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

$10 to $20

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

Economy + Simulationabout 2.0 times the 18 in 100 base rate, could be luck36 in 100

1Economy + Simulation36 in 100117 launches 2Building + Simulation34 in 100122 launches 3Management + Simulation34 in 100204 launches 4Economy + Management33 in 100119 launches 5Action Roguelike + Roguelite31 in 100136 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 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 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 100+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 100+ launches Reset

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.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Loads the 30+ launches view.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 44 in 100. 38 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Loads the 30+ launches view.

Hide one-hit markets6 out Hide small samples0 out

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

asynchronous-multiplayerNot in this view: under 100 launches at $10 to $20.

Arcade 10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 346 launches at $10 to $20typical $3,292. Best of the pins none

Pin another to compare.

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	18 in 100758 of 4,301	$8,234	$217,858	4,301
1	Cozy44 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches	44 in 10050 hits	$88,250	$726,119	113	Audience	Pin Cozy
2	Online Co-Op35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches	35 in 10050 hits	$34,532	$649,488	142	none	Pin Online Co-Op
3	Building31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 245 launches	31 in 10077 hits	$22,519	$466,495	245	none	Pin Building
4	Economy31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches	31 in 10050 hits	$32,655	$403,798	161	none	Pin Economy
5	Co-op31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches	31 in 10048 hits	$19,270	$774,181	157	none	Pin Co-op
6	Life Sim30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 233 launches	30 in 10071 hits	$28,398	$363,930	233	none	Pin Life Sim
7	Management30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 298 launches	30 in 10089 hits	$31,612	$366,715	298	none	Pin Management
8	Sandbox30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches	30 in 100107 hits	$22,688	$436,654	360	Audience	Pin Sandbox
9	Base Building30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 213 launches	30 in 10063 hits	$26,339	$460,726	213	none	Pin Base Building
10	Open World28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 270 launches	28 in 10075 hits	$19,479	$411,945	270	none	Pin Open World
11	Resource Management26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 152 launches	26 in 10040 hits	$23,362	$317,390	152	none	Pin Resource Management
12	City Builder26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches	26 in 10038 hits	$18,490	$359,391	145	none	Pin City Builder
13	Roguelite26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 381 launches	26 in 10098 hits	$18,216	$420,756	381	none	Pin Roguelite
14	Deckbuilding26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 168 launches	26 in 10043 hits	$18,545	$449,394	168	none	Pin Deckbuilding
15	Crafting25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 216 launches	25 in 10055 hits	$20,351	$294,097	216	none	Pin Crafting
16	Card Battler25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 148 launches	25 in 10037 hits	$17,887	$346,863	148	none	Pin Card Battler
17	Roguelike25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 410 launches	25 in 100102 hits	$16,055	$449,394	410	none	Pin Roguelike
18	Action Roguelike24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches	24 in 10059 hits	$13,214	$396,209	243	none	Pin Action Roguelike
19	Tower Defense23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches	23 in 10029 hits	$7,966	$427,167	124	none	Pin Tower Defense
20	FPS23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 219 launches	23 in 10051 hits	$8,437	$488,177	219	none	Pin FPS
21	Immersive Sim23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 312 launches	23 in 10071 hits	$14,472	$292,763	312	none	Pin Immersive Sim
22	Medieval23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches	23 in 10024 hits	$14,322	$344,301	106	none	Pin Medieval
23	Metroidvania22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 129 launches	22 in 10029 hits	$22,264	$313,975	129	1-hitAudience	Pin Metroidvania
24	Hack and Slash22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches	22 in 10039 hits	$14,890	$292,848	180	Audience	Pin Hack and Slash
25	Investigation21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches	21 in 10023 hits	$9,410	$261,863	107	none	Pin Investigation

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 75 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.