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on 30 Sep 2026

Niches / Difficult + Roguelite

Niche

Difficult + Roguelite

Games tagged both Difficult and Roguelite: 137 indie paid launches, 14 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 Difficult + Roguelite priced $10 to $20, last 18 months, hiding samples under 30 launches. Lens figures exist at all prices only, so inside a price band the page shows the standard figures. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair beats both its tags; priced $10 to $20 it trails both its tags.

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

Difficult + Roguelite trails both its tags: 16.7 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 22.5 in 100 for Difficult and 24.1 in 100 for Roguelite.

That is about 0.9 times the 18.6 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 onemood tagDifficult
22.5in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds22.5 in 100
Typical earnings$19,202
Launches213 / 48 hits
Pair trails by5.8 in 100
3RDThird
This pairDifficult + Roguelite
16.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds16.7 in 100
Typical earnings$14,570
Launches48 / 8 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
1STWinner
Tag twoRoguelite
24.1in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds24.1 in 100
Typical earnings$18,456
Launches448 / 108 hits
Pair trails by7.4 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 $20Difficult is a mood tag: GMD never ranks it alone, but every game carrying it is counted.

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.

Price bandswitches the whole page
What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 48 games tagged both Difficult and Roguelite priced $10 to $20. 16.7 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 24.2 for Difficult-only games and 25.0 for Roguelite-only games, so games with both tags did worse than games with either tag alone.

Both: 48 games priced $10 to $20; 16.7 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $14,570.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 48 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

9 Kingsleads this pair37.4%
Pair9 Kings37.4%
DifficultHollow Knight: Silksong57.2%
RogueliteHades II20.9%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Difficult + Roguelite

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

  • 9 Kings earned 37.4% of the estimated first-year money of the 137 Difficult + Roguelite launches.
  • Difficult is led by Hollow Knight: Silksong, with 57.2% of its money.
  • Roguelite is led by Hades II, with 20.9% 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: those with a mostly Chinese audience, the single biggest earner, and everything older than 18 months.

Does the answer hold?

All prices

Difficult + Roguelite is changed recently: Last 18 months moves the answer by more than a quarter. It holds in 2 of 3.

Difficult + Roguelite through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view136 of 137 launchesWithout the breakout136 of 137 launchesLast 18 months78 of 137 launches
Launches counted13714 hits13614 hits13613 hits7810 hits
Earned $100k+10.2 in 10010.3 in 1009.6 in 1001 in 1012.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$2,914top tenth $117,939+$2,914$2,914$3,581
Chance against standardthe yardstick+1.0%0.1 more in 100-5.9%0.6 fewer in 100+25.5%2.6 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change+22.9%$667 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Difficult and Roguelite, 6 to 30 months old: 137 launches.

Launches counted
13714 hits
Earned $100k+
10.2 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,914top tenth $117,939+
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: 1 of 137 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
13614 hits
Earned $100k+
10.3 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,914
Chance against standard
+1.0%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, 9 Kings (37.4% of the money): 136 launches left.

Launches counted
13613 hits
Earned $100k+
9.6 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings
$2,914
Chance against standard
-5.9%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 78 of 137.

Launches counted
7810 hits
Earned $100k+
12.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,581
Chance against standard
+25.5%2.6 more in 100
Typical against standard
+22.9%$667 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Difficult and Roguelite, 6 to 30 months old: 137 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: 1 of 137 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, 9 Kings (37.4% of the money): 136 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 78 of 137.

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

Difficult through every lens, all prices
DifficultBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,038 of 1,051 launchesWithout the breakout1,050 of 1,051 launchesLast 18 months541 of 1,051 launches
Launches counted1,05171 hits1,03870 hits1,05070 hits54132 hits
Earned $100k+6.8 in 1001 in 156.7 in 1001 in 156.7 in 1001 in 155.9 in 1001 in 17
Typical first-year earnings$1,133top tenth $56,182+$1,150$1,133$971
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100-13.2%0.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+1.5%$17 more0.0%no change-14.3%$162 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Difficult, 6 to 30 months old: 1,051 launches.

Launches counted
1,05171 hits
Earned $100k+
6.8 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133top tenth $56,182+
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: 13 of 1,051 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,03870 hits
Earned $100k+
6.7 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,150
Chance against standard
-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
+1.5%$17 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Hollow Knight: Silksong (57.2% of the money): 1,050 launches left.

Launches counted
1,05070 hits
Earned $100k+
6.7 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133
Chance against standard
-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 541 of 1,051.

Launches counted
54132 hits
Earned $100k+
5.9 in 1001 in 17
Typical first-year earnings
$971
Chance against standard
-13.2%0.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-14.3%$162 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Difficult, 6 to 30 months old: 1,051 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: 13 of 1,051 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, Hollow Knight: Silksong (57.2% of the money): 1,050 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 541 of 1,051.

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

Roguelite through every lens, all prices
RogueliteBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view2,237 of 2,395 launchesWithout the breakout2,394 of 2,395 launchesLast 18 months1,402 of 2,395 launches
Launches counted2,395182 hits2,237171 hits2,394181 hits1,40299 hits
Earned $100k+7.6 in 1001 in 137.6 in 1001 in 137.6 in 1001 in 137.1 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings$1,131top tenth $64,967+$1,213$1,131$909
Chance against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change-6.6%0.5 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+7.3%$82 more0.0%no change-19.6%$222 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Roguelite, 6 to 30 months old: 2,395 launches.

Launches counted
2,395182 hits
Earned $100k+
7.6 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,131top tenth $64,967+
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: 158 of 2,395 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
2,237171 hits
Earned $100k+
7.6 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,213
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
+7.3%$82 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Hades II (20.9% of the money): 2,394 launches left.

Launches counted
2,394181 hits
Earned $100k+
7.6 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,131
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,402 of 2,395.

Launches counted
1,40299 hits
Earned $100k+
7.1 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$909
Chance against standard
-6.6%0.5 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-19.6%$222 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Roguelite, 6 to 30 months old: 2,395 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: 158 of 2,395 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, Hades II (20.9% of the money): 2,394 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,402 of 2,395.

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 Difficult + Roguelite 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.