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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 / Mystery + Realistic

Niche

Mystery + Realistic

Games tagged both Mystery and Realistic: 130 indie paid launches, 4 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 Mystery + Realistic priced $10 to $20, hiding samples under 100 launches. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair trails both its tags; priced $10 to $20 it has too few launches to read.

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

17 launches, under your minimum sample of 100.

Pick another price band, or lower the minimum sample.

1STWinner
Tag onemood tagMystery
22.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds22.7 in 100
Typical earnings$7,891
Launches299 / 68 hits
Pairno reading
--No reading
This pairMystery + Realistic
--too few
to read
Odds--
Typical earnings--
Launches17

17 launches, under your minimum sample of 100.

2NDRunner-up
Tag twomood tagRealistic
20.1in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds20.1 in 100
Typical earnings$10,321
Launches289 / 58 hits
Pairno reading
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 $20Mystery 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 17 games tagged both Mystery and Realistic priced $10 to $20. 5.9 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 23.8 for Mystery-only games and 21.0 for Realistic-only games, so games with both tags did worse than games with either tag alone.

Both: 17 games priced $10 to $20; 5.9 in 100 earned $100k+ (1 in 17), typical first-year earnings $5,261.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 17 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

Subliminalleads this pair38.8%
PairSubliminal38.8%
MysteryBlue Prince12.8%
RealisticGray Zone Warfare21.1%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Mystery + Realistic

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

  • Subliminal earned 38.8% of the estimated first-year money of the 130 Mystery + Realistic launches.
  • Mystery is led by Blue Prince, with 12.8% of its money.
  • Realistic is led by Gray Zone Warfare, with 21.1% 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

Mystery + Realistic is one-hit market: Without the breakout moves the answer by more than a quarter. It holds in 2 of 3.

Mystery + Realistic through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view127 of 130 launchesWithout the breakout129 of 130 launchesLast 18 months69 of 130 launches
Launches counted1304 hits1274 hits1293 hits692 hits
Earned $100k+3.1 in 1001 in 323.1 in 1001 in 322.3 in 1001 in 432.9 in 1001 in 34
Typical first-year earnings$1,617top tenth $23,784+$1,578$1,578$1,578
Chance against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-25.8%0.8 fewer in 100-6.5%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick-2.4%$39 less-2.4%$39 less-2.4%$39 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsMoves the answerHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Mystery and Realistic, 6 to 30 months old: 130 launches.

Launches counted
1304 hits
Earned $100k+
3.1 in 1001 in 32
Typical first-year earnings
$1,617top tenth $23,784+
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: 3 of 130 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1274 hits
Earned $100k+
3.1 in 1001 in 32
Typical first-year earnings
$1,578
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
-2.4%$39 less
Without the breakoutMoves the answer

Drops the single biggest earner, Subliminal (38.8% of the money): 129 launches left.

Launches counted
1293 hits
Earned $100k+
2.3 in 1001 in 43
Typical first-year earnings
$1,578
Chance against standard
-25.8%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-2.4%$39 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 69 of 130.

Launches counted
692 hits
Earned $100k+
2.9 in 1001 in 34
Typical first-year earnings
$1,578
Chance against standard
-6.5%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-2.4%$39 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Mystery and Realistic, 6 to 30 months old: 130 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: 3 of 130 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, Subliminal (38.8% of the money): 129 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 69 of 130.

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

Mystery through every lens, all prices
MysteryBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,293 of 1,381 launchesWithout the breakout1,380 of 1,381 launchesLast 18 months791 of 1,381 launches
Launches counted1,381125 hits1,293110 hits1,380124 hits79161 hits
Earned $100k+9.1 in 1001 in 118.5 in 1001 in 129.0 in 1001 in 117.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings$1,052top tenth $74,317+$1,013$1,052$810
Chance against standardthe yardstick-6.6%0.6 fewer in 100-1.1%0.1 fewer in 100-15.4%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick-3.7%$39 less0.0%no change-23.0%$242 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 1,381 launches.

Launches counted
1,381125 hits
Earned $100k+
9.1 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,052top tenth $74,317+
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: 88 of 1,381 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,293110 hits
Earned $100k+
8.5 in 1001 in 12
Typical first-year earnings
$1,013
Chance against standard
-6.6%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-3.7%$39 less
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (12.8% of the money): 1,380 launches left.

Launches counted
1,380124 hits
Earned $100k+
9.0 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,052
Chance against standard
-1.1%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 791 of 1,381.

Launches counted
79161 hits
Earned $100k+
7.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$810
Chance against standard
-15.4%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-23.0%$242 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 1,381 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: 88 of 1,381 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, Blue Prince (12.8% of the money): 1,380 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 791 of 1,381.

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

Realistic through every lens, all prices
RealisticBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,604 of 1,632 launchesWithout the breakout1,631 of 1,632 launchesLast 18 months884 of 1,632 launches
Launches counted1,632132 hits1,604132 hits1,631131 hits88471 hits
Earned $100k+8.1 in 1001 in 128.2 in 1001 in 128.0 in 1001 in 138.0 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings$1,131top tenth $53,028+$1,133$1,113$1,052
Chance against standardthe yardstick+1.2%0.1 more in 100-1.2%0.1 fewer in 100-1.2%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+0.2%$2 more-1.6%$18 less-7.0%$79 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Realistic, 6 to 30 months old: 1,632 launches.

Launches counted
1,632132 hits
Earned $100k+
8.1 in 1001 in 12
Typical first-year earnings
$1,131top tenth $53,028+
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: 28 of 1,632 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,604132 hits
Earned $100k+
8.2 in 1001 in 12
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133
Chance against standard
+1.2%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
+0.2%$2 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Gray Zone Warfare (21.1% of the money): 1,631 launches left.

Launches counted
1,631131 hits
Earned $100k+
8.0 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,113
Chance against standard
-1.2%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-1.6%$18 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 884 of 1,632.

Launches counted
88471 hits
Earned $100k+
8.0 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$1,052
Chance against standard
-1.2%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-7.0%$79 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Realistic, 6 to 30 months old: 1,632 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: 28 of 1,632 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, Gray Zone Warfare (21.1% of the money): 1,631 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 884 of 1,632.

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 Mystery + Realistic 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.