99 34,953 75% 1.0M $73M (exactly $73,390,814) Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Belgrade, Ubiso… (Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Belgrade, Ubisoft Bordeaux, Ubisoft Bucharest & Craiova, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Osaka, Ubisoft Philippines, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Sofia, Ubisoft Ukraine)
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers $49.99 44,865 58% 1.3M $67M (exactly $67,284,040) Leenzee
PRAGMATA $59.99 32,885 96% 987k $59M (exactly $59,183,134) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
The Last of Us™ Part II Remastered $49.99 34,252 90% 1.0M $51M (exactly $51,367,724) Naughty Dog LLC, Nixxes Software, Iron… (Naughty Dog LLC, Nixxes Software, Iron Galaxy Studios)

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