Genres

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

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191,514
on 30 Sep 2026

Genres 1 Oct

Of 166 genres with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 89 beat the 19 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.89 of 166 genres beat the 19 in 100 base rate.89 beat the base rate.

Cohort median $606

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 6 to 30 months old, data 1 Oct 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. The revenue estimate is soft: about 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

The genre list

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: FMV, 47 in 100. 166 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: FMV, 47 in 100. 125 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: FMV, $81,191 typical. 166 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Crime, $1.5M top 1 in 10. 129 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 45 in 100. 45 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Simulation, 1,006 launches. 166 match.
Hide one-hit markets21 outHide small samples37 out

166 of 266 genres have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Base Building 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 231 launches at $10 to $20typical $28,409. Best of the pins none
Class-Based 19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches at $10 to $20typical $6,050 Small
Pin another to compare.
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 19 in 100893 of 4,810 $9,226$248,075 4,810
1 47 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches 47 in 10024 hits $81,191 $304,089 51 Audience Pin FMV
2 45 in 100 earned $100k+, from 131 launches 45 in 10059 hits $62,342 $971,575 131 none Pin Cozy
3 37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 37 in 10014 hits $40,062 $691,394 38 Small Pin Music
4 Shop Keeper36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches 36 in 10023 hits $36,662 $862,682 64 none Pin Shop Keeper

36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches at $10 to $20. That is about 1.9 times the base rate.

Base rate at $10 to $20: 19 in 100 (893 of 4,810 launches earned $100k+).

Typical first year $36,662; the top 1 in 10 earned at least $862,682.

Lens check, all pricesHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the yardstick. 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 audience split is small.

Chance of $100k+ at every price (Standard lens)
PriceChanceLaunchesTypical
All prices15 in 100184$3,683
Under $50 in 10062$424
$5 to $101 in 2754$2,265
$10 to $2036 in 10064$36,662
$20 to $40too fewunder 10

Grey: under 30 launches at that price, written as a count. Odds compare best within one price.

Best tag pairs inside, at $10 to $20

Open genre pageCheck this idea
5 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 62 launches 35 in 10022 hits $47,961 $819,275 62 none Pin Open World Survival Craft
6 35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 177 launches 35 in 10062 hits $38,456 $901,536 177 none Pin Online Co-Op
7 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 198 launches 34 in 10067 hits $27,523 $901,536 198 none Pin Co-op
8 33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 52 launches 33 in 10017 hits $26,042 $281,334 52 Audience Pin Lovecraftian
9 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 258 launches 32 in 10083 hits $26,551 $565,502 258 none Pin Building
10 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 85 launches 32 in 10027 hits $31,406 $1,021,709 85 1-hit Pin Automation
11 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 267 launches 31 in 10084 hits $31,406 $395,032 267 none Pin Life Sim
12 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 55 launches 31 in 10017 hits $42,987 $267,122 55 none Pin Wholesome
13 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 388 launches 31 in 100119 hits $26,551 $520,165 388 none Pin Sandbox
14 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches 30 in 10025 hits $13,923 $515,310 83 none Pin Dark Humor
15 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 70 launches 30 in 10021 hits $24,284 $766,093 70 none Pin Inventory Management
16 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches 30 in 10017 hits $13,762 $1,455,227 57 1-hit Pin Crime
17 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 360 launches 30 in 100107 hits $26,717 $409,789 360 none Pin Management
18 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 231 launches 29 in 10068 hits $28,409 $663,058 231 none Pinned Base Building
19 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 231 launches 29 in 10068 hits $24,288 $522,189 231 none Pin Crafting
20 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 29 in 10011 hits $27,922 $253,808 38 Small Pin Noir
21 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches 29 in 10028 hits $17,851 $367,151 97 Audience Pin Cinematic
22 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches 29 in 10012 hits $22,417 $863,593 42 Small Pin Boomer Shooter
23 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches 28 in 10011 hits $12,954 $514,093 40 Small Pin Vehicular Combat
24 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 91 launches 27 in 10025 hits $22,359 $294,876 91 none Pin Capitalism
25 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 201 launches 27 in 10055 hits $27,623 $402,463 201 none Pin Economy
26 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches 27 in 10012 hits $18,458 $560,240 44 Small Pin Psychedelic
27 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 33 launches 27 in 1009 hits $18,676 $262,309 33 Small Pin Dark Comedy
28 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 268 launches 27 in 10072 hits $16,088 $485,586 268 none Pin Action Roguelike
29 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 45 launches 27 in 10012 hits $11,739 $452,968 45 Small Pin Spectacle fighter
30 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 304 launches 27 in 10081 hits $20,964 $510,045 304 none Pin Open World
31 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches 27 in 10022 hits $24,693 $271,766 83 none Pin Creature Collector
32 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 102 launches 26 in 10027 hits $12,549 $411,669 102 none Pin Driving
33 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 187 launches 26 in 10049 hits $23,677 $358,651 187 none Pin Resource Management
34 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches 26 in 10032 hits $33,382 $558,583 124 1-hit Pin Roguelike Deckbuilder
35 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches 25 in 10031 hits $9,310 $291,418 124 none Pin Investigation
36 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches 25 in 10011 hits $7,892 $551,242 44 Small Pin Twin Stick Shooter
37 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 126 launches 25 in 10031 hits $18,150 $363,650 126 none Pin Medieval
38 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 151 launches 25 in 10037 hits $23,478 $292,264 151 1-hit Pin Metroidvania
39 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 86 launches 24 in 10021 hits $21,570 $462,606 86 none Pin Cooking
40 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 24 in 1009 hits $16,996 $802,473 37 SmallAudience Pin Looter Shooter
41 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 24 in 1009 hits $34,003 $415,253 37 SmallAudience Pin Martial Arts
42 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 359 launches 24 in 10087 hits $18,621 $332,634 359 none Pin Immersive Sim
43 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 141 launches 24 in 10034 hits $10,665 $248,075 141 none Pin Detective
44 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 448 launches 24 in 100108 hits $18,456 $485,586 448 none Pin Roguelite
45 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 226 launches 24 in 10054 hits $18,938 $358,651 226 none Pin Survival
46 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 143 launches 24 in 10034 hits $7,628 $430,966 143 none Pin Tower Defense
47 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 480 launches 24 in 100113 hits $18,676 $415,727 480 none Pin Roguelike
48 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 238 launches 24 in 10056 hits $11,231 $636,746 238 none Pin FPS
49 23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches 23 in 10010 hits $7,628 $416,920 43 1-hitSmall Pin Cats
50 23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 99 launches 23 in 10023 hits $19,025 $369,985 99 Audience Pin Farming Sim
Show 25 moreShowing 50 of 166 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 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.