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on 30 Sep 2026

Niches / Exploration + Psychological Horror

Niche

Exploration + Psychological Horror

Games tagged both Exploration and Psychological Horror: 816 indie paid launches, 41 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 Exploration + Psychological Horror priced $10 to $20. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair trails Exploration and is level with Psychological Horror; 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

Exploration + Psychological Horror trails both its tags: 18.4 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 20.1 in 100 for Exploration and 19.7 in 100 for Psychological Horror.

That is about 1.0 times the 18.6 in 100 expected for any launch at this price.

1STTied winner
Tag onemood tagExploration
20.1in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds20.1 in 100
Typical earnings$11,535
Launches988 / 199 hits
Pair trails by1.7 in 100
3RDThird
This pairExploration + Psychological Horror
18.4in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds18.4 in 100
Typical earnings$16,046
Launches87 / 16 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
1STTied winner
Tag twoPsychological Horror
19.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds19.7 in 100
Typical earnings$16,691
Launches228 / 45 hits
Pair trails by1.3 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 $20Exploration 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
All prices816 in pairUnder $5472 in pair$5 to $10250 in pair$10 to $2087 in pair$20 to $407: too few
What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 87 games tagged both Exploration and Psychological Horror priced $10 to $20. 18.4 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 20.3 for Exploration-only games and 20.6 for Psychological Horror-only games, so games with both tags did worse than games with either tag alone.

Both: 87 games priced $10 to $20; 18.4 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $16,046.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 87 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

Crow Countryleads this pair13.1%
PairCrow Country13.1%
ExplorationHollow Knight: Silksong20.7%
Psychological HorrorMouthwashing7.5%
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 Exploration + Psychological Horror

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

  • Crow Country earned 13.1% of the estimated first-year money of the 816 Exploration + Psychological Horror launches.
  • Exploration is led by Hollow Knight: Silksong, with 20.7% of its money.
  • Psychological Horror is led by Mouthwashing, with 7.5% 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

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

Exploration + Psychological Horror through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view790 of 816 launchesWithout the breakout815 of 816 launchesLast 18 months419 of 816 launches
Launches counted81641 hits79038 hits81540 hits41915 hits
Earned $100k+5.0 in 1001 in 204.8 in 1001 in 214.9 in 1001 in 203.6 in 1001 in 28
Typical first-year earnings$1,516top tenth $26,063+$1,516$1,514$1,131
Chance against standardthe yardstick-4.0%0.2 fewer in 100-2.0%0.1 fewer in 100-28.0%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-0.1%$2 less-25.4%$385 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Exploration and Psychological Horror, 6 to 30 months old: 816 launches.

Launches counted
81641 hits
Earned $100k+
5.0 in 1001 in 20
Typical first-year earnings
$1,516top tenth $26,063+
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: 26 of 816 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
79038 hits
Earned $100k+
4.8 in 1001 in 21
Typical first-year earnings
$1,516
Chance against standard
-4.0%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Crow Country (13.1% of the money): 815 launches left.

Launches counted
81540 hits
Earned $100k+
4.9 in 1001 in 20
Typical first-year earnings
$1,514
Chance against standard
-2.0%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-0.1%$2 less
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 419 of 816.

Launches counted
41915 hits
Earned $100k+
3.6 in 1001 in 28
Typical first-year earnings
$1,131
Chance against standard
-28.0%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-25.4%$385 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Exploration and Psychological Horror, 6 to 30 months old: 816 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: 26 of 816 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, Crow Country (13.1% of the money): 815 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 419 of 816.

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.

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

Psychological Horror through every lens, all prices
Psychological HorrorBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view2,390 of 2,500 launchesWithout the breakout2,499 of 2,500 launchesLast 18 months1,334 of 2,500 launches
Launches counted2,500136 hits2,390127 hits2,499135 hits1,33456 hits
Earned $100k+5.4 in 1001 in 195.3 in 1001 in 195.4 in 1001 in 194.2 in 1001 in 24
Typical first-year earnings$1,314top tenth $30,835+$1,314$1,314$1,112
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.9%0.1 fewer in 1000.0%no change-22.2%1.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change-15.4%$202 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Psychological Horror, 6 to 30 months old: 2,500 launches.

Launches counted
2,500136 hits
Earned $100k+
5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$1,314top tenth $30,835+
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: 110 of 2,500 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
2,390127 hits
Earned $100k+
5.3 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$1,314
Chance against standard
-1.9%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Mouthwashing (7.5% of the money): 2,499 launches left.

Launches counted
2,499135 hits
Earned $100k+
5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$1,314
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: 1,334 of 2,500.

Launches counted
1,33456 hits
Earned $100k+
4.2 in 1001 in 24
Typical first-year earnings
$1,112
Chance against standard
-22.2%1.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-15.4%$202 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Psychological Horror, 6 to 30 months old: 2,500 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: 110 of 2,500 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, Mouthwashing (7.5% of the money): 2,499 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,334 of 2,500.

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 Exploration + Psychological Horror 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.