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

All prices

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

Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck46 in 100

1Building + Multiplayer46 in 10048 launches 2Base Building + Multiplayer46 in 10046 launches 3Cozy + Farming Sim45 in 10040 launches 4Online Co-Op + Roguelike45 in 10040 launches 5Crafting + Multiplayer45 in 10049 launches

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

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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 Without the breakout

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Drops the single biggest earner. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money. 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 Without the breakout 30+ launches Reset

The Without the breakout lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Opens $10 to $20, Standard lens.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Desktop Companion, 40 in 100. 75 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Desktop Companion, $33,962 typical. 255 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Open World Survival Craft, 31 in 100. 99 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 5,255 launches. 255 match.

Hide one-hit markets0 out Hide small samples1 out Holds in every lens+180 if off

255 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at any price, Without the breakout. 75 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Parody 1 in 21 earned $100k+, from 128 launches at any price, Without the breakouttypical $371 none

Mining 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 114 launches at any price, Without the breakouttypical $1,390. Best of the pins none

Programming 1 in 13 earned $100k+, from 90 launches at any price, Without the breakouttypical $1,338 none

Genres at any price, Without the breakout, 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 any price, Without the breakoutthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 151,722 of 26,291	$552	not computed	26,291
1	Desktop Companion40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	40 in 10012 hits	$33,962	not computed	30	Small	Pin Desktop Companion
2	Colony Sim22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 218 launches	22 in 10047 hits	$3,380	not computed	218	none	Pin Colony Sim
3	Online Co-Op21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 646 launches	21 in 100135 hits	$5,204	not computed	646	none	Pin Online Co-Op
4	Co-op19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 677 launches	19 in 100129 hits	$3,909	not computed	677	none	Pin Co-op
5	Open World19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 861 launches	19 in 100161 hits	$2,044	not computed	861	none	Pin Open World
6	Economy18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 477 launches	18 in 10087 hits	$4,361	not computed	477	none	Pin Economy
7	Management18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,005 launches	18 in 100181 hits	$3,980	not computed	1,005	none	Pin Management
8	Crafting18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 644 launches	18 in 100115 hits	$2,393	not computed	644	none	Pin Crafting
9	Mechs18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 101 launches	18 in 10018 hits	$4,084	not computed	101	none	Pin Mechs
10	Roguelike Deckbuilder17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 229 launches	17 in 10040 hits	$9,015	not computed	229	none	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
11	Trading17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches	17 in 10021 hits	$7,163	not computed	124	none	Pin Trading
12	Sandbox17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,219 launches	17 in 100205 hits	$1,992	not computed	1,219	none	Pin Sandbox
13	Job Simulator15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 86 launches	15 in 10013 hits	$9,816	not computed	86	none	Pin Job Simulator
14	Mining15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 114 launches	15 in 10017 hits	$1,390	not computed	114	none	Pinned Mining
15	Farming Sim15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 350 launches	15 in 10052 hits	$1,517	not computed	350	none	Pin Farming Sim
16	Bullet Heaven15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 128 launches	15 in 10019 hits	$8,343	not computed	128	none	Pin Bullet Heaven
17	Life Sim14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 893 launches	14 in 100126 hits	$1,928	not computed	893	none	Pin Life Sim
18	Fishing14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches	14 in 10020 hits	$1,352	not computed	142	none	Pin Fishing
19	Driving13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 393 launches	13 in 10052 hits	$1,017	not computed	393	none	Pin Driving
20	Inventory Management13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 189 launches	13 in 10025 hits	$1,552	not computed	189	none	Pin Inventory Management
21	Lovecraftian13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	13 in 10020 hits	$3,440	not computed	152	none	Pin Lovecraftian
22	Souls-like12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 388 launches	12 in 10048 hits	$920	not computed	388	none	Pin Souls-like
23	Tactical12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 433 launches	12 in 10051 hits	$945	not computed	433	none	Pin Tactical
24	Deckbuilding11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 576 launches	11 in 10065 hits	$2,232	not computed	576	none	Pin Deckbuilding
25	Character Customization11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 851 launches	11 in 10095 hits	$931	not computed	851	none	Pin Character Customization

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 75 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.