Genres

Ticker: price and year-over-year change for 40 genres. Price is the median estimated first-year revenue of indie paid launches. The change shows for genres with 100+ launches. The same figures are on the Genres page.

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192,217
on 3 Oct 2026

Genres 3 Oct

Of 76 genres with 100+ launches at $10 to $20, 40 beat the 20 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 238 under $5, 44 in 100 at $20 to $40.40 of 76 genres beat the 20 in 100 base rate.40 beat the base rate.

Typical launch, all prices, first year $552

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.

The genre list

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, 51 in 100. 40 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Loads the 30+ launches view.
Hide one-hit markets5 outHide small samples0 out

76 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.
programmingNot in this view: under 100 launches at $10 to $20.
automationNot in this view: under 100 launches at $10 to $20.
Genres at $10 to $20, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#GenreChance of $100k+Typical yearTop 1 in 10LaunchesMarkersPin
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 51 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches 51 in 10057 hits $117,666 $968,158 112 Audience Pin Cozy
2 39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches 39 in 10056 hits $46,042 $865,984 142 none Pin Online Co-Op
3 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 245 launches 35 in 10085 hits $30,025 $621,994 245 none Pin Building
4 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches 34 in 10054 hits $25,693 $1,032,241 157 none Pin Co-op
5 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 232 launches 34 in 10079 hits $37,945 $485,241 232 none Pin Life Sim
6 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches 34 in 100100 hits $41,499 $488,953 297 none Pin Management
7 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches 34 in 10054 hits $43,540 $538,397 161 none Pin Economy
8 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 213 launches 33 in 10071 hits $35,118 $614,301 213 none Pin Base Building
9 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches 33 in 100118 hits $30,251 $582,205 360 none Pin Sandbox
10 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 152 launches 32 in 10049 hits $31,149 $423,187 152 none Pin Resource Management
11 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches 31 in 10038 hits $10,626 $569,556 124 none Pin Tower Defense
12 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches 30 in 10043 hits $24,654 $479,187 145 Audience Pin City Builder
13 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 270 launches 30 in 10080 hits $25,972 $549,260 270 none Pin Open World
14 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 381 launches 29 in 100112 hits $24,288 $561,008 381 none Pin Roguelite
15 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 168 launches 29 in 10048 hits $24,727 $599,192 168 none Pin Deckbuilding
16 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 216 launches 28 in 10061 hits $27,134 $392,129 216 none Pin Crafting
17 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 410 launches 28 in 100113 hits $21,406 $599,192 410 none Pin Roguelike
18 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 129 launches 27 in 10035 hits $29,685 $418,633 129 1-hitAudience Pin Metroidvania
19 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 244 launches 27 in 10066 hits $17,627 $528,278 244 none Pin Action Roguelike
20 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 147 launches 27 in 10039 hits $23,752 $459,301 147 none Pin Card Battler
21 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches 26 in 10054 hits $21,183 $422,417 205 none Pin Psychological Horror
22 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches 26 in 10028 hits $19,088 $459,068 107 none Pin Medieval
23 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 312 launches 26 in 10080 hits $19,296 $390,351 312 none Pin Immersive Sim
24 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 182 launches 25 in 10046 hits $19,586 $303,158 182 Audience Pin Hack and Slash
25 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches 25 in 10027 hits $12,547 $349,150 107 none Pin Investigation
26 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 220 launches 25 in 10055 hits $11,290 $650,903 220 none Pin FPS
27 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 191 launches 25 in 10047 hits $17,568 $343,571 191 none Pin Character Customization
28 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 206 launches 24 in 10050 hits $24,935 $322,489 206 none Pin Survival
29 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 874 launches 24 in 100208 hits $15,416 $381,863 874 none Pin Simulation
30 23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches 23 in 10026 hits $25,693 $327,565 113 none Pin Tactical
31 23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches 23 in 10033 hits $15,615 $335,771 145 1-hit Pin Dark Fantasy
32 23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches 23 in 10024 hits $12,860 $275,639 106 Audience Pin Detective
33 22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 345 launches 22 in 10076 hits $12,981 $309,518 345 none Pin Horror
