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

$10 to $20

Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch

Building + Life Simabout 3.1 times the 20 in 100 base rate63 in 100

1Building + Life Sim63 in 10030 launches 2Casual + Cozy60 in 10050 launches 3Cozy + Relaxing59 in 10054 launches 4Cozy + Simulation56 in 10036 launches 5Cinematic + Story Rich55 in 10031 launches

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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 Standard

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

All indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old. Lenses are computed across all prices only so far, so a lens reads All prices.

Sample 10+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Reset

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: Shop Keeper, 57 in 100. 156 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Online Co-Op, 39 in 100. 68 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Cozy, $117,666 typical. 156 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op, $1M top 1 in 10. 118 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 51 in 100. 40 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Simulation, 874 launches. 156 match.

Hide one-hit markets36 out Hide small samples115 out

233 of 256 genres have 10+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Platformer 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches at $10 to $20typical $10,197 1-hitAudience

Tabletop 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 68 launches at $10 to $20$10k+ 49 in 100 none

Incremental 4 of 38 earned $100k+ at $10 to $20$10k+ 29 in 100 Small

Genres at $10 to $20, 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 $10 to $20the base rate: the row to beat	20 in 100878 of 4,304	$10,978	$287,297	4,304
1	Shop Keeper57 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches	57 in 10021 hits	under 100	under 100	37	1-hitSmall	Pin Shop Keeper
2	Cozy51 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches	51 in 10057 hits	$117,666	$968,158	112	Audience	Pin Cozy
3	Typing10 of 21 launches earned $100k+	10 of 2110 hits	under 100	under 100	21	Small	Pin Typing
4	FMV48 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches	48 in 10019 hits	under 100	under 100	40	SmallAudience	Pin FMV
5	Cooking44 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches	44 in 10025 hits	under 100	under 100	57	Audience	Pin Cooking
6	Bullet Heaven8 of 19 launches earned $100k+	8 of 198 hits	under 100	under 100	19	Small	Pin Bullet Heaven
7	Dice4 of 10 launches earned $100k+	4 of 104 hits	under 100	under 100	10	Small	Pin Dice
8	Faith4 of 10 launches earned $100k+	4 of 104 hits	under 100	under 100	10	Small	Pin Faith
9	Online Co-Op39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches	39 in 10056 hits	$46,042	$865,984	142	none	Pin Online Co-Op
10	Automation39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches	39 in 10032 hits	under 100	under 100	83	1-hit	Pin Automation
11	Music37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches	37 in 10013 hits	under 100	under 100	35	Small	Pin Music
12	Massively Multiplayer4 of 11 launches earned $100k+	4 of 114 hits	under 100	under 100	11	Small	Pin Massively Multiplayer
13	Inventory Management35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches	35 in 10018 hits	under 100	under 100	51	none	Pin Inventory Management
14	Roguelike Deckbuilder35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches	35 in 10033 hits	under 100	under 100	94	none	Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
15	Building35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 245 launches	35 in 10085 hits	$30,025	$621,994	245	none	Pin Building
16	Co-op34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches	34 in 10054 hits	$25,693	$1,032,241	157	none	Pin Co-op
17	Life Sim34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 232 launches	34 in 10079 hits	$37,945	$485,241	232	none	Pin Life Sim
18	Management34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches	34 in 100100 hits	$41,499	$488,953	297	none	Pin Management
19	Economy34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches	34 in 10054 hits	$43,540	$538,397	161	none	Pin Economy
20	Base Building33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 213 launches	33 in 10071 hits	$35,118	$614,301	213	none	Pin Base Building
21	Cinematic33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches	33 in 10029 hits	under 100	under 100	87	Audience	Pin Cinematic
22	Vehicular Combat9 of 27 launches earned $100k+	9 of 279 hits	under 100	under 100	27	Small	Pin Vehicular Combat
23	Mining7 of 21 launches earned $100k+	7 of 217 hits	under 100	under 100	21	Small	Pin Mining
24	Gun Customization6 of 18 launches earned $100k+	6 of 186 hits	under 100	under 100	18	SmallAudience	Pin Gun Customization
25	Satire4 of 12 launches earned $100k+	4 of 124 hits	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Satire

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 233 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.