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 156 genres with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 83 beat the 20 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 238 under $5, 44 in 100 at $20 to $40.83 of 156 genres beat the 20 in 100 base rate.83 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.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 markets20 outHide small samples38 out

156 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

parodyNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.
hackingNot in this view: under 30 launches at $10 to $20.
typingNot in this view: under 30 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 57 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 57 in 10021 hits under 100 under 100 37 1-hitSmall Pin Shop Keeper
2 51 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches 51 in 10057 hits $117,666 $968,158 112 Audience Pin Cozy
3 48 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches 48 in 10019 hits under 100 under 100 40 SmallAudience Pin FMV
4 44 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches 44 in 10025 hits under 100 under 100 57 Audience Pin Cooking
5 39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches 39 in 10056 hits $46,042 $865,984 142 none Pin Online Co-Op
6 39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches 39 in 10032 hits under 100 under 100 83 1-hit Pin Automation
7 37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches 37 in 10013 hits under 100 under 100 35 Small Pin Music
8 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches 35 in 10018 hits under 100 under 100 51 none Pin Inventory Management
9 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches 35 in 10033 hits under 100 under 100 94 none Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
10 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 245 launches 35 in 10085 hits $30,025 $621,994 245 none Pin Building
11 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches 34 in 10054 hits $25,693 $1,032,241 157 none Pin Co-op
12 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 232 launches 34 in 10079 hits $37,945 $485,241 232 none Pin Life Sim
13 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches 34 in 100100 hits $41,499 $488,953 297 none Pin Management
14 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches 34 in 10054 hits $43,540 $538,397 161 none Pin Economy
15 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 213 launches 33 in 10071 hits $35,118 $614,301 213 none Pin Base Building
16 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches 33 in 10029 hits under 100 under 100 87 Audience Pin Cinematic
17 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches 33 in 100118 hits $30,251 $582,205 360 none Pin Sandbox
18 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 152 launches 32 in 10049 hits $31,149 $423,187 152 none Pin Resource Management
19 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches 32 in 10013 hits under 100 under 100 41 Small Pin Lovecraftian
20 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches 31 in 10027 hits under 100 under 100 87 none Pin Driving
21 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches 31 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 39 Small Pin Boomer Shooter
22 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches 31 in 10038 hits $10,626 $569,556 124 none Pin Tower Defense
23 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 59 launches 31 in 10018 hits under 100 under 100 59 1-hit Pin Open World Survival Craft
24 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 70 launches 30 in 10021 hits under 100 under 100 70 none Pin Dark Humor
25 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 60 launches 30 in 10018 hits under 100 under 100 60 none Pin Wholesome
26 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches 30 in 1009 hits under 100 under 100 30 Small Pin Mechs
27 Crime30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches 30 in 10014 hits under 100 under 100 47 1-hitSmallAudience Pin Crime

30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches at $10 to $20. That is about 1.5 times the base rate.

Base rate at $10 to $20: 20 in 100 (878 of 4,304 launches earned $100k+).

Odds by size: $1k+ 89 in 100 · $10k+ 57 in 100 · $100k+ 30 in 100. Under 100 launches, so no typical figure.

Lens check, all pricesOne-hit market +1. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: moves the answer. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

  • 1-hitSchedule I holds 72% of all the money here (all prices). Read the typical figure, not the total.
  • SmallOnly 47 launches at $10 to $20: one or two games swing the odds.
  • AudienceAudience split: this genre reads differently for Western players: the chance moves from 15 in 100 to 14 in 100 in the West-facing view (games mostly reviewed outside China). Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; for smaller games it is guessed from the name.
Chance of $100k+ at every price (Standard lens)
PriceChanceLaunchesTypical
All prices15 in 100205$1,518
Under $50 of 75 launches75under 100
$5 to $1012 in 10068under 100
$10 to $2030 in 10047under 100
$20 to $409 of 15 launches15under 100

Grey: under 30 launches or 5 hits at that price, written as a count. Typical needs 100 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Best tag pairs inside, at $10 to $20

No pair inside has 30+ launches and a hit in this view.

Open genre pageCheck this idea
28 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 74 launches 30 in 10022 hits under 100 under 100 74 1-hit Pin Capitalism
29 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches 30 in 10043 hits $24,654 $479,187 145 Audience Pin City Builder
30 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 270 launches 30 in 10080 hits $25,972 $549,260 270 none Pin Open World
31 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 381 launches 29 in 100112 hits $24,288 $561,008 381 none Pin Roguelite
32 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 79 launches 29 in 10023 hits under 100 under 100 79 1-hit Pin Creature Collector
33 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 55 launches 29 in 10016 hits under 100 under 100 55 1-hit Pin Stealth
34 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 29 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 38 1-hitSmall Pin Martial Arts
35 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 168 launches 29 in 10048 hits $24,727 $599,192 168 none Pin Deckbuilding
36 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 216 launches 28 in 10061 hits $27,134 $392,129 216 none Pin Crafting
37 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches 28 in 1009 hits under 100 under 100 32 1-hitSmall Pin Dark Comedy
38 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 28 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 43 1-hitSmall Pin Mythology
39 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches 28 in 10015 hits under 100 under 100 54 none Pin Trading
40 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 410 launches 28 in 100113 hits $21,406 $599,192 410 none Pin Roguelike
41 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches 28 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 40 Small Pin Spectacle fighter
42 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches 28 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 40 Small Pin Twin Stick Shooter
43 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 88 launches 27 in 10024 hits under 100 under 100 88 none Pin Farming Sim
44 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 77 launches 27 in 10021 hits under 100 under 100 77 none Pin Colony Sim
45 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 129 launches 27 in 10035 hits $29,685 $418,633 129 1-hitAudience Pin Metroidvania
46 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 244 launches 27 in 10066 hits $17,627 $528,278 244 none Pin Action Roguelike
47 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 147 launches 27 in 10039 hits $23,752 $459,301 147 none Pin Card Battler
48 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 205 launches 26 in 10054 hits $21,183 $422,417 205 none Pin Psychological Horror
49 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 107 launches 26 in 10028 hits $19,088 $459,068 107 none Pin Medieval
50 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 312 launches 26 in 10080 hits $19,296 $390,351 312 none Pin Immersive Sim
Show 25 moreShowing 50 of 156 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.