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.

Best niches

$10 to $20

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

Building + Life Simabout 3.1 times the 20 in 100 base rate63 in 100

1Building + Life Sim63 in 10030 launches 2Casual + Cozy60 in 10050 launches 3Cozy + Relaxing59 in 10054 launches 4Cozy + Simulation56 in 10036 launches 5Cinematic + Story Rich55 in 10031 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 15 hit $100k+Under $51 in 238 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2020 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,291 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, 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 markets+20 if off Hide small samples30 out

156 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. 136 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

Text-Based 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 97 launches at $10 to $20typical $8,067 none

Bullet Hell 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 126 launches at $10 to $20typical $10,479. Best of the pins Audience

Score Attack 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches at $10 to $20typical $2,560 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	20 in 100878 of 4,304	$10,978	$287,297	4,304
1	4 Player Local2 of 49 launches earned $100k+	2 of 492 hits	$5,365	$55,949	49	Small	Pin 4 Player Local
2	VR1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 195 launches	1 in 229 hits	$3,534	$44,858	195	none	Pin VR
3	Mystery Dungeon2 of 38 launches earned $100k+	2 of 382 hits	$3,805	$56,655	38	Small	Pin Mystery Dungeon
4	Puzzle Platformer1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 131 launches	1 in 159 hits	$5,769	$68,186	131	Audience	Pin Puzzle Platformer
5	Hidden Object1 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
7	Text-Based1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	1 in 128 hits	$8,067	$94,775	97	none	Pinned Text-Based
8	Party-Based RPG1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	1 in 1112 hits	$7,868	$96,195	127	none	Pin Party-Based RPG
9	Space Sim4 of 42 launches earned $100k+	4 of 424 hits	$4,215	$90,738	42	Small	Pin Space Sim
10	Sports1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	1 in 1015 hits	$5,860	$96,739	152	none	Pin Sports
11	3D Platformer10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	10 in 10018 hits	$3,562	$113,352	180	none	Pin 3D Platformer
12	Incremental4 of 38 launches earned $100k+	4 of 384 hits	$2,163	$128,938	38	Small	Pin Incremental
13	CRPG11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 56 launches	11 in 1006 hits	$9,080	$129,341	56	Audience	Pin CRPG
14	Aliens4 of 37 launches earned $100k+	4 of 374 hits	$6,021	$112,421	37	Small	Pin Aliens
15	Grid-Based Movement4 of 37 launches earned $100k+	4 of 374 hits	$8,951	$109,047	37	Small	Pin Grid-Based Movement
16	Score Attack11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches	11 in 1005 hits	$2,560	$104,916	44	Small	Pinned Score Attack
17	Arcade12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 346 launches	12 in 10040 hits	$4,391	$134,893	346	none	Pin Arcade
18	3D Fighter12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches	12 in 1005 hits	$1,789	$200,926	43	Small	Pin 3D Fighter
19	Magic12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	12 in 10015 hits	$5,689	$132,616	127	none	Pin Magic
20	Thriller12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches	12 in 1006 hits	$12,169	$151,602	50	none	Pin Thriller
21	Logic12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	12 in 10012 hits	$6,643	$122,589	97	Audience	Pin Logic
22	Choose Your Own Adventure13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 242 launches	13 in 10032 hits	$6,023	$193,413	242	Audience	Pin Choose Your Own Adventure
23	2D Fighter13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 60 launches	13 in 1008 hits	$6,761	$360,680	60	none	Pin 2D Fighter
24	Romance14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 170 launches	14 in 10023 hits	$9,464	$158,883	170	none	Pin Romance
25	Tactical RPG14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 118 launches	14 in 10016 hits	$11,496	$137,764	118	none	Pin Tactical RPG

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 136 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.