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.

Open free preview

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 West-facing view

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Games mostly reviewed outside China: drops games with 35% or more of their reviews in Chinese. That share is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; for smaller games it is guessed from the game's name. 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 West-facing view 30+ launches Reset

The West-facing view 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: Colony Sim, 22 in 100. 74 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Open World Survival Craft, $25,124 typical. 253 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, 32 in 100. 97 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Puzzle, 5,055 launches. 253 match.

Hide one-hit markets0 out Hide small samples0 out Holds in every lens+179 if off

253 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. 74 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Programming 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 91 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $1,338 none

Simulation 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 4,191 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $1,011 none

Hacking 3 of 66 earned $100k+ at any price, West-facing viewtypical $1,023 none

Genres at any price, West-facing view, 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, West-facing viewthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 151,722 of 26,291	$552	not computed	26,291
1	Colony Sim22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 217 launches	22 in 10048 hits	$3,380	not computed	217	none	Pin Colony Sim
2	Online Co-Op21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 626 launches	21 in 100129 hits	$5,179	not computed	626	none	Pin Online Co-Op
3	Co-op19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 659 launches	19 in 100127 hits	$4,089	not computed	659	none	Pin Co-op
4	Trading19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 115 launches	19 in 10022 hits	$7,374	not computed	115	none	Pin Trading
5	Open World19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 820 launches	19 in 100155 hits	$2,107	not computed	820	none	Pin Open World
6	Mechs19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	19 in 10018 hits	$4,835	not computed	97	none	Pin Mechs
7	Economy19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 469 launches	19 in 10087 hits	$4,865	not computed	469	none	Pin Economy
8	Crafting18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 624 launches	18 in 100114 hits	$2,621	not computed	624	none	Pin Crafting
9	Management18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 974 launches	18 in 100174 hits	$4,018	not computed	974	none	Pin Management
10	Roguelike Deckbuilder17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 218 launches	17 in 10037 hits	$9,059	not computed	218	none	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
11	Sandbox17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,173 launches	17 in 100194 hits	$2,070	not computed	1,173	none	Pin Sandbox
12	Job Simulator16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches	16 in 10014 hits	$9,816	not computed	87	none	Pin Job Simulator
13	Mining16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches	16 in 10018 hits	$1,622	not computed	113	none	Pin Mining
14	Bullet Heaven16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches	16 in 10020 hits	$8,276	not computed	127	none	Pin Bullet Heaven
15	Farming Sim15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 325 launches	15 in 10050 hits	$1,769	not computed	325	none	Pin Farming Sim
16	Fishing15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 135 launches	15 in 10020 hits	$1,681	not computed	135	none	Pin Fishing
17	Life Sim14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 846 launches	14 in 100119 hits	$2,054	not computed	846	none	Pin Life Sim
18	Driving14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 389 launches	14 in 10053 hits	$1,023	not computed	389	none	Pin Driving
19	Inventory Management13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 186 launches	13 in 10025 hits	$1,608	not computed	186	none	Pin Inventory Management
20	Lovecraftian13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches	13 in 10019 hits	$4,222	not computed	142	none	Pin Lovecraftian
21	Souls-like13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 372 launches	13 in 10047 hits	$1,060	not computed	372	none	Pin Souls-like
22	Tactical12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 420 launches	12 in 10051 hits	$1,071	not computed	420	none	Pin Tactical
23	Wholesome11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 298 launches	11 in 10034 hits	$1,752	not computed	298	none	Pin Wholesome
24	Deckbuilding11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 535 launches	11 in 10061 hits	$2,653	not computed	535	none	Pin Deckbuilding
25	War11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 273 launches	11 in 10031 hits	$1,624	not computed	273	none	Pin War

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.