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 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: 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 markets16 out Hide small samples+36 if off

187 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. 151 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 $360. Best of the pins Small

programmingNot in this view: under 30 launches at any price, Last 18 months.

Space Sim 0 of 63 earned $100k+ at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $192 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 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	FMV25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches	25 in 10015 hits	$21,527	not computed	61	Audience	Pin FMV
2	Base Building22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches	22 in 10035 hits	$5,356	not computed	157	none	Pin Base Building
3	Building21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	21 in 10050 hits	$4,366	not computed	243	none	Pin Building
4	Co-op20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches	20 in 10041 hits	$4,377	not computed	205	none	Pin Co-op
5	Trading20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches	20 in 10010 hits	$5,169	not computed	51	none	Pin Trading
6	Cozy19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 196 launches	19 in 10038 hits	$2,870	not computed	196	Audience	Pin Cozy
7	City Builder19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 130 launches	19 in 10025 hits	$3,828	not computed	130	none	Pin City Builder
8	Online Co-Op18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 181 launches	18 in 10033 hits	$5,171	not computed	181	none	Pin Online Co-Op
9	Open World18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 222 launches	18 in 10039 hits	$2,317	not computed	222	none	Pin Open World
10	Inventory Management16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	16 in 10012 hits	$1,915	not computed	73	none	Pin Inventory Management
11	Sandbox16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 387 launches	16 in 10062 hits	$2,011	not computed	387	Audience	Pin Sandbox
12	Fishing16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches	16 in 1008 hits	$1,722	not computed	50	Audience	Pin Fishing
13	Cinematic16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 144 launches	16 in 10023 hits	$1,300	not computed	144	Audience	Pin Cinematic
14	Economy16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches	16 in 10032 hits	$3,962	not computed	201	none	Pin Economy
15	Colony Sim16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 63 launches	16 in 10010 hits	$2,870	not computed	63	none	Pin Colony Sim
16	Crafting16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 202 launches	16 in 10032 hits	$2,298	not computed	202	none	Pin Crafting
17	Resource Management15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 198 launches	15 in 10030 hits	$2,756	not computed	198	none	Pin Resource Management
18	Management14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 364 launches	14 in 10052 hits	$4,362	not computed	364	none	Pin Management
19	Military14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 78 launches	14 in 10011 hits	$1,912	not computed	78	1-hit	Pin Military
20	Life Sim14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 292 launches	14 in 10041 hits	$2,011	not computed	292	none	Pin Life Sim
21	Capitalism14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 93 launches	14 in 10013 hits	$1,721	not computed	93	1-hit	Pin Capitalism
22	Investigation13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches	13 in 10015 hits	$1,991	not computed	112	none	Pin Investigation
23	Mining13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	13 in 1007 hits	$689	not computed	53	none	Pin Mining
24	War13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 86 launches	13 in 10011 hits	$1,532	not computed	86	none	Pin War
25	Tactical13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 111 launches	13 in 10014 hits	$859	not computed	111	none	Pin Tactical

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 151 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.