Genres

Every genre, screened by how often its indie launches earned $100k or more in their first year. Pick your price first: price moves the odds more than genre does.

Indie paid Steam launches 12 to 36 months old, data 2 Nov 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. Earnings are sales on Steam after discounts and regional prices, before Steam's 30% cut, refunds and sales tax. About 58% of it reaches the developer. The revenue estimate is soft: about 6 to 7.5 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

$10 to $20

Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch

Cozy + Relaxingabout 2.9 times the 21 in 100 base rate60 in 100

1Cozy + Relaxing60 in 10053 launches 2Casual + Cozy58 in 10053 launches 3Co-op + First-Person55 in 10031 launches 4Base Building + Tower Defense53 in 10034 launches 5Online Co-Op + Simulation52 in 10033 launches

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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds

The genre list

Price $10 to $20

All prices1 in 15 hit $100k+Under $51 in 230 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2021 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,758 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Standard

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

All indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old. Lenses are computed across all prices only so far, so a lens reads All prices.

Sample 30+

10+ launchesshow small samples 30+ launches 100+ launchesonly big markets

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 30+ launches

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: Cozy, 50 in 100. 157 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Online Co-Op, 40 in 100. 67 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Cozy, $103,444 typical. 157 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op, $1.1M top 1 in 10. 119 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 50 in 100. 44 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Simulation, 865 launches. 157 match.

Hide one-hit markets19 out Hide small samples38 out

157 of 258 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

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Genres at $10 to $20, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#	Genre	Chance of $100k+	Typical year	Top 1 in 10	Launches	Markers	Pin
	All games at $10 to $20the base rate: the row to beat	21 in 100891 of 4,337	$11,233	$290,970	4,337
1	Cozy50 in 100 earned $100k+, from 114 launches	50 in 10057 hits	$103,444	$984,165	114	Audience	Pin Cozy
2	Shop Keeper49 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches	49 in 10021 hits	under 100	under 100	43	1-hitSmall	Pin Shop Keeper
3	FMV49 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches	49 in 10020 hits	under 100	under 100	41	SmallAudience	Pin FMV
4	Music41 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	41 in 10014 hits	under 100	under 100	34	Small	Pin Music
5	Online Co-Op40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 143 launches	40 in 10057 hits	$47,185	$1,057,723	143	none	Pin Online Co-Op
6	Cooking39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches	39 in 10025 hits	under 100	under 100	64	Audience	Pin Cooking
7	Automation39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 77 launches	39 in 10030 hits	under 100	under 100	77	1-hit	Pin Automation
8	Roguelike Deckbuilder37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 103 launches	37 in 10038 hits	$49,310	$974,531	103	Audience	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
9	Co-op36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 162 launches	36 in 10059 hits	$36,127	$1,079,257	162	none	Pin Co-op
10	Building35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 234 launches	35 in 10083 hits	$31,277	$629,673	234	none	Pin Building
11	Economy35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 169 launches	35 in 10059 hits	$44,137	$584,705	169	none	Pin Economy
12	Life Sim35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 235 launches	35 in 10082 hits	$38,192	$490,978	235	none	Pin Life Sim
13	Lovecraftian34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	34 in 10016 hits	under 100	under 100	47	Small	Pin Lovecraftian
14	Inventory Management34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	34 in 10018 hits	under 100	under 100	53	none	Pin Inventory Management
15	Sandbox34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 362 launches	34 in 100122 hits	$32,569	$584,705	362	Audience	Pin Sandbox
16	Management33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 306 launches	33 in 100101 hits	$41,035	$494,411	306	none	Pin Management
17	Base Building32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 214 launches	32 in 10069 hits	$35,118	$627,450	214	none	Pin Base Building
18	Resource Management31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 153 launches	31 in 10048 hits	$31,078	$338,553	153	none	Pin Resource Management
19	Open World Survival Craft31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 58 launches	31 in 10018 hits	under 100	under 100	58	1-hit	Pin Open World Survival Craft
20	Driving31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 91 launches	31 in 10028 hits	under 100	under 100	91	none	Pin Driving
21	Spectacle fighter31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches	31 in 10012 hits	under 100	under 100	39	Small	Pin Spectacle fighter
22	Mythology30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches	30 in 10013 hits	under 100	under 100	43	1-hitSmall	Pin Mythology
23	Dark Humor30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	30 in 10022 hits	under 100	under 100	73	none	Pin Dark Humor
24	Cinematic30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 90 launches	30 in 10027 hits	under 100	under 100	90	Audience	Pin Cinematic
25	Boomer Shooter30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches	30 in 10012 hits	under 100	under 100	40	Small	Pin Boomer Shooter

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 157 genres

green beats the base ratecoral below it bar: the chance; amber tick: the base rate1-hit one game holds over half the moneySmall under 50 launches in this viewAudience reads differently for Western players

Under 30 launches or 5 hits a chance is written as a count ("3 of 12"), never as odds. Typical year is the middle launch's first-year earnings. Lenses, the one-hit share and the audience split are measured across all prices.