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

All prices

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

Base Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck44 in 100

1Base Building + Multiplayer44 in 10045 launches 2Crafting + Multiplayer44 in 10048 launches 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike43 in 10040 launches 4Base Building + Open World Survival Craft39 in 10054 launches 5Character Customization + Open World39 in 10062 launches

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. 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 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 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, 37 in 100. 73 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Desktop Companion, $32,516 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, 30 in 100. 97 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 5,256 launches. 255 match.

Hide one-hit markets47 out Hide small samples22 out

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

Programming 4 of 90 earned $100k+ at any price, Without the breakouttypical $1,222 none

Sailing 2 of 58 earned $100k+ at any price, Without the breakouttypical $1,881 none

Simulation 1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 4,443 launches at any price, Without the breakouttypical $876. Best of the pins 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 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Desktop Companion37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	37 in 10011 hits	$32,516	not computed	30	Small	Pin Desktop Companion
2	Open World Survival Craft30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 108 launches	30 in 10032 hits	$18,701	not computed	108	1-hit	Pin Open World Survival Craft
3	Shop Keeper27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 70 launches	27 in 10019 hits	$20,791	not computed	70	1-hit	Pin Shop Keeper
4	Base Building21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 582 launches	21 in 100124 hits	$3,034	not computed	582	none	Pin Base Building
5	FMV20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 147 launches	20 in 10029 hits	$9,576	not computed	147	Audience	Pin FMV
6	Colony Sim20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 218 launches	20 in 10043 hits	$2,870	not computed	218	none	Pin Colony Sim
7	Online Co-Op19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 646 launches	19 in 100125 hits	$4,883	not computed	646	none	Pin Online Co-Op
8	Building19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 843 launches	19 in 100156 hits	$2,297	not computed	843	none	Pin Building
9	Co-op18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 676 launches	18 in 100120 hits	$3,619	not computed	676	none	Pin Co-op
10	Open World18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 860 launches	18 in 100152 hits	$1,856	not computed	860	none	Pin Open World
11	Mechs17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 101 launches	17 in 10017 hits	$3,619	not computed	101	none	Pin Mechs
12	City Builder17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 506 launches	17 in 10084 hits	$1,856	not computed	506	none	Pin City Builder
13	Economy16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 477 launches	16 in 10078 hits	$3,962	not computed	477	none	Pin Economy
14	Crafting16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 643 launches	16 in 100105 hits	$2,085	not computed	643	none	Pin Crafting
15	Management16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,005 launches	16 in 100163 hits	$3,730	not computed	1,005	none	Pin Management
16	Trains16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 74 launches	16 in 10012 hits	$7,150	not computed	74	none	Pin Trains
17	Trading16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches	16 in 10020 hits	$5,411	not computed	124	none	Pin Trading
18	Sandbox16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,218 launches	16 in 100192 hits	$1,882	not computed	1,218	Audience	Pin Sandbox
19	Roguelike Deckbuilder16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 229 launches	16 in 10036 hits	$7,712	not computed	229	Audience	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
20	Job Simulator15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 86 launches	15 in 10013 hits	$7,362	not computed	86	none	Pin Job Simulator
21	Cozy15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 491 launches	15 in 10074 hits	$2,411	not computed	491	Audience	Pin Cozy
22	Crime15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 204 launches	15 in 10030 hits	$1,351	not computed	204	1-hitAudience	Pin Crime
23	World War II14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 77 launches	14 in 10011 hits	$2,106	not computed	77	none	Pin World War II
24	Automation14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches	14 in 10042 hits	$2,195	not computed	297	1-hit	Pin Automation
25	Resource Management14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 560 launches	14 in 10078 hits	$1,915	not computed	560	none	Pin Resource Management

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 255 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.