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on 4 Oct 2026

Niches / Building + Simulation

Niche

Building + Simulation

Games tagged both Building and Simulation: 378 indie paid launches, 92 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". 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.
  • Price moves the odds more than genre does, so the page opens on one price band. The keys in section 2 switch it.
  • From 26,291 indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, data of 3 Oct 2026. How it is measured.

Showing Building + Simulation priced $10 to $20, last 18 months, hiding samples under 100 launches. Lens figures exist at all prices only, so inside a price band the page shows the standard figures.

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

Building + Simulation beats both its tags: 37.7 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 34.7 in 100 for Building and 23.8 in 100 for Simulation.

That is about 1.8 times the 20.4 in 100 expected for any launch at this price. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this band uses the standard figures.

2NDRunner-up
Tag oneBuilding
34.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds34.7 in 100
Typical earnings$30,025
Launches245 / 85 hits
Pair leads by3.0 in 100
1STWinner
This pairBuilding + Simulation
37.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds37.7 in 100
Typical earnings$35,458
Launches122 / 46 hits
Expected20.4 in 100
3RDThird
Tag twoSimulation
23.8in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds23.8 in 100
Typical earnings$15,416
Launches874 / 208 hits
Pair leads by13.9 in 100
All indie launches $10 to $20: 20.4 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $10,978, from 4,304 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: 0.4 in 100 launches earned $100k+; $20 to $40: 44.2 in 100), so read it within a price band.

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 122 games tagged both Building and Simulation priced $10 to $20. 37.7 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 31.7 in 100 for Building-only games and 21.5 in 100 for Simulation-only games, so games with both tags did better than games with either tag alone.

Both: 122 games priced $10 to $20; 37.7 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $35,458.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 122 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. The last 18 months lens is not computed for the outer parts, so this diagram uses the standard figures.

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 pair29.6%
PairManor Lords29.6%
BuildingEnshrouded16.9%
SimulationSchedule I17.9%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkChanged recently +1. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: moves the answer. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Building + Simulation

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 29.6% of the estimated first-year money of the 378 Building + Simulation launches.
  • Building is led by Enshrouded, with 16.9% of its money.
  • Simulation is led by Schedule I, with 17.9% 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: games mostly reviewed in Chinese, the single biggest earner, and everything older than 18 months.

Does the answer hold?

All prices

Building + Simulation is changed recently +1: Last 18 months moves the answer more than chance alone would, and 1 more lens too. It holds in Without the breakout.

Building + Simulation through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view367 of 378 launchesWithout the breakout377 of 378 launchesLast 18 months110 of 378 launches
Launches counted37892 hits36792 hits37791 hits11027 hits
Earned $100k+24.3 in 10025.1 in 10024.1 in 10024.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$5,786top tenth $544,566+$6,587$5,688$10,414
Chance against standardthe base+3.0%0.7 more in 100-0.8%0.2 fewer in 100+0.8%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standardthe base+13.8%$801 more-1.7%$98 less+80.0%$4,628 more
Does it hold?The base viewMoves the answerHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Building and Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 378 launches.

Launches counted
37892 hits
Earned $100k+
24.3 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$5,786top tenth $544,566+
Chance against standard
the base
Typical against standard
the base
West-facing viewMoves the answer

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 11 of 378 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
36792 hits
Earned $100k+
25.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$6,587
Chance against standard
+3.0%0.7 more in 100
Typical against standard
+13.8%$801 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Manor Lords (29.6% of the money): 377 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
37791 hits
Earned $100k+
24.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$5,688
Chance against standard
-0.8%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-1.7%$98 less
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 110 of 378.

Launches counted
11027 hits
Earned $100k+
24.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$10,414
Chance against standard
+0.8%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standard
+80.0%$4,628 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Building and Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 378 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 11 of 378 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 (29.6% of the money): 377 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 110 of 378.

Building is changed recently: Last 18 months moves the answer more than chance alone would. It holds in West-facing view and Without the breakout.

Building through every lens, all prices
BuildingBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view819 of 846 launchesWithout the breakout845 of 846 launchesLast 18 months242 of 846 launches
Launches counted846169 hits819165 hits845168 hits24253 hits
Earned $100k+20.0 in 10020.1 in 10019.9 in 10021.9 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$2,528top tenth $406,840+$2,704$2,528$5,056
Chance against standardthe base+0.9%0.2 more in 100-0.5%0.1 fewer in 100+9.6%1.9 more in 100
Typical against standardthe base+7.0%$176 more0.0%no change+100.0%$2,528 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Building, 12 to 36 months old: 846 launches.

Launches counted
846169 hits
Earned $100k+
20.0 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,528top tenth $406,840+
Chance against standard
the base
Typical against standard
the base
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 27 of 846 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
819165 hits
Earned $100k+
20.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,704
Chance against standard
+0.9%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standard
+7.0%$176 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Enshrouded (16.9% of the money): 845 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
845168 hits
Earned $100k+
19.9 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,528
Chance against standard
-0.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 242 of 846.

Launches counted
24253 hits
Earned $100k+
21.9 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$5,056
Chance against standard
+9.6%1.9 more in 100
Typical against standard
+100.0%$2,528 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Building, 12 to 36 months old: 846 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 27 of 846 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, Enshrouded (16.9% of the money): 845 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 242 of 846.

Simulation holds in West-facing view, Without the breakout and Last 18 months. No lens moves the chance or typical earnings more than chance alone would.

Simulation through every lens, all prices
SimulationBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view4,191 of 4,442 launchesWithout the breakout4,441 of 4,442 launchesLast 18 months1,386 of 4,442 launches
Launches counted4,442408 hits4,191389 hits4,441407 hits1,386133 hits
Earned $100k+9.2 in 1001 in 119.3 in 1001 in 119.2 in 1001 in 119.6 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings$929top tenth $86,074+$1,011$928$1,011
Chance against standardthe base+1.1%0.1 more in 100-0.2%no change+4.5%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standardthe base+8.8%$82 more-0.1%$1 less+8.8%$82 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 4,442 launches.

Launches counted
4,442408 hits
Earned $100k+
9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$929top tenth $86,074+
Chance against standard
the base
Typical against standard
the base
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 251 of 4,442 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
4,191389 hits
Earned $100k+
9.3 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,011
Chance against standard
+1.1%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
+8.8%$82 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Schedule I (17.9% of the money): 4,441 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
4,441407 hits
Earned $100k+
9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$928
Chance against standard
-0.2%no change
Typical against standard
-0.1%$1 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,386 of 4,442.

Launches counted
1,386133 hits
Earned $100k+
9.6 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings
$1,011
Chance against standard
+4.5%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard
+8.8%$82 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 4,442 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 251 of 4,442 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 (17.9% of the money): 4,441 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,386 of 4,442.

A lens moves the chance only when it differs from standard by more than a random cut of the same size would, with 5+ hits on both sides; typical earnings are compared from 100 launches, within 25%. Without the breakout moves the answer when one game earned over half the money. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this table is for all prices.

5Premium early list

Alerts when Building + Simulation 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.