Genres

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

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191,979
on 2 Oct 2026

Genres 3 Oct

Of 156 genres with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 77 beat the 18 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 219 under $5, 40 in 100 at $20 to $40.77 of 156 genres beat the 18 in 100 base rate.77 beat the base rate.

Cohort median $540

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 3 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.Now: Shop Keeper, 49 in 100. 156 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: FMV, 48 in 100. 82 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Shop Keeper, $92,344 typical. 156 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op, $774k top 1 in 10. 118 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 44 in 100. 38 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Simulation, 876 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.

Sandbox 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches at $10 to $20typical $22,688. Best of the pins none
programmingNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.
Crafting 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 216 launches at $10 to $20typical $20,351 none
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 18 in 100758 of 4,301 $8,234$217,858 4,301
1 1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 1 in 371 hit $4,516 $84,277 37 Small Pin Aliens
2 1 in 25 earned $100k+, from 49 launches 1 in 252 hits $4,022 $41,962 49 Small Pin 4 Player Local
3 VR1 in 24 earned $100k+, from 195 launches 1 in 248 hits $2,650 $33,643 195 Audience Pin VR

1 in 24 earned $100k+, from 195 launches at $10 to $20. That is about 0.2 times the base rate.

Base rate at $10 to $20: 18 in 100 (758 of 4,301 launches earned $100k+).

Typical first year $2,650; the top 1 in 10 earned at least $33,643.

Lens check, all pricesChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.

  • AudienceAudience split: this genre reads differently for Western players. Typical earnings rise 13% in the West-facing view (games mostly reviewed outside China).
Chance of $100k+ at every price (Standard lens)
PriceChanceLaunchesTypical
All prices1 in 18590$627
Under $50 in 100153$51
$5 to $100 in 100173$425
$10 to $201 in 24195$2,650
$20 to $4036 in 10069$21,670

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

Best tag pairs inside, at $10 to $20

Open genre pageCheck this idea
4 1 in 19 earned $100k+, from 173 launches 1 in 199 hits $1,532 $41,277 173 none Pin Hidden Object
5 1 in 19 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 1 in 192 hits $2,854 $42,492 38 Small Pin Mystery Dungeon
6 1 in 19 earned $100k+, from 131 launches 1 in 197 hits $4,322 $51,139 131 none Pin Puzzle Platformer
7 1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 52 launches 1 in 173 hits $4,706 $53,415 52 1-hit Pin Grand Strategy
8 1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 34 launches 1 in 172 hits $878 $87,556 34 1-hitSmallAudience Pin Match 3
9 1 in 16 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 1 in 168 hits $5,899 $72,146 127 Audience Pin Party-Based RPG
10 1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 44 launches 1 in 153 hits $1,916 $78,687 44 Small Pin Score Attack
11 1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 42 launches 1 in 143 hits $7,089 $56,658 42 SmallAudience Pin Dialogue Heavy
12 1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 1 in 147 hits $5,940 $71,081 97 Audience Pin Text-Based
13 1 in 13 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 1 in 133 hits $1,620 $96,704 38 Small Pin Incremental
14 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 1 in 123 hits $6,713 $81,785 37 Small Pin Grid-Based Movement
15 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 84 launches 1 in 127 hits $7,998 $93,344 84 none Pin Precision Platformer
16 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 36 launches 1 in 123 hits $5,047 $95,100 36 Small Pin Otome
17 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 180 launches 1 in 1116 hits $2,672 $85,014 180 none Pin 3D Platformer
18 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 55 launches 1 in 115 hits $6,802 $97,006 55 Audience Pin CRPG
19 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 152 launches 1 in 1114 hits $4,390 $72,554 152 none Pin Sports
20 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 1 in 119 hits $4,980 $91,942 97 none Pin Logic
21 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 1 in 114 hits $8,302 $89,623 43 1-hitSmallAudience Pin Action RTS
22 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 171 launches 1 in 1116 hits $4,022 $93,788 171 1-hitAudience Pin JRPG
23 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 1 in 1112 hits $4,259 $99,462 127 none Pin Magic
24 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 42 launches 1 in 114 hits $3,160 $67,771 42 Small Pin Space Sim
25 10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 117 launches 10 in 10012 hits $8,618 $103,323 117 none Pin Tactical RPG
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 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.