34 22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 281 launches 22 in 10061 hits $10,294 $303,158 281 none Pin Action RPG
35 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches 21 in 10023 hits $10,036 $252,312 107 none Pin Space
36 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches 21 in 10044 hits $16,387 $338,755 205 none Pin Dungeon Crawler
37 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 363 launches 21 in 10077 hits $9,621 $330,193 363 none Pin Shooter
38 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches 21 in 10042 hits $18,010 $360,680 201 none Pin Card Game
39 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 111 launches 21 in 10023 hits $14,115 $264,556 111 none Pin RTS
40 21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches 21 in 10023 hits $14,458 $258,277 112 none Pin Post-apocalyptic
41 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 789 launches 20 in 100160 hits $11,268 $303,279 789 none Pin RPG
42 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 144 launches 20 in 10029 hits $9,514 $305,184 144 Audience Pin Time Management
43 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 185 launches 20 in 10037 hits $11,496 $293,138 185 none Pin Turn-Based Combat
44 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 126 launches 20 in 10025 hits $10,479 $465,124 126 Audience Pin Bullet Hell
45 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches 20 in 10022 hits $5,960 $256,760 112 none Pin Racing
46 20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 276 launches 20 in 10054 hits $11,113 $270,265 276 none Pin Turn-Based Strategy
47 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 103 launches 19 in 10020 hits $4,056 $497,270 103 none Pin Third-Person Shooter
48 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 186 launches 19 in 10036 hits $8,738 $287,297 186 Audience Pin Dating Sim
49 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 845 launches 19 in 100159 hits $10,037 $243,656 845 none Pin Strategy
50 18 in 100 earned $100k+, from 117 launches 18 in 10021 hits $14,458 $198,970 117 none Pin Survival Horror
51 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 109 launches 17 in 10019 hits $11,661 $210,321 109 none Pin 1990's
52 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 132 launches 17 in 10023 hits $11,091 $180,714 132 none Pin Strategy RPG
53 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 115 launches 17 in 10020 hits $4,905 $193,413 115 none Pin Real Time Tactics
54 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches 17 in 10054 hits $10,197 $318,870 311 1-hitAudience Pin Platformer
55 17 in 100 earned $100k+, from 243 launches 17 in 10042 hits $8,519 $178,090 243 none Pin Turn-Based Tactics
56 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 547 launches 16 in 10089 hits $7,909 $192,839 547 none Pin Action-Adventure
57 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 100 launches 16 in 10016 hits $11,661 $148,757 100 none Pin LGBTQ+
58 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 113 launches 16 in 10018 hits $8,758 $205,980 113 1-hit Pin Collectathon
59 16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 311 launches 16 in 10049 hits $8,758 $239,522 311 none Pin 2D Platformer
60 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 230 launches 15 in 10035 hits $10,240 $220,268 230 Audience Pin Interactive Fiction
61 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches 15 in 10016 hits $7,510 $252,312 106 Audience Pin Shoot 'Em Up
62 15 in 100 earned $100k+, from 434 launches 15 in 10064 hits $9,963 $199,513 434 Audience Pin Visual Novel
63 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 684 launches 14 in 10098 hits $5,070 $173,428 684 none Pin Puzzle
64 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 249 launches 14 in 10035 hits $4,508 $190,045 249 none Pin Point & Click
65 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 118 launches 14 in 10016 hits $11,496 $137,764 118 none Pin Tactical RPG
66 14 in 100 earned $100k+, from 170 launches 14 in 10023 hits $9,464 $158,883 170 none Pin Romance
67 13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 242 launches 13 in 10032 hits $6,023 $193,413 242 Audience Pin Choose Your Own Adventure
68 13 in 100 earned $100k+, from 171 launches 13 in 10022 hits $5,365 $125,051 171 1-hit Pin JRPG
69 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 12 in 10015 hits $5,689 $132,616 127 none Pin Magic
70 12 in 100 earned $100k+, from 346 launches 12 in 10040 hits $4,391 $134,893 346 none Pin Arcade
71 10 in 100 earned $100k+, from 180 launches 10 in 10018 hits $3,562 $113,352 180 none Pin 3D Platformer
72 1 in 10 earned $100k+, from 152 launches 1 in 1015 hits $5,860 $96,739 152 none Pin Sports
73 1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 127 launches 1 in 1112 hits $7,868 $96,195 127 none Pin Party-Based RPG
74 1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 172 launches 1 in 1412 hits $2,044 $55,036 172 none Pin Hidden Object
75 1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 131 launches 1 in 159 hits $5,769 $68,186 131 Audience Pin Puzzle Platformer
Show 1 moreShowing 75 of 76 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.

Releases

Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.