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 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

$10 to $20

Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch

Building + Life Simabout 3.2 times the 18 in 100 base rate57 in 100

1Building + Life Sim57 in 10030 launches 2Cinematic + Story Rich52 in 10031 launches 3Cozy + Relaxing51 in 10055 launches 4Casual + Cozy50 in 10050 launches 5Online Co-Op + Simulation50 in 10032 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 17 hit $100k+Under $51 in 219 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 30 hit $100k+$10 to $2018 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4040 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,280 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 30+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 30+ launches

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: Online Co-Op, 35 in 100. 67 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 out Hide small samples38 out

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

dogsNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.

Tabletop 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 68 launches at $10 to $20typical $5,745. Best of the pins none

3D Fighter 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches at $10 to $20typical $1,341 Small

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	18 in 100758 of 4,301	$8,234	$217,858	4,301
1	Aliens1 of 37 launches earned $100k+	1 of 371 hit	$4,516	$84,277	37	Small	Pin Aliens
2	4 Player Local2 of 49 launches earned $100k+	2 of 492 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	none	Pin VR
4	Hidden Object1 in 19 earned $100k+, from 173 launches	1 in 199 hits	$1,532	$41,277	173	none	Pin Hidden Object
5	Mystery Dungeon2 of 38 launches earned $100k+	2 of 382 hits	$2,854	$42,492	38	Small	Pin Mystery Dungeon
6	Puzzle Platformer1 in 19 earned $100k+, from 131 launches	1 in 197 hits	$4,322	$51,139	131	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
7	Grand Strategy3 of 52 launches earned $100k+	3 of 523 hits	$4,706	$53,415	52	1-hit	Pin Grand Strategy
8	Match 32 of 34 launches earned $100k+	2 of 342 hits	$878	$87,556	34	1-hitSmall	Pin Match 3
9	Party-Based RPG1 in 16 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	1 in 168 hits	$5,899	$72,146	127	none	Pin Party-Based RPG
10	Score Attack3 of 44 launches earned $100k+	3 of 443 hits	$1,916	$78,687	44	Small	Pin Score Attack
11	Dialogue Heavy3 of 42 launches earned $100k+	3 of 423 hits	$7,089	$56,658	42	Small	Pin Dialogue Heavy
12	Text-Based1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	1 in 147 hits	$5,940	$71,081	97	none	Pin Text-Based
13	Incremental3 of 38 launches earned $100k+	3 of 383 hits	$1,620	$96,704	38	Small	Pin Incremental
14	Grid-Based Movement3 of 37 launches earned $100k+	3 of 373 hits	$6,713	$81,785	37	Small	Pin Grid-Based Movement
15	Precision Platformer1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 84 launches	1 in 127 hits	$7,998	$93,344	84	Audience	Pin Precision Platformer
16	Otome3 of 36 launches earned $100k+	3 of 363 hits	$5,047	$95,100	36	Small	Pin Otome
17	3D Platformer1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	1 in 1116 hits	$2,672	$85,014	180	none	Pin 3D Platformer
18	CRPG1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 55 launches	1 in 115 hits	$6,802	$97,006	55	Audience	Pin CRPG
19	Sports1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	1 in 1114 hits	$4,390	$72,554	152	none	Pin Sports
20	Logic1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	1 in 119 hits	$4,980	$91,942	97	Audience	Pin Logic
21	Action RTS4 of 43 launches earned $100k+	4 of 434 hits	$8,302	$89,623	43	1-hitSmall	Pin Action RTS
22	JRPG1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 171 launches	1 in 1116 hits	$4,022	$93,788	171	1-hitAudience	Pin JRPG
23	Magic1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	1 in 1112 hits	$4,259	$99,462	127	none	Pin Magic
24	Space Sim4 of 42 launches earned $100k+	4 of 424 hits	$3,160	$67,771	42	Small	Pin Space Sim
25	Tactical RPG10 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 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.