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 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 30+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Last 18 months 30+ 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.Now: Mechs, 23 in 100. 74 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Open World Survival Craft, $49,037 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, 25 in 100. 68 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 1,493 launches. 187 match.

Hide one-hit markets0 out Hide small samples5 out Holds in every lens+113 if off

187 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. 74 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Parody 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $375. Best of the pins Small

Artificial Intelligence 2 of 51 earned $100k+ at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $268 none

Hidden Object 1 in 52 earned $100k+, from 464 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $463 none

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 151,722 of 26,291	$552	not computed	26,291
1	Mechs23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches	23 in 1007 hits	$4,865	not computed	31	Small	Pin Mechs
2	Colony Sim21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 62 launches	21 in 10013 hits	$3,321	not computed	62	none	Pin Colony Sim
3	Online Co-Op21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	21 in 10037 hits	$6,168	not computed	180	none	Pin Online Co-Op
4	Co-op20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches	20 in 10042 hits	$4,570	not computed	205	none	Pin Co-op
5	Trading20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches	20 in 10010 hits	$5,688	not computed	51	none	Pin Trading
6	Open World18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 222 launches	18 in 10041 hits	$2,528	not computed	222	none	Pin Open World
7	Lovecraftian18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 33 launches	18 in 1006 hits	$10,036	not computed	33	Small	Pin Lovecraftian
8	Fishing18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches	18 in 1009 hits	$1,895	not computed	50	none	Pin Fishing
9	Economy18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches	18 in 10036 hits	$4,361	not computed	201	none	Pin Economy
10	Crafting17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches	17 in 10034 hits	$2,682	not computed	201	none	Pin Crafting
11	Sandbox17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 386 launches	17 in 10065 hits	$2,439	not computed	386	none	Pin Sandbox
12	Management16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 363 launches	16 in 10058 hits	$4,700	not computed	363	none	Pin Management
13	Life Sim16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 292 launches	16 in 10046 hits	$2,054	not computed	292	none	Pin Life Sim
14	Destruction16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches	16 in 1005 hits	$1,769	not computed	32	Small	Pin Destruction
15	Inventory Management15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 72 launches	15 in 10011 hits	$2,555	not computed	72	none	Pin Inventory Management
16	War15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 88 launches	15 in 10013 hits	$1,685	not computed	88	none	Pin War
17	Job Simulator15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches	15 in 1006 hits	$4,422	not computed	41	Small	Pin Job Simulator
18	Farming Sim15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	15 in 10016 hits	$1,769	not computed	110	none	Pin Farming Sim
19	Noir14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches	14 in 1006 hits	$1,428	not computed	42	Small	Pin Noir
20	Roguelike Deckbuilder13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 82 launches	13 in 10011 hits	$10,213	not computed	82	none	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
21	Wholesome13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	13 in 10013 hits	$1,655	not computed	97	none	Pin Wholesome
22	Tactical13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches	13 in 10015 hits	$893	not computed	112	none	Pin Tactical
23	Mining13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	13 in 1007 hits	$714	not computed	53	none	Pin Mining
24	Robots13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 56 launches	13 in 1007 hits	$843	not computed	56	none	Pin Robots
25	Character Customization12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	12 in 10030 hits	$982	not computed	243	none	Pin Character Customization

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 74 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.