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: Cozy, $117,666 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.
Open World 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 270 launches at $10 to $20typical $25,972 none
Automation 39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches at $10 to $20$10k+ 75 in 100. Best of the pins 1-hit
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 under 100 under 100 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 under 100 under 100 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 3 of 42 launches earned $100k+ 3 of 423 hits under 100 under 100 42 Small Pin Dialogue Heavy
7 4 of 52 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 524 hits under 100 under 100 52 1-hit Pin Grand Strategy
8 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 1 in 128 hits under 100 under 100 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 under 100 under 100 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 under 100 under 100 38 Small Pin Incremental
14 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 56 launches 11 in 1006 hits under 100 under 100 56 Audience Pin CRPG
15 4 of 37 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 374 hits under 100 under 100 37 Small Pin Aliens
16 4 of 37 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 374 hits under 100 under 100 37 Small Pin Grid-Based Movement
17 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches 11 in 1005 hits under 100 under 100 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 under 100 under 100 43 Small Pin 3D Fighter
20 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 12 in 1005 hits under 100 under 100 43 1-hitSmall Pin Action RTS
21 4 of 34 launches earned $100k+ 4 of 344 hits under 100 under 100 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 under 100 under 100 50 none Pin Thriller
24 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 12 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 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
26 13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 242 launches 13 in 10032 hits $6,023 $193,413 242 Audience Pin Choose Your Own Adventure
27 13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 60 launches 13 in 1008 hits under 100 under 100 60 none Pin 2D Fighter
28 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 170 launches 14 in 10023 hits $9,464 $158,883 170 none Pin Romance
29 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 118 launches 14 in 10016 hits $11,496 $137,764 118 none Pin Tactical RPG
30 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 36 launches 14 in 1005 hits under 100 under 100 36 Small Pin Otome
31 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 14 in 1006 hits under 100 under 100 43 Small Pin Runner
32 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches 14 in 1008 hits under 100 under 100 57 none Pin Comic Book
33 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 249 launches 14 in 10035 hits $4,508 $190,045 249 none Pin Point & Click
34 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 84 launches 14 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 84 Audience Pin Precision Platformer
35 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 684 launches 14 in 10098 hits $5,070 $173,428 684 none Pin Puzzle
36 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches 15 in 1006 hits under 100 under 100 41 Small Pin Demons
37 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 434 launches 15 in 10064 hits $9,963 $199,513 434 Audience Pin Visual Novel
38 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches 15 in 10016 hits $7,510 $252,312 106 Audience Pin Shoot 'Em Up
39 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 230 launches 15 in 10035 hits $10,240 $220,268 230 Audience Pin Interactive Fiction
40 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches 16 in 10013 hits under 100 under 100 83 Audience Pin Wargame
41 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches 16 in 10049 hits $8,758 $239,522 311 none Pin 2D Platformer
42 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches 16 in 1009 hits under 100 under 100 57 none Pin 1980s
43 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches 16 in 10018 hits $8,758 $205,980 113 1-hit Pin Collectathon
44 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 69 launches 16 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 69 none Pin Cyberpunk
45 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 100 launches 16 in 10016 hits $11,661 $148,757 100 none Pin LGBTQ+
46 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 547 launches 16 in 10089 hits $7,909 $192,839 547 none Pin Action-Adventure
47 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 98 launches 16 in 10016 hits under 100 under 100 98 none Pin Board Game
48 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches 16 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 73 none Pin Zombies
49 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches 17 in 10042 hits $8,519 $178,090 243 none Pin Turn-Based Tactics
50 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches 17 in 10054 hits $10,197 $318,870 311 1-hitAudience Pin Platformer
Show 25 moreShowing 50 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.