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 Last 18 months

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Only launches from the last 18 months. Lenses are computed across all prices only so far, so a lens reads All prices.

Sample 10+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Last 18 months Reset

The Last 18 months 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: Co-op, 20 in 100. 72 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Open World Survival Craft, $36,777 typical. 187 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Base Building, 22 in 100. 66 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 1,499 launches. 187 match.

Hide one-hit markets42 out Hide small samples94 out

245 of 256 genres have 10+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Parody 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $360. Best of the pins Small

Incremental 1 in 36 earned $100k+, from 394 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $247 none

Class-Based 4 of 26 earned $100k+ at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $3,981 SmallAudience

Genres at any price, Last 18 months, 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, Last 18 monthsthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Shop Keeper33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 33 launches	33 in 10011 hits	$15,122	not computed	33	1-hitSmall	Pin Shop Keeper
2	Open World Survival Craft33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	33 in 10010 hits	$36,777	not computed	30	1-hitSmall	Pin Open World Survival Craft
3	Tanks4 of 14 launches earned $100k+	4 of 144 hits	$861	not computed	14	Small	Pin Tanks
4	Desktop Companion5 of 18 launches earned $100k+	5 of 185 hits	$30,875	not computed	18	Small	Pin Desktop Companion
5	World War II7 of 26 launches earned $100k+	7 of 267 hits	$5,739	not computed	26	Small	Pin World War II
6	FMV25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches	25 in 10015 hits	$21,527	not computed	61	Audience	Pin FMV
7	Naval3 of 13 launches earned $100k+	3 of 133 hits	$8,811	not computed	13	Small	Pin Naval
8	Base Building22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches	22 in 10035 hits	$5,356	not computed	157	none	Pin Base Building
9	Horses3 of 14 launches earned $100k+	3 of 143 hits	$8,615	not computed	14	Small	Pin Horses
10	Minigames6 of 29 launches earned $100k+	6 of 296 hits	$1,052	not computed	29	Small	Pin Minigames
11	Vehicular Combat21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	21 in 1007 hits	$1,149	not computed	34	Small	Pin Vehicular Combat
12	Building21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	21 in 10050 hits	$4,366	not computed	243	none	Pin Building
13	Co-op20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches	20 in 10041 hits	$4,377	not computed	205	none	Pin Co-op
14	Trading20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches	20 in 10010 hits	$5,169	not computed	51	none	Pin Trading
15	Music19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 36 launches	19 in 1007 hits	$1,817	not computed	36	Small	Pin Music
16	Cozy19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 196 launches	19 in 10038 hits	$2,870	not computed	196	Audience	Pin Cozy
17	Mechs19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches	19 in 1006 hits	$4,420	not computed	31	Small	Pin Mechs
18	City Builder19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 130 launches	19 in 10025 hits	$3,828	not computed	130	none	Pin City Builder
19	Online Co-Op18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches	18 in 10033 hits	$5,171	not computed	181	none	Pin Online Co-Op
20	Lovecraftian18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 33 launches	18 in 1006 hits	$9,123	not computed	33	Small	Pin Lovecraftian
21	Party2 of 11 launches earned $100k+	2 of 112 hits	$2,106	not computed	11	1-hitSmall	Pin Party
22	Massively Multiplayer3 of 17 launches earned $100k+	3 of 173 hits	$861	not computed	17	Small	Pin Massively Multiplayer
23	Open World18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 222 launches	18 in 10039 hits	$2,317	not computed	222	none	Pin Open World
24	Farming2 of 12 launches earned $100k+	2 of 122 hits	$13,417	not computed	12	1-hitSmall	Pin Farming
25	Inventory Management16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	16 in 10012 hits	$1,915	not computed	73	none	Pin Inventory Management

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 245 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.