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 3 Oct 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 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

All prices

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

Base Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck44 in 100

1Base Building + Multiplayer44 in 10045 launches 2Crafting + Multiplayer44 in 10048 launches 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike43 in 10040 launches 4Base Building + Open World Survival Craft39 in 10054 launches 5Character Customization + Open World39 in 10062 launches

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

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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 17 hit $100k+Under $51 in 219 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 30 hit $100k+$10 to $2018 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4040 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,280 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Last 18 months

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Only launches from the last 18 months. 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 Last 18 months 30+ launches Reset

The Last 18 months lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Opens $10 to $20, Standard lens.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Co-op, 20 in 100. 72 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Open World Survival Craft, $36,777 typical. 187 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Base Building, 22 in 100. 66 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 1,499 launches. 187 match.

Hide one-hit markets26 out Hide small samples36 out

187 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

Parody 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $360. Best of the pins Small

Walking Simulator 1 in 35 earned $100k+, from 415 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $765 none

chessNot in this view: under 30 launches at any price, Last 18 months.

Genres at any price, Last 18 months, 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 any price, Last 18 monthsthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Aliensnone of 72 launches earned $100k+	0 of 72no hits	$171	not computed	72	none	Pin Aliens
2	Space Simnone of 63 launches earned $100k+	0 of 63no hits	$192	not computed	63	none	Pin Space Sim
3	Solitairenone of 51 launches earned $100k+	0 of 51no hits	$191	not computed	51	1-hit	Pin Solitaire
4	Battle Royalenone of 35 launches earned $100k+	0 of 35no hits	$383	not computed	35	Small	Pin Battle Royale
5	Score Attack1 of 168 launches earned $100k+	1 of 1681 hit	$230	not computed	168	none	Pin Score Attack
6	Arena Shooter1 of 130 launches earned $100k+	1 of 1301 hit	$306	not computed	130	Audience	Pin Arena Shooter
7	Demons1 of 81 launches earned $100k+	1 of 811 hit	$574	not computed	81	none	Pin Demons
8	Text-Based2 of 155 launches earned $100k+	2 of 1552 hits	$574	not computed	155	none	Pin Text-Based
9	Grid-Based Movement1 of 72 launches earned $100k+	1 of 721 hit	$517	not computed	72	none	Pin Grid-Based Movement
10	Sokoban1 of 65 launches earned $100k+	1 of 651 hit	$383	not computed	65	none	Pin Sokoban
11	Precision Platformer4 of 248 launches earned $100k+	4 of 2484 hits	$229	not computed	248	Audience	Pin Precision Platformer
12	Mystery Dungeon1 of 61 launches earned $100k+	1 of 611 hit	$306	not computed	61	none	Pin Mystery Dungeon
13	Word Game2 of 114 launches earned $100k+	2 of 1142 hits	$574	not computed	114	Audience	Pin Word Game
14	Top-Down Shooter4 of 226 launches earned $100k+	4 of 2264 hits	$266	not computed	226	none	Pin Top-Down Shooter
15	Hidden Object1 in 52 earned $100k+, from 466 launches	1 in 529 hits	$455	not computed	466	none	Pin Hidden Object
16	Artificial Intelligence1 of 51 launches earned $100k+	1 of 511 hit	$286	not computed	51	none	Pin Artificial Intelligence
17	Dystopian 1 of 49 launches earned $100k+	1 of 491 hit	$383	not computed	49	SmallAudience	Pin Dystopian
18	Puzzle Platformer1 in 47 earned $100k+, from 329 launches	1 in 477 hits	$228	not computed	329	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
19	Runner3 of 135 launches earned $100k+	3 of 1353 hits	$115	not computed	135	none	Pin Runner
20	2D Fighter3 of 120 launches earned $100k+	3 of 1203 hits	$76	not computed	120	none	Pin 2D Fighter
21	Comic Book2 of 79 launches earned $100k+	2 of 792 hits	$286	not computed	79	none	Pin Comic Book
22	Shoot 'Em Up1 in 39 earned $100k+, from 233 launches	1 in 396 hits	$229	not computed	233	Audience	Pin Shoot 'Em Up
23	Flight2 of 77 launches earned $100k+	2 of 772 hits	$287	not computed	77	none	Pin Flight
24	Incremental1 in 36 earned $100k+, from 394 launches	1 in 3611 hits	$247	not computed	394	none	Pin Incremental
25	Match 32 of 71 launches earned $100k+	2 of 712 hits	$96	not computed	71	1-hit	Pin Match 3

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 187 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.