Genres

Ticker: price and year-over-year change for 40 genres. Price is the median estimated first-year revenue of indie paid launches. The change shows for genres with 100+ launches. The same figures are on the Genres page.

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192,217
on 3 Oct 2026

Genres 3 Oct

Of 156 genres with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 83 beat the 20 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 238 under $5, 44 in 100 at $20 to $40.83 of 156 genres beat the 20 in 100 base rate.83 beat the base rate.

Typical launch, all prices, first year $552

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.

The genre list

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: Shop Keeper, $123,125 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 markets20 outHide small samples38 out

156 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

programmingNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.
Sandbox 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches at $10 to $20typical $30,251. Best of the pins none
fightingNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.
Genres at $10 to $20, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#GenreChance of $100k+Typical yearTop 1 in 10LaunchesMarkersPin
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 2 of 49 launches earned $100k+ 2 of 492 hits $5,365 $55,949 49 Small Pin 4 Player Local
2 1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 195 launches 1 in 229 hits $3,534 $44,858 195 none Pin VR
3 2 of 38 launches earned $100k+ 2 of 382 hits $3,805 $56,655 38 Small Pin Mystery Dungeon
4 1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 131 launches 1 in 159 hits $5,769 $68,186 131 Audience Pin Puzzle Platformer
5 1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 172 launches 1 in 1412 hits $2,044 $55,036 172 none Pin Hidden Object
6 Dialogue Heavy3 of 42 launches earned $100k+ 3 of 423 hits $9,463 $75,544 42 Small Pin Dialogue Heavy

3 of 42 launches earned $100k+ at $10 to $20.

Base rate at $10 to $20: 20 in 100 (878 of 4,304 launches earned $100k+).

Typical first year $9,463; the top 1 in 10 earned at least $75,544.

Lens check, all pricesHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: holds.

  • SmallOnly 42 launches at $10 to $20: one or two games swing the odds.
  • LuckOnly 3 games reached $100k+ here, so the odds could be luck.
Chance of $100k+ at every price (Standard lens)
PriceChanceLaunchesTypical
All prices1 in 22262$929
Under $50 of 126 launches126$262
$5 to $101 in 1681$1,931
$10 to $203 of 42 launches42$9,463
$20 to $404 of 13 launches13$20,699

Grey: under 30 launches or 5 hits at that price, written as a count. Odds compare best within one price.

Best tag pairs inside, at $10 to $20

No pair inside has 30+ launches and a hit in this view.

Open genre pageCheck this idea
7 4 of 52 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 524 hits $6,274 $71,220 52 1-hit Pin Grand Strategy
8 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 1 in 128 hits $8,067 $94,775 97 none Pin Text-Based
9 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 1 in 1112 hits $7,868 $96,195 127 none Pin Party-Based RPG
10 4 of 42 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 424 hits $4,215 $90,738 42 Small Pin Space Sim
11 1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 152 launches 1 in 1015 hits $5,860 $96,739 152 none Pin Sports
12 10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches 10 in 10018 hits $3,562 $113,352 180 none Pin 3D Platformer
13 4 of 38 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 384 hits $2,163 $128,938 38 Small Pin Incremental
14 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 56 launches 11 in 1006 hits $9,080 $129,341 56 Audience Pin CRPG
15 4 of 37 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 374 hits $6,021 $112,421 37 Small Pin Aliens
16 4 of 37 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 374 hits $8,951 $109,047 37 Small Pin Grid-Based Movement
17 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches 11 in 1005 hits $2,560 $104,916 44 Small Pin Score Attack
18 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 346 launches 12 in 10040 hits $4,391 $134,893 346 none Pin Arcade
19 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 12 in 1005 hits $1,789 $200,926 43 Small Pin 3D Fighter
20 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 12 in 1005 hits $11,091 $119,497 43 1-hitSmall Pin Action RTS
21 4 of 34 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 344 hits $1,172 $116,742 34 1-hitSmall Pin Match 3
22 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 12 in 10015 hits $5,689 $132,616 127 none Pin Magic
23 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches 12 in 1006 hits $12,169 $151,602 50 none Pin Thriller
24 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 12 in 10012 hits $6,643 $122,589 97 Audience Pin Logic
25 13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 171 launches 13 in 10022 hits $5,365 $125,051 171 1-hit Pin JRPG
Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 156 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.

Releases

Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.