Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Building + Sandboxabout 2.0 times the 19 in 100 base rate38 in 100
Open free preview
Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds
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.
The genre list
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.
83 of 266 genres have 100+ launches at $10 to $20. 45 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
Pin a genre to keep it here while you filter.
Pin another to compare.
Pin another to compare.
| 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 | Collectathon19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 133 launches | 19 in 10025 hits | $10,928 | $227,091 | 133 | 1-hit | Pin Collectathon |
| 2 | Dating Sim19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 185 launches | 19 in 10035 hits | $7,891 | $237,886 | 185 | Audience | Pin Dating Sim |
| 3 | Action RPG19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches | 19 in 10057 hits | $8,741 | $235,997 | 297 | none | Pin Action RPG |
| 4 | Time Management19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 176 launches | 19 in 10034 hits | $6,798 | $184,557 | 176 | none | Pin Time Management |
| 5 | RTS19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 119 launches | 19 in 10023 hits | $13,660 | $281,739 | 119 | Audience | Pin RTS |
| 6 | Shooter20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 394 launches | 20 in 10077 hits | $8,418 | $319,385 | 394 | Audience | Pin Shooter |
| 7 | Psychological Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 228 launches | 20 in 10045 hits | $16,691 | $233,568 | 228 | none | Pin Psychological Horror |
| 8 | Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 397 launches | 20 in 10079 hits | $10,460 | $242,848 | 397 | none | Pin Horror |
| 9 | Survival Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 135 launches | 20 in 10027 hits | $15,866 | $187,016 | 135 | none | Pin Survival Horror |
| 10 | Simulation21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,006 launches | 21 in 100216 hits | $14,573 | $294,876 | 1,006 | none | Pin Simulation |
| 11 | Souls-like21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 121 launches | 21 in 10026 hits | $18,695 | $286,515 | 121 | none | Pin Souls-like |
| 12 | Third-Person Shooter22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches | 22 in 10023 hits | $3,035 | $471,994 | 106 | none | Pin Third-Person Shooter |
| 13 | Tactical22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 128 launches | 22 in 10028 hits | $13,963 | $240,450 | 128 | none | Pin Tactical |
| 14 | City Builder22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches | 22 in 10032 hits | $17,624 | $313,313 | 145 | Audience | Pin City Builder |
| 15 | Dungeon Crawler22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 224 launches | 22 in 10050 hits | $14,811 | $415,727 | 224 | Audience | Pin Dungeon Crawler |
| 16 | Hack and Slash23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 189 launches | 23 in 10043 hits | $13,053 | $286,515 | 189 | none | Pin Hack and Slash |
| 17 | Dark Fantasy23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 171 launches | 23 in 10039 hits | $17,302 | $296,262 | 171 | 1-hit | Pin Dark Fantasy |
| 18 | Deckbuilding23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 213 launches | 23 in 10049 hits | $20,641 | $363,650 | 213 | 1-hit | Pin Deckbuilding |
| 19 | Character Customization23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 203 launches | 23 in 10047 hits | $14,811 | $305,217 | 203 | none | Pin Character Customization |
| 20 | Card Battler23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches | 23 in 10042 hits | $18,428 | $362,436 | 181 | 1-hitAudience | Pin Card Battler |
| 21 | FPS24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 238 launches | 24 in 10056 hits | $11,231 | $636,746 | 238 | none | Pin FPS |
| 22 | Roguelike24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 480 launches | 24 in 100113 hits | $18,676 | $415,727 | 480 | none | Pin Roguelike |
| 23 | Tower Defense24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 143 launches | 24 in 10034 hits | $7,628 | $430,966 | 143 | none | Pin Tower Defense |
| 24 | Survival24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 226 launches | 24 in 10054 hits | $18,938 | $358,651 | 226 | none | Pin Survival |
| 25 | Roguelite24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 448 launches | 24 in 100108 hits | $18,456 | $485,586 | 448 | none | Pin Roguelite |
Show 20 moreShowing 25 of 45 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.