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 6 to 30 months old, data 1 Oct 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. The revenue estimate is soft: about 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

$10 to $20

Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch

Building + Sandboxabout 2.0 times the 19 in 100 base rate38 in 100

1Building + Sandbox38 in 100100 launches 2Multiplayer + Online Co-Op37 in 100102 launches 3First-Person + Immersive Sim34 in 100122 launches 4Immersive Sim + Life Sim34 in 100100 launches 5Co-op + Multiplayer34 in 100104 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 16 hit $100k+Under $51 in 200 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 26 hit $100k+$10 to $2019 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4042 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 6 to 30 months old, 29,637 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Standard

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

All indie paid launches 6 to 30 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, 45 in 100. 45 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Loads the 30+ launches view.

Hide one-hit markets8 out Hide small samples0 out

83 of 266 genres have 100+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

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

Hidden Object 1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 189 launches at $10 to $20typical $1,619 none

Sports 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 173 launches at $10 to $20typical $4,007. Best of the pins Audience

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	19 in 100893 of 4,810	$9,226	$248,075	4,810
1	VR1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 186 launches	1 in 1711 hits	$3,238	$49,782	186	none	Pin VR
2	Text-Based1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 118 launches	1 in 158 hits	$5,342	$79,529	118	Audience	Pin Text-Based
3	Hidden Object1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 189 launches	1 in 1513 hits	$1,619	$50,242	189	none	Pinned Hidden Object
4	Magic1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 123 launches	1 in 149 hits	$6,071	$67,084	123	none	Pin Magic
5	Party-Based RPG1 in 13 earned $100k+, from 141 launches	1 in 1311 hits	$5,584	$86,922	141	Audience	Pin Party-Based RPG
6	Puzzle Platformer1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 137 launches	1 in 1211 hits	$7,222	$71,244	137	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
7	Board Game1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 115 launches	1 in 1011 hits	$6,071	$89,850	115	none	Pin Board Game
8	JRPG10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches	10 in 10019 hits	$5,767	$101,418	181	none	Pin JRPG
9	Arcade11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 384 launches	11 in 10041 hits	$3,643	$106,057	384	none	Pin Arcade
10	3D Platformer11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 208 launches	11 in 10023 hits	$3,157	$156,119	208	none	Pin 3D Platformer
11	Logic12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	12 in 10013 hits	$6,576	$124,151	110	none	Pin Logic
12	Real Time Tactics12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 117 launches	12 in 10014 hits	$3,886	$118,418	117	Audience	Pin Real Time Tactics
13	Sports12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 173 launches	12 in 10021 hits	$4,007	$118,201	173	Audience	Pinned Sports
14	Romance13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches	13 in 10023 hits	$7,691	$138,114	181	none	Pin Romance
15	LGBTQ+13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	13 in 10014 hits	$11,003	$166,519	110	none	Pin LGBTQ+
16	2D Platformer13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 317 launches	13 in 10041 hits	$6,193	$174,231	317	none	Pin 2D Platformer
17	Shoot 'Em Up13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches	13 in 10014 hits	$5,262	$195,922	107	none	Pin Shoot 'Em Up
18	Choose Your Own Adventure13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 254 launches	13 in 10034 hits	$4,553	$173,636	254	none	Pin Choose Your Own Adventure
19	Puzzle14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 775 launches	14 in 100107 hits	$4,553	$151,799	775	none	Pin Puzzle
20	Turn-Based Tactics14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 269 launches	14 in 10038 hits	$9,310	$141,679	269	Audience	Pin Turn-Based Tactics
21	Tactical RPG14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	14 in 10018 hits	$9,106	$148,738	127	none	Pin Tactical RPG
22	Visual Novel15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 460 launches	15 in 10067 hits	$7,366	$177,879	460	none	Pin Visual Novel
23	Point & Click15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 287 launches	15 in 10043 hits	$3,339	$171,634	287	none	Pin Point & Click
24	Action-Adventure15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 572 launches	15 in 10087 hits	$5,767	$157,541	572	none	Pin Action-Adventure
25	Strategy RPG15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 144 launches	15 in 10022 hits	$9,106	$138,451	144	none	Pin Strategy RPG

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 83 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 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.