Niche

Mystery + Text-Based

Games tagged both Mystery and Text-Based: 53 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". 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 26,758 indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, data of 2 Nov 2026. How it is measured.

Price Under $5

All prices1 in 15 hit $100k+Under $51 in 230 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2021 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,758 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Standard

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

All indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old. Lens figures exist at all prices only; inside a price band this page shows the standard figures.

Sample 10+

10+ launchesshow small samples 30+ launches 100+ launchesonly big markets

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

Under $5

Showing Mystery + Text-Based priced under $5.

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?Under $5

Mystery + Text-Based is too small to compare with Mystery and is too small to compare with Text-Based: 0 of its 25 launches earned $100k+ priced under $5, against 3 of 580 launches for Mystery and 1 of 322 launches for Text-Based.

Small sample: 25 launches, 0 hits.

TIEA tie

Tag onemood tagMystery

3 of 580launches earned
$100k+ small

Odds3 of 580 launches

Typical earnings$319

Launches580 / 3 hits

Pair against ittoo few hits to compare

TIEA tie

This pairMystery + Text-Based

0 of 25launches earned
$100k+ small

Odds0 of 25 launches

$1k+3 of 25 launches

$10k+0 of 25 launches

Launches25 / 0 hits

Expected0.4 in 100

TIEA tie

Tag twoText-Based

1 of 322launches earned
$100k+ small

Odds1 of 322 launches

Typical earnings$199

Launches322 / 1 hits

Pair against ittoo few hits to compare

All indie launches under $5: 0.4 in 100 earned $100k+ (1 in 230), typical $162, from 14,050 launches.each block is 0.5 in 100 all indie at under $5Mystery 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: 0.4 in 100 launches earned $100k+; $20 to $40: 44.2 in 100), so read it within a price band.

Price bandswitches the whole page

All prices53 in pair Under $525 in pair $5 to $1016 in pair$10 to $209: too few$20 to $403: too few

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 25 games tagged both Mystery and Text-Based priced under $5. 0 of 25 of them earned $100k+, against 3 of 555 for Mystery-only games and 1 of 297 for Text-Based-only games, so the mix is too small to compare with Mystery alone and is too small to compare with Text-Based alone.

Both: 25 games priced under $5; 0 of 25 earned $100k+, odds by size $1k+ 3 of 25 launches · $10k+ 0 of 25 launches · $100k+ 0 of 25 launches.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 25 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

DEAD LETTER DEPT.leads this pair34.8%

PairDEAD LETTER DEPT.34.8%

MysteryBlue Prince14.6%

Text-BasedHomicipher21.9%

CheckOne game over half?no

NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkHolds in 1 of 3, 2 too few to tell. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: too few to tell. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: too few to tell.

Open free preview

ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Mystery + Text-Based

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

DEAD LETTER DEPT. earned 34.8% of the estimated first-year money of the 53 Mystery + Text-Based launches.
Mystery is led by Blue Prince, with 14.6% of its money.
Text-Based is led by Homicipher, with 21.9% 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

Mystery + Text-Based holds in Without the breakout; too few to tell in West-facing view and Last 18 months. No lens moves the chance or typical earnings more than chance alone would.

Mystery + Text-Based through every lens, all prices
This pair	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view50 of 53 launches	Without the breakout52 of 53 launches	Last 18 months12 of 53 launches
Launches counted	534 hits	504 hits	523 hits	121 hits
Earned $100k+	4 of 53too few for a rate	4 of 50too few for a rate	3 of 52too few for a rate	1 of 12too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+	30 in 100chance of $10k+; $1k+ 51 in 100	under 100 launches	under 100 launches	under 100 launches
Chance against standard	the base	+6.0%0.5 more in 100; too few to tell	-23.6%1.8 fewer in 100	+10.4%0.8 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard	the base	under 100 launches	under 100 launches	under 100 launches
Does it hold?	The base view	Too few to tell	Holds	Too few to tell

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Mystery and Text-Based, 12 to 36 months old: 53 launches.

