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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 / Emotional + Exploration

Niche

Emotional + Exploration

Games tagged both Emotional and Exploration: 112 indie paid launches, 12 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 Emotional + Exploration priced $10 to $20.

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

Emotional + Exploration beats both its tags: 25.8 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 19.5 in 100 for Emotional and 20.1 in 100 for Exploration.

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

3RDThird
Tag onemood tagEmotional
19.5in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds19.5 in 100
Typical earnings$8,499
Launches128 / 25 hits
Pair leads by6.3 in 100
1STWinner
This pairEmotional + Exploration
25.8in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds25.8 in 100
Typical earnings$13,763
Launches31 / 8 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
2NDRunner-up
Tag twomood tagExploration
20.1in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds20.1 in 100
Typical earnings$11,535
Launches988 / 199 hits
Pair leads by5.7 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 $20Emotional 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 31 games tagged both Emotional and Exploration priced $10 to $20. 25.8 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 17.5 for Emotional-only games and 20.0 for Exploration-only games, so games with both tags did better than games with either tag alone.

Both: 31 games priced $10 to $20; 25.8 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $13,763.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 31 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

Copycatleads this pair26.6%
PairCopycat26.6%
EmotionalDELTARUNE67.2%
ExplorationHollow Knight: Silksong20.7%
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 Emotional + Exploration

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

  • Copycat earned 26.6% of the estimated first-year money of the 112 Emotional + Exploration launches.
  • Emotional is led by DELTARUNE, with 67.2% of its money.
  • Exploration is led by Hollow Knight: Silksong, with 20.7% 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

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

Emotional + Exploration through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view106 of 112 launchesWithout the breakout111 of 112 launchesLast 18 months66 of 112 launches
Launches counted11212 hits10610 hits11111 hits667 hits
Earned $100k+10.7 in 1009.4 in 1001 in 119.9 in 1001 in 1010.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$1,699top tenth $106,375+$1,699$1,652$1,214
Chance against standardthe yardstick-12.1%1.3 fewer in 100-7.5%0.8 fewer in 100-0.9%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-2.8%$47 less-28.5%$485 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Emotional and Exploration, 6 to 30 months old: 112 launches.

Launches counted
11212 hits
Earned $100k+
10.7 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,699top tenth $106,375+
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: 6 of 112 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
10610 hits
Earned $100k+
9.4 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,699
Chance against standard
-12.1%1.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Copycat (26.6% of the money): 111 launches left.

Launches counted
11111 hits
Earned $100k+
9.9 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings
$1,652
Chance against standard
-7.5%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-2.8%$47 less
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 66 of 112.

Launches counted
667 hits
Earned $100k+
10.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,214
Chance against standard
-0.9%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-28.5%$485 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Emotional and Exploration, 6 to 30 months old: 112 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: 6 of 112 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, Copycat (26.6% of the money): 111 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 66 of 112.

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

Emotional through every lens, all prices
EmotionalBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view579 of 646 launchesWithout the breakout645 of 646 launchesLast 18 months375 of 646 launches
Launches counted64650 hits57944 hits64549 hits37527 hits
Earned $100k+7.7 in 1001 in 137.6 in 1001 in 137.6 in 1001 in 137.2 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings$1,334top tenth $71,625+$1,214$1,314$1,214
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.3%0.1 fewer in 100-1.3%0.1 fewer in 100-6.5%0.5 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick-9.0%$120 less-1.5%$20 less-9.0%$120 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Emotional, 6 to 30 months old: 646 launches.

Launches counted
64650 hits
Earned $100k+
7.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,334top tenth $71,625+
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: 67 of 646 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
57944 hits
Earned $100k+
7.6 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,214
Chance against standard
-1.3%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-9.0%$120 less
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, DELTARUNE (67.2% of the money): 645 launches left.

Launches counted
64549 hits
Earned $100k+
7.6 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,314
Chance against standard
-1.3%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-1.5%$20 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 375 of 646.

Launches counted
37527 hits
Earned $100k+
7.2 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$1,214
Chance against standard
-6.5%0.5 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-9.0%$120 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Emotional, 6 to 30 months old: 646 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: 67 of 646 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, DELTARUNE (67.2% of the money): 645 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 375 of 646.

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

Exploration through every lens, all prices
ExplorationBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view4,867 of 5,078 launchesWithout the breakout5,077 of 5,078 launchesLast 18 months2,727 of 5,078 launches
Launches counted5,078397 hits4,867377 hits5,077396 hits2,727190 hits
Earned $100k+7.8 in 1001 in 137.7 in 1001 in 137.8 in 1001 in 137.0 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings$908top tenth $58,608+$909$902$728
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.3%0.1 fewer in 1000.0%no change-10.3%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+0.1%$1 more-0.7%$6 less-19.8%$180 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Exploration, 6 to 30 months old: 5,078 launches.

Launches counted
5,078397 hits
Earned $100k+
7.8 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$908top tenth $58,608+
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: 211 of 5,078 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
4,867377 hits
Earned $100k+
7.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$909
Chance against standard
-1.3%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
+0.1%$1 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Hollow Knight: Silksong (20.7% of the money): 5,077 launches left.

Launches counted
5,077396 hits
Earned $100k+
7.8 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$902
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
-0.7%$6 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 2,727 of 5,078.

Launches counted
2,727190 hits
Earned $100k+
7.0 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$728
Chance against standard
-10.3%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-19.8%$180 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Exploration, 6 to 30 months old: 5,078 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: 211 of 5,078 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 (20.7% of the money): 5,077 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 2,727 of 5,078.

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 Emotional + Exploration 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.