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

Management + Simulationabout 1.9 times the 20 in 100 base rate, could be luck38 in 100

1Management + Simulation38 in 100203 launches 2Building + Simulation38 in 100122 launches 3Economy + Simulation37 in 100117 launches 4Economy + Management35 in 100119 launches 5First-Person + Immersive Sim34 in 100101 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 100+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 100+ launches Reset

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.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Loads the 30+ launches view.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 51 in 100. 40 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Loads the 30+ launches view.

Hide one-hit markets5 out Hide small samples0 out

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

parodyNot in this view: under 100 launches at $10 to $20.

2D Platformer 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches at $10 to $20typical $8,758 none

LGBTQ+ 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 100 launches at $10 to $20typical $11,661 none

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	VR1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 195 launches	1 in 229 hits	$3,534	$44,858	195	none	Pin VR
2	Puzzle Platformer1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 131 launches	1 in 159 hits	$5,769	$68,186	131	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
3	Hidden Object1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 172 launches	1 in 1412 hits	$2,044	$55,036	172	none	Pin Hidden Object
4	Party-Based RPG1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	1 in 1112 hits	$7,868	$96,195	127	none	Pin Party-Based RPG
5	Sports1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	1 in 1015 hits	$5,860	$96,739	152	none	Pin Sports
6	3D Platformer10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	10 in 10018 hits	$3,562	$113,352	180	none	Pin 3D Platformer
7	Arcade12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 346 launches	12 in 10040 hits	$4,391	$134,893	346	none	Pin Arcade
8	Magic12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	12 in 10015 hits	$5,689	$132,616	127	none	Pin Magic
9	JRPG13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 171 launches	13 in 10022 hits	$5,365	$125,051	171	1-hit	Pin JRPG
10	Choose Your Own Adventure13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 242 launches	13 in 10032 hits	$6,023	$193,413	242	Audience	Pin Choose Your Own Adventure
11	Romance14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 170 launches	14 in 10023 hits	$9,464	$158,883	170	none	Pin Romance
12	Tactical RPG14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 118 launches	14 in 10016 hits	$11,496	$137,764	118	none	Pin Tactical RPG
13	Point & Click14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 249 launches	14 in 10035 hits	$4,508	$190,045	249	none	Pin Point & Click
14	Puzzle14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 684 launches	14 in 10098 hits	$5,070	$173,428	684	none	Pin Puzzle
15	Visual Novel15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 434 launches	15 in 10064 hits	$9,963	$199,513	434	Audience	Pin Visual Novel
16	Shoot 'Em Up15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches	15 in 10016 hits	$7,510	$252,312	106	Audience	Pin Shoot 'Em Up
17	Interactive Fiction15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 230 launches	15 in 10035 hits	$10,240	$220,268	230	Audience	Pin Interactive Fiction
18	2D Platformer16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches	16 in 10049 hits	$8,758	$239,522	311	none	Pinned 2D Platformer
19	Collectathon16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches	16 in 10018 hits	$8,758	$205,980	113	1-hit	Pin Collectathon
20	LGBTQ+16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 100 launches	16 in 10016 hits	$11,661	$148,757	100	none	Pinned LGBTQ+
21	Action-Adventure16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 547 launches	16 in 10089 hits	$7,909	$192,839	547	none	Pin Action-Adventure
22	Turn-Based Tactics17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	17 in 10042 hits	$8,519	$178,090	243	none	Pin Turn-Based Tactics
23	Platformer17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches	17 in 10054 hits	$10,197	$318,870	311	1-hitAudience	Pin Platformer
24	Real Time Tactics17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 115 launches	17 in 10020 hits	$4,905	$193,413	115	none	Pin Real Time Tactics
25	Strategy RPG17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 132 launches	17 in 10023 hits	$11,091	$180,714	132	none	Pin Strategy RPG

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 76 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.