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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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on 30 Sep 2026

Niches / Base Building + Strategy

Niche

Base Building + Strategy

Games tagged both Base Building and Strategy: 308 indie paid launches, 60 of them earned $100k+ in their first year.

How to read this page

  • A hit is an estimated $100k+ first year. Revenue is estimated from Steam reviews, so read figures as "about".
  • Price moves the odds more than genre does, so the page opens on one price band. The keys in section 2 switch it.
  • From 29,637 indie paid launches 6 to 30 months old, data of 1 Oct 2026. How it is measured.

Showing Base Building + Strategy priced $10 to $20. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair is level with Base Building and beats Strategy; priced $10 to $20 it trails Base Building and beats Strategy.

1Scoreboard: the pair against each of its tags

The pair's chance of a $100k+ first year beside each of its two tags, ranked like a high-score table, with typical earnings and the launches behind every figure.

ScoreboardDoes this pair beat its genres?$10 to $20

Base Building + Strategy trails Base Building and beats Strategy: 26.7 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 29.4 in 100 for Base Building and 16.5 in 100 for Strategy.

That is about 1.4 times the 18.6 in 100 expected for any launch at this price.

1STWinner
29.4in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds29.4 in 100
Typical earnings$28,409
Launches231 / 68 hits
Pair trails by2.7 in 100
2NDRunner-up
This pairBase Building + Strategy
26.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds26.7 in 100
Typical earnings$25,779
Launches105 / 28 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
3RDThird
Tag twoStrategy
16.5in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds16.5 in 100
Typical earnings$9,226
Launches978 / 161 hits
Pair leads by10.2 in 100
All indie launches $10 to $20: 18.6 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $9,226, from 4,810 launches.each block is 2 in 100 all indie at $10 to $20

2Overlap: where the two tags meet

Each circle is one tag, sized by its launches, and the gold overlap is exactly this pair. Click a part to read it. Price changes the odds more than genre does (under $5: 0.5 in 100 launches earned $100k+; $20 to $40: 42.4 in 100), so read it within a price band.

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 105 games tagged both Base Building and Strategy priced $10 to $20. 26.7 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 31.7 for Base Building-only games and 15.2 for Strategy-only games, so the mix trails Base Building alone and beats Strategy alone.

Both: 105 games priced $10 to $20; 26.7 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $25,779.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 105 launches. The outer parts are each tag's launches minus the pair's, so their chance is exact; their typical earnings are not computed yet.

3Comparables

Who leads this pair and each of its tags. Free until launch: one click opens the card. The full comparables list (nearest hits by tag pair, price and launch year) is not computed yet, and the card says so.

Comparables

Leaders

Top earner, share of the moneyFree until launch

Manor Lordsleads this pair41.9%
PairManor Lords41.9%
Base BuildingSchedule I31.2%
StrategySlay the Spire 217.1%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: holds.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Base Building + Strategy

What this card holds

  • Leaders. The top earner in this pair and in each of its two tags, with its share of the money.
  • One-hit check. Whether a single game holds over half of the pair's money.
  • Nearest hits. Similar games that earned $100k+, matched by tag pair, price and launch year: not computed yet.

How the list will be picked

Same tag pairdata ready
Same price banddata ready
Launched within a year of each otherplanned
Earned $100k+planned
The list itselfnot computed yet

Free until launch: one click opens the card.

The leaders, in words

  • Manor Lords earned 41.9% of the estimated first-year money of the 308 Base Building + Strategy launches.
  • Base Building is led by Schedule I, with 31.2% of its money.
  • Strategy is led by Slay the Spire 2, with 17.1% of its money.
  • No game holds over half of this pair's money, so the pair is not a one-hit market.

Nearest hits (similar games that earned $100k+, matched by tag pair, price and launch year): not computed yet.

Filters do not apply here yet. Leaders and shares are for all prices and the Standard view; per price band and per lens they are not computed yet.

4Lens check: does the answer hold?

The same figures with three kinds of games set aside: those with a mostly Chinese audience, the single biggest earner, and everything older than 18 months.

Does the answer hold?

All prices

Base Building + Strategy holds in 3 of 3: every lens keeps the chance and typical earnings within a quarter of the standard figures.