Launches counted: 534 hits
Earned $100k+: 4 of 53too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+: 30 in 100chance of $10k+; $1k+ 51 in 100
Chance against standard: the base
Typical against standard: the base

West-facing viewToo few to tell

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 3 of 53 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 504 hits
Earned $100k+: 4 of 50too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+: under 100 launches
Chance against standard: +6.0%0.5 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: under 100 launches

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, DEAD LETTER DEPT. (34.8% of the money): 52 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 523 hits
Earned $100k+: 3 of 52too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+: under 100 launches
Chance against standard: -23.6%1.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: under 100 launches

Last 18 monthsToo few to tell

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 12 of 53.

Launches counted: 121 hits
Earned $100k+: 1 of 12too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+: under 100 launches
Chance against standard: +10.4%0.8 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: under 100 launches

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged both Mystery and Text-Based, 12 to 36 months old: 53 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: 3 of 53 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, DEAD LETTER DEPT. (34.8% of the money): 52 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: 12 of 53.

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

Mystery through every lens, all prices
Mystery	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view1,167 of 1,239 launches	Without the breakout1,238 of 1,239 launches	Last 18 months402 of 1,239 launches
Launches counted	1,239109 hits	1,16795 hits	1,238108 hits	40237 hits
Earned $100k+	8.8 in 1001 in 11	8.1 in 1001 in 12	8.7 in 1001 in 11	9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings	$1,040top tenth $81,013+	$1,020	$1,040	$797
Chance against standard	the base	-7.5%0.7 fewer in 100	-0.8%0.1 fewer in 100	+4.6%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard	the base	-1.9%$20 less	0.0%no change	-23.4%$243 less
Does it hold?	The base view	Moves the answer	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 12 to 36 months old: 1,239 launches.

Launches counted: 1,239109 hits
Earned $100k+: 8.8 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings: $1,040top tenth $81,013+
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: 72 of 1,239 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 1,16795 hits
Earned $100k+: 8.1 in 1001 in 12
Typical first-year earnings: $1,020
Chance against standard: -7.5%0.7 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: -1.9%$20 less

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (14.6% of the money): 1,238 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 1,238108 hits
Earned $100k+: 8.7 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings: $1,040
Chance against standard: -0.8%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 402 of 1,239.

Launches counted: 40237 hits
Earned $100k+: 9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings: $797
Chance against standard: +4.6%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard: -23.4%$243 less

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 12 to 36 months old: 1,239 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: 72 of 1,239 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 (14.6% of the money): 1,238 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: 402 of 1,239.

Text-Based 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.

Text-Based through every lens, all prices
Text-Based	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view558 of 622 launches	Without the breakout621 of 622 launches	Last 18 months164 of 622 launches
Launches counted	62219 hits	55817 hits	62118 hits	1643 hits
Earned $100k+	3.1 in 1001 in 33	3.0 in 1001 in 33	2.9 in 1001 in 35	3 of 164too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings	$643top tenth $21,254+	$779	$636	$636
Chance against standard	the base	-0.3%no change	-5.1%0.2 fewer in 100	-40.1%1.2 fewer in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard	the base	+21.2%$136 more	-1.1%$7 less	-1.1%$7 less
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Text-Based, 12 to 36 months old: 622 launches.

Launches counted: 62219 hits
Earned $100k+: 3.1 in 1001 in 33
Typical first-year earnings: $643top tenth $21,254+
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: 64 of 622 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 55817 hits
Earned $100k+: 3.0 in 1001 in 33
Typical first-year earnings: $779
Chance against standard: -0.3%no change
Typical against standard: +21.2%$136 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Homicipher (21.9% of the money): 621 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 62118 hits
Earned $100k+: 2.9 in 1001 in 35
Typical first-year earnings: $636
Chance against standard: -5.1%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: -1.1%$7 less

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 164 of 622.

Launches counted: 1643 hits
Earned $100k+: 3 of 164too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $636
Chance against standard: -40.1%1.2 fewer in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: -1.1%$7 less

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Text-Based, 12 to 36 months old: 622 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: 64 of 622 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, Homicipher (21.9% of the money): 621 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: 164 of 622.

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 Mystery + Text-Based 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.