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 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike45 in 10040 launches 4Cozy + Farming Sim45 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 markets46 out Hide small samples21 out

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

Text-Based 1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 550 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $750 none

Score Attack 1 in 62 earned $100k+, from 554 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $211 none

Hidden Object 1 in 66 earned $100k+, from 1,583 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $536 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	Shop Keeper33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 69 launches	33 in 10023 hits	under 100	under 100	69	1-hit	Pin Shop Keeper
2	Open World Survival Craft32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 109 launches	32 in 10035 hits	$25,124	not computed	109	1-hit	Pin Open World Survival Craft
3	Base Building23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 555 launches	23 in 100128 hits	$3,718	not computed	555	none	Pin Base Building
4	Colony Sim22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 217 launches	22 in 10048 hits	$3,380	not computed	217	none	Pin Colony Sim
5	Online Co-Op21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 626 launches	21 in 100129 hits	$5,179	not computed	626	none	Pin Online Co-Op
6	Building20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 819 launches	20 in 100165 hits	$2,704	not computed	819	none	Pin Building
7	Dice19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches	19 in 1006 hits	under 100	under 100	31	Small	Pin Dice
8	Co-op19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 659 launches	19 in 100127 hits	$4,089	not computed	659	none	Pin Co-op
9	Trains19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	19 in 10014 hits	under 100	under 100	73	none	Pin Trains
10	Trading19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 115 launches	19 in 10022 hits	$7,374	not computed	115	none	Pin Trading
11	Open World19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 820 launches	19 in 100155 hits	$2,107	not computed	820	none	Pin Open World
12	City Builder19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 477 launches	19 in 10089 hits	$2,188	not computed	477	Audience	Pin City Builder
13	Mechs19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches	19 in 10018 hits	under 100	under 100	97	none	Pin Mechs
14	Economy19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 469 launches	19 in 10087 hits	$4,865	not computed	469	none	Pin Economy
15	Crafting18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 624 launches	18 in 100114 hits	$2,621	not computed	624	none	Pin Crafting
16	Management18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 974 launches	18 in 100174 hits	$4,018	not computed	974	none	Pin Management
17	4X18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 74 launches	18 in 10013 hits	under 100	under 100	74	none	Pin 4X
18	FMV17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches	17 in 10018 hits	$5,519	not computed	106	Audience	Pin FMV
19	Roguelike Deckbuilder17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 218 launches	17 in 10037 hits	$9,059	not computed	218	none	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
20	Automation17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 285 launches	17 in 10048 hits	$2,760	not computed	285	1-hit	Pin Automation
21	Cozy17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 484 launches	17 in 10081 hits	$2,345	not computed	484	Audience	Pin Cozy
22	Naval17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches	17 in 1007 hits	under 100	under 100	42	Small	Pin Naval
23	Sandbox17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,173 launches	17 in 100194 hits	$2,070	not computed	1,173	none	Pin Sandbox
24	World War II16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	16 in 10012 hits	under 100	under 100	73	none	Pin World War II
25	Job Simulator16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches	16 in 10014 hits	under 100	under 100	87	none	Pin Job Simulator

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 253 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.