Base Building + Strategy through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view293 of 308 launchesWithout the breakout307 of 308 launchesLast 18 months160 of 308 launches
Launches counted30860 hits29359 hits30759 hits16029 hits
Earned $100k+19.5 in 10020.1 in 10019.2 in 10018.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$3,683top tenth $481,425+$3,822$3,399$3,031
Chance against standardthe yardstick+3.1%0.6 more in 100-1.5%0.3 fewer in 100-7.2%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+3.8%$139 more-7.7%$284 less-17.7%$652 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Base Building and Strategy, 6 to 30 months old: 308 launches.

Launches counted
30860 hits
Earned $100k+
19.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,683top tenth $481,425+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 15 of 308 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
29359 hits
Earned $100k+
20.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,822
Chance against standard
+3.1%0.6 more in 100
Typical against standard
+3.8%$139 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Manor Lords (41.9% of the money): 307 launches left.

Launches counted
30759 hits
Earned $100k+
19.2 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,399
Chance against standard
-1.5%0.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-7.7%$284 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 160 of 308.

Launches counted
16029 hits
Earned $100k+
18.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,031
Chance against standard
-7.2%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-17.7%$652 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Base Building and Strategy, 6 to 30 months old: 308 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 15 of 308 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, Manor Lords (41.9% of the money): 307 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 160 of 308.

Base Building holds in 3 of 3: every lens keeps the chance and typical earnings within a quarter of the standard figures.

Base Building through every lens, all prices
Base BuildingBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view599 of 628 launchesWithout the breakout627 of 628 launchesLast 18 months326 of 628 launches
Launches counted628125 hits599120 hits627124 hits32667 hits
Earned $100k+19.9 in 10020.0 in 10019.8 in 10020.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$3,683top tenth $473,360+$3,683$3,683$4,209
Chance against standardthe yardstick+0.5%0.1 more in 100-0.5%0.1 fewer in 100+3.5%0.7 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change+14.3%$526 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Base Building, 6 to 30 months old: 628 launches.

Launches counted
628125 hits
Earned $100k+
19.9 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,683top tenth $473,360+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 29 of 628 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
599120 hits
Earned $100k+
20.0 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,683
Chance against standard
+0.5%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Schedule I (31.2% of the money): 627 launches left.

Launches counted
627124 hits
Earned $100k+
19.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,683
Chance against standard
-0.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 326 of 628.

Launches counted
32667 hits
Earned $100k+
20.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$4,209
Chance against standard
+3.5%0.7 more in 100
Typical against standard
+14.3%$526 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Base Building, 6 to 30 months old: 628 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 29 of 628 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, Schedule I (31.2% of the money): 627 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 326 of 628.

Strategy holds in 3 of 3: every lens keeps the chance and typical earnings within a quarter of the standard figures.

Strategy through every lens, all prices
StrategyBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view4,988 of 5,391 launchesWithout the breakout5,390 of 5,391 launchesLast 18 months3,128 of 5,391 launches
Launches counted5,391337 hits4,988308 hits5,390336 hits3,128178 hits
Earned $100k+6.3 in 1001 in 166.2 in 1001 in 166.2 in 1001 in 165.7 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings$505top tenth $44,532+$545$505$505
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.6%0.1 fewer in 100-1.6%0.1 fewer in 100-9.5%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+7.9%$40 more0.0%no change0.0%no change
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Strategy, 6 to 30 months old: 5,391 launches.

Launches counted
5,391337 hits
Earned $100k+
6.3 in 1001 in 16
Typical first-year earnings
$505top tenth $44,532+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 403 of 5,391 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
4,988308 hits
Earned $100k+
6.2 in 1001 in 16
Typical first-year earnings
$545
Chance against standard
-1.6%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
+7.9%$40 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Slay the Spire 2 (17.1% of the money): 5,390 launches left.

Launches counted
5,390336 hits
Earned $100k+
6.2 in 1001 in 16
Typical first-year earnings
$505
Chance against standard
-1.6%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 3,128 of 5,391.

Launches counted
3,128178 hits
Earned $100k+
5.7 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings
$505
Chance against standard
-9.5%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Strategy, 6 to 30 months old: 5,391 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 403 of 5,391 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, Slay the Spire 2 (17.1% of the money): 5,390 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 3,128 of 5,391.

A lens holds when chance and typical earnings both stay within 25% of standard. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this table is for all prices.

5Premium early list

Alerts when Base Building + Strategy moves, comparables the day they land, and every lens for every pair and price. Free until launch.

Free until launch

Keep gold access after launch: alerts, comparables, every lens.

Releases

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