Zombie Survival Game Break-Even Analysis: Month 13 Target

Fixed costs $106.1K/mo Monthly burn base

Contribution margin 81% After variable spend

Break-even revenue $131K/mo Monthly revenue target

Break-even timing Month 13 Base-case payback

Break-even calculator

Use this to test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for the studio.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the margin pool that has to cover fixed costs. $ Low sales Hit sales Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise with sales, like royalties, marketing, and QA support. $ Tight spend Heavy spend

Money available to cover fixed costs $705,500 $850,000 revenue - $144,500 variable expenses

Margin ratio

83%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base the margin must cover before profit starts. $ Lean team Larger team

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which game studio expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even depends on putting each expense in the right bucket. With break-even at Month 13, misclassifying royalties, launch marketing, or payroll can make the studio look profitable before cash risk is actually gone.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Studio Rent	Fixed	Include the $12,000 monthly rent in baseline burn from Month 1.	Treating lease space as optional after hiring.
Software Subscriptions	Fixed	Include the $3,500 monthly subscription spend in fixed overhead.	Forgetting tool seats can rise with team size.
Utilities and High Speed Internet	Fixed	Include the $1,800 monthly amount in studio overhead.	Underbudgeting bandwidth-heavy builds and uploads.
Insurance and Legal Retainer	Fixed	Include the $2,500 monthly retainer in fixed monthly burn.	Treating legal support as one-time only.
Game Engine Royalties	Variable	Apply 5% of revenue each year before break-even testing.	Treating royalty expense like payroll.
Server Hosting and Cloud Infrastructure	Variable	Apply 2% to 3% of revenue based on the model year.	Missing peak launch load when sales spike.
Digital Marketing and Influencer Spend	Variable	Apply 5% to 10% of revenue, with the highest rate in Year 2.	Treating launch spend as fixed overhead.
Payroll	Semi-fixed	Model salaries by full-time equivalent plan and milestone timing.	Hiring before milestone proof supports the added burn.

How does break-even change from a lean launch to a base case and a fuller content year?

Scenario table

Lean year 1 is still under water because fixed studio burn outruns contribution. By year 2, scale clears that burn and flips the model solidly profitable; year 3 stays well above break-even, even as revenue normalizes.

Planning assumptions only; actual sales, fees, and burn can move the break-even point.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch year 1	$108.3k	$20.6k	$119.1k	81%	-$31.3k	Still below break-even; fixed burn is heavier than contribution.
Base launch year 2	$1.78m	$356.7k	$131.9k	80%	$1.29m	Break-even is cleared with a wide cushion, so launch scale covers fixed burn.
Full content year 3	$850.0k	$144.5k	$104.6k	83%	$600.9k	Break-even stays clear, and DLC sales help keep the margin strong.

What breaks the zombie game's break-even plan fastest?

Stress test

Weak deluxe conversion, small cost creep, and one more QA hire widen the gap fastest. Here’s the quick math: Year 1 already sits about $464k below break-even, so even modest launch slippage matters.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$1.76M	$464k gap	Year 1 revenue still sits below the break-even line.
Revenue shortfall	Lose all 5,000 Year 1 digital deluxe sales, cutting $400k of revenue.	$1.76M	$864k gap	Weak launch conversion makes the hole much larger.
Fixed-cost increase	Add one QA tester at $50k annual payroll.	$1.83M	$526k gap	One hire needs stronger sales just to hold the line.
Margin pressure	Raise Year 1 variable expenses from 19% to 20% of revenue.	$1.79M	$486k gap	A 1-point cost drift cuts about $13k of Year 1 contribution.
Combined pressure	Lose deluxe sales, lift variable expenses to 20%, and add one QA tester.	$1.85M	$949k gap	Lower conversion, cost creep, and extra QA can push breakeven out.

What should you verify before funding this zombie survival game launch?

Founder checklist

Before you commit, prove that Year 1 can sell 20,000 units and still carry about $106K a month in fixed burn. The plan only works if the $447K Month 12 cash low, $60 base price, and $80 deluxe price all still hold.

1Launch Demand20,000 units

Verify the first-year sell-through target is real before you scale paid marketing, because 15,000 base games and 5,000 deluxe units are the demand proof behind break-even.

2Fixed Burn$106K/mo

Check that rent, tools, utilities, insurance, hardware, community tools, and 11 Year 1 FTEs can stay inside this monthly burn without blowing the runway.

3Margin Mix81% CM

Keep Year 1 variable costs near 19% of sales so about 81% contribution margin is left to cover overhead and get to break-even.

4Price Lock$60 / $80

Hold the base game at $60 and the deluxe edition at $80 unless testing shows a better split, because price cuts hit every unit sold.

5Build Capacity11 FTE + $152K

Lock scope before you hire the full Year 1 team and stage the $152K equipment spend across workstations, kits, audio gear, motion capture, furniture, and local servers.

6Cash Floor$447K / 2-3%

Keep the Month 12 cash low intact, stress-test server hosting at 2% to 3% of revenue, and delay release if performance, localization, or community readiness slips.