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 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

Building + Life Simabout 3.1 times the 20 in 100 base rate63 in 100

1Building + Life Sim63 in 10030 launches 2Casual + Cozy60 in 10050 launches 3Cozy + Relaxing59 in 10054 launches 4Cozy + Simulation56 in 10036 launches 5Cinematic + Story Rich55 in 10031 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 238 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2020 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,291 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 10+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Reset

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: Shop Keeper, 57 in 100. 156 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Online Co-Op, 39 in 100. 68 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Cozy, $117,666 typical. 156 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op, $1M top 1 in 10. 118 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 51 in 100. 40 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Simulation, 874 launches. 156 match.

Hide one-hit markets36 out Hide small samples115 out

233 of 256 genres have 10+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

Tabletop 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 68 launches at $10 to $20$10k+ 49 in 100 none

Space 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches at $10 to $20typical $10,036 none

Space Sim 4 of 42 earned $100k+ at $10 to $20$10k+ 40 in 100 Small

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	20 in 100878 of 4,304	$10,978	$287,297	4,304
1	6DOFnone of 18 launches earned $100k+	0 of 18no hits	under 100	under 100	18	Small	Pin 6DOF
2	Archerynone of 13 launches earned $100k+	0 of 13no hits	under 100	under 100	13	Small	Pin Archery
3	On-Rails Shooternone of 13 launches earned $100k+	0 of 13no hits	under 100	under 100	13	Small	Pin On-Rails Shooter
4	Spellingnone of 10 launches earned $100k+	0 of 10no hits	under 100	under 100	10	Small	Pin Spelling
5	4 Player Local2 of 49 launches earned $100k+	2 of 492 hits	under 100	under 100	49	Small	Pin 4 Player Local
6	Solitaire1 of 23 launches earned $100k+	1 of 231 hit	under 100	under 100	23	1-hitSmall	Pin Solitaire
7	VR1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 195 launches	1 in 229 hits	$3,534	$44,858	195	none	Pin VR
8	Mystery Dungeon2 of 38 launches earned $100k+	2 of 382 hits	under 100	under 100	38	Small	Pin Mystery Dungeon
9	Party Game1 of 17 launches earned $100k+	1 of 171 hit	under 100	under 100	17	Small	Pin Party Game
10	Sailing1 of 16 launches earned $100k+	1 of 161 hit	under 100	under 100	16	Small	Pin Sailing
11	Puzzle Platformer1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 131 launches	1 in 159 hits	$5,769	$68,186	131	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
12	Hidden Object1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 172 launches	1 in 1412 hits	$2,044	$55,036	172	none	Pin Hidden Object
13	Dialogue Heavy3 of 42 launches earned $100k+	3 of 423 hits	under 100	under 100	42	Small	Pin Dialogue Heavy
14	Grand Strategy4 of 52 launches earned $100k+	4 of 524 hits	under 100	under 100	52	1-hit	Pin Grand Strategy
15	Combat Racing2 of 26 launches earned $100k+	2 of 262 hits	under 100	under 100	26	Small	Pin Combat Racing
16	Text-Based1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	1 in 128 hits	under 100	under 100	97	none	Pin Text-Based
17	Superhero1 of 12 launches earned $100k+	1 of 121 hit	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Superhero
18	Sokoban2 of 23 launches earned $100k+	2 of 232 hits	under 100	under 100	23	Small	Pin Sokoban
19	Trivia1 of 11 launches earned $100k+	1 of 111 hit	under 100	under 100	11	SmallAudience	Pin Trivia
20	Party-Based RPG1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	1 in 1112 hits	$7,868	$96,195	127	none	Pin Party-Based RPG
21	Space Sim4 of 42 launches earned $100k+	4 of 424 hits	under 100	under 100	42	Small	Pinned Space Sim
22	Sports1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	1 in 1015 hits	$5,860	$96,739	152	none	Pin Sports
23	3D Platformer10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	10 in 10018 hits	$3,562	$113,352	180	none	Pin 3D Platformer
24	Hunting2 of 20 launches earned $100k+	2 of 202 hits	under 100	under 100	20	1-hitSmall	Pin Hunting
25	Steampunk2 of 20 launches earned $100k+	2 of 202 hits	under 100	under 100	20	Small	Pin Steampunk

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 233 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.