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 + City Builderabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck33 in 100

1Base Building + City Builder33 in 100131 launches 2City Builder + Management33 in 100120 launches 3Base Building + Management32 in 100123 launches 4Crafting + Open World31 in 100117 launches 5City Builder + Colony Sim30 in 100116 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 100+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Last 18 months 100+ launches 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.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Loads the 30+ launches view.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.Loads the 30+ launches view.

Hide one-hit markets9 out Hide small samples0 out

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

parodyNot in this view: under 100 launches at any price, Last 18 months.

programmingNot in this view: under 100 launches at any price, Last 18 months.

JRPG 1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 159 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $2,106. Best of the pins 1-hitAudience

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	Base Building22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches	22 in 10035 hits	$5,356	not computed	157	none	Pin Base Building
2	Building21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	21 in 10050 hits	$4,366	not computed	243	none	Pin Building
3	Co-op20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches	20 in 10041 hits	$4,377	not computed	205	none	Pin Co-op
4	Cozy19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 196 launches	19 in 10038 hits	$2,870	not computed	196	Audience	Pin Cozy
5	City Builder19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 130 launches	19 in 10025 hits	$3,828	not computed	130	none	Pin City Builder
6	Online Co-Op18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches	18 in 10033 hits	$5,171	not computed	181	none	Pin Online Co-Op
7	Open World18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 222 launches	18 in 10039 hits	$2,317	not computed	222	none	Pin Open World
8	Sandbox16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 387 launches	16 in 10062 hits	$2,011	not computed	387	Audience	Pin Sandbox
9	Cinematic16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 144 launches	16 in 10023 hits	$1,300	not computed	144	Audience	Pin Cinematic
10	Economy16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches	16 in 10032 hits	$3,962	not computed	201	none	Pin Economy
11	Crafting16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 202 launches	16 in 10032 hits	$2,298	not computed	202	none	Pin Crafting
12	Resource Management15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 198 launches	15 in 10030 hits	$2,756	not computed	198	none	Pin Resource Management
13	Management14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 364 launches	14 in 10052 hits	$4,362	not computed	364	none	Pin Management
14	Life Sim14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 292 launches	14 in 10041 hits	$2,011	not computed	292	none	Pin Life Sim
15	Investigation13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches	13 in 10015 hits	$1,991	not computed	112	none	Pin Investigation
16	Tactical13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 111 launches	13 in 10014 hits	$859	not computed	111	none	Pin Tactical
17	Dark Humor12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 108 launches	12 in 10013 hits	$956	not computed	108	none	Pin Dark Humor
18	Medieval11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 175 launches	11 in 10020 hits	$574	not computed	175	none	Pin Medieval
19	Metroidvania11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 105 launches	11 in 10012 hits	$2,901	not computed	105	1-hitAudience	Pin Metroidvania
20	Farming Sim11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	11 in 10012 hits	$1,723	not computed	110	none	Pin Farming Sim
21	Automation11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 102 launches	11 in 10011 hits	$2,104	not computed	102	1-hit	Pin Automation
22	Character Customization11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	11 in 10026 hits	$956	not computed	243	Audience	Pin Character Customization
23	Hack and Slash11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 219 launches	11 in 10023 hits	$766	not computed	219	Audience	Pin Hack and Slash
24	Card Battler10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 170 launches	10 in 10017 hits	$1,437	not computed	170	none	Pin Card Battler
25	Driving1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 112 launches	1 in 1011 hits	$766	not computed	112	none	Pin Driving

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 106 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.