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.
Genres 3 Oct
Of 156 genres with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 77 beat the 18 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 219 under $5, 40 in 100 at $20 to $40.77 of 156 genres beat the 18 in 100 base rate.77 beat the base rate.
Typical launch, all prices, first year $540
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.
Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch
156 of 256 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. 67 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.
| 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 | Online Co-Op35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches | 35 in 10050 hits | $34,532 | $649,488 | 142 | none | Pin Online Co-Op | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Music34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches | 34 in 10012 hits | $32,017 | $573,348 | 35 | Small | Pin Music | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Inventory Management33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches | 33 in 10017 hits | $21,885 | $740,563 | 51 | none | Pin Inventory Management | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Lovecraftian32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches | 32 in 10013 hits | $22,478 | $261,863 | 41 | Small | Pin Lovecraftian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Economy31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches | 31 in 10050 hits | $32,655 | $403,798 | 161 | none | Pin Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 161 launches at $10 to $20. That is about 1.8 times the base rate. Base rate at $10 to $20: 18 in 100 (758 of 4,301 launches earned $100k+). Typical first year $32,655; the top 1 in 10 earned at least $403,798. Lens check, all pricesHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: holds. No warning markers: no single game holds half the money, the sample is 50+ launches and the West-facing view does not move the answer.
Grey: under 30 launches or 5 hits at that price, written as a count. Odds compare best within one price. Best tag pairs inside, at $10 to $20
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| 6 | Co-op31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 157 launches | 31 in 10048 hits | $19,270 | $774,181 | 157 | none | Pin Co-op | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Life Sim30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 233 launches | 30 in 10071 hits | $28,398 | $363,930 | 233 | none | Pin Life Sim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Management30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 298 launches | 30 in 10089 hits | $31,612 | $366,715 | 298 | none | Pin Management | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Driving29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches | 29 in 10025 hits | $14,174 | $345,792 | 87 | none | Pin Driving | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Dark Humor29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 70 launches | 29 in 10020 hits | $15,987 | $371,283 | 70 | none | Pin Dark Humor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Open World28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 270 launches | 28 in 10075 hits | $19,479 | $411,945 | 270 | none | Pin Open World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Trading28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches | 28 in 10015 hits | $33,643 | $386,359 | 54 | none | Pin Trading | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Mechs27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches | 27 in 1008 hits | $20,152 | $242,718 | 30 | Small | Pin Mechs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Roguelite26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 381 launches | 26 in 10098 hits | $18,216 | $420,756 | 381 | none | Pin Roguelite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Deckbuilding26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 168 launches | 26 in 10043 hits | $18,545 | $449,394 | 168 | none | Pin Deckbuilding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Crafting25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 216 launches | 25 in 10055 hits | $20,351 | $294,097 | 216 | none | Pin Crafting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | Colony Sim23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 77 launches | 23 in 10018 hits | $18,490 | $317,390 | 77 | none | Pin Colony Sim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | FPS23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 219 launches | 23 in 10051 hits | $8,437 | $488,177 | 219 | none | Pin FPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Wholesome23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches | 23 in 10014 hits | $37,600 | $168,317 | 61 | none | Pin Wholesome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Immersive Sim23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 312 launches | 23 in 10071 hits | $14,472 | $292,763 | 312 | none | Pin Immersive Sim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | Robots23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches | 23 in 1009 hits | $10,286 | $242,718 | 40 | Small | Pin Robots | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | Nature22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 81 launches | 22 in 10018 hits | $15,870 | $171,139 | 81 | none | Pin Nature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.