Tag pairdata 30 Sep 2026
Niches / RTS / Real Time Tactics
RTS + Real Time Tactics: a typical launch earns $685 in its first year
That is the median of 103 indie paid launches, 2024 Q4 to 2025 Q3. 13 of 200 matured launches earned $100k or more, against 15.0 expected for their price and launch quarter. Releases rose 15% on the year before: 149 against 130.
- Price
- $685 median of 103 launches
- Price vs a year earlier
- −5.8% four quarters on the four before
- Releases, 12 months
- 149 130 the year before
- Upcoming games
- 494 coming soon on Steam
- Games on the store
- 1,229 carrying both tags
Boards
as of 30 Sep 2026Where this pair stands on each board of the front page. Every value carries its 90% interval and its sample.
| Board | Value | Interval | Sample | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Most anticipatedShare of all upcoming wishlist heat on Steam, with the number of upcoming games beside it.
| 2.21%share of upcoming wishlist heat | 0.36% to 5.54% | 46 ranked of 495 upcoming gameswishlist rank 30 Sep 2026 | #3,993 of 7,193pairs on this board |
| Launch successLaunches earning $100k or more, against the number expected for their price tier and launch quarter. | 0.89xhits against expected | 0.63x to 1.27x | 200 launchesindie paid launches 31 Mar 2024 to 1 Apr 2026 (6 to 30 months old) | #3,504 of 6,324pairs on this board |
| Fewer new releasesFewer launches relative to players. Historically this did not predict better launches. | +14%player demand against new supply, relative to Steam | −7% to +39% | 64 tracked gamesJun 2026 to Aug 2026 vs Jun 2025 to Aug 2025; releases 30 Sep 2025 to 30 Sep 2026 vs prior 12 months | #974 of 2,361pairs on this board |
| Rising demandGaining players faster than same-age games. Descriptive, not a launch signal. | −4%review growth against same-age games | −11% to +2% | 64 tracked gamesJun 2026 to Aug 2026 vs Jun 2025 to Aug 2025 | #1,002 of 2,461pairs on this board |
Pairs are noisier than genres: the demand boards at pair level are indicative only.
Launch success
launches 6 to 30 months oldMatured indie paid launches that earned an estimated $100k or more, against the number expected for games at the same price tier and launch quarter.
- Launches
- 200
- Hit rate
- 6.5%4.2% to 13.9%
- Expected rate
- 7.5%
- Against expected
- 0.89x0.63x to 1.27x
Launch window: indie paid launches 31 Mar 2024 to 1 Apr 2026 (6 to 30 months old). Hit odds are shrunk toward the Steam-wide rate by 3 expected hits.
Revenue spread
199 launchesEstimated lifetime gross of the same matured launches. Half earned less than the median; one in ten earned more than the top figure.
- Bottom tenth
- $0
- Median
- $405
- Top tenth
- $60,825
Estimated from Steam review counts. Lifetime to date, so it differs from the first-year price above.
Supply
raw release countsGames released with both tags, last 12 months against the 12 before.
- Change
- +15%
- Against Steam
- −16%after Steam-wide growth, shrunk by 5 releases
Parent tags
- RTSGenre pageRanked on every board, with its best pairs.
- Real Time TacticsGenre pageRanked on every board, with its best pairs.
Comparable games
8 indie titlesThe biggest indie games in this pair by estimated lifetime gross. Revenue is shown as a number at 50 or more reviews, as a range at 10 to 49, and not at all below 10.
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (opens the Steam store)2025 · 10,692 reviews, 92% positiveest. $4.2M
Stronghold: Definitive Edition (opens the Steam store)2023 · 9,800 reviews, 86% positiveest. $2.9M
Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance (opens the Steam store)2024 · 3,430 reviews, 82% positiveest. $2.7M
Master of Command (opens the Steam store)2025 · 3,876 reviews, 92% positiveest. $2.3M
ZeroSpace (opens the Steam store)2026 · 1,196 reviews, 78% positiveest. $969k
ERA ONE (opens the Steam store)2025 · 1,582 reviews, 87% positiveest. $961k
Tabletop Tavern (opens the Steam store)2026 · 2,096 reviews, 89% positiveest. $848k
Empire of the Ants (opens the Steam store)2024 · 931 reviews, 73% positiveest. $754k
More with RTS
pairs with RTS- RTS + Base Building$13,91454 launches priced, 61 releases in 12 months
- RTS + War$4,48634 launches priced, 38 releases in 12 months
- RTS + Wargame$3,54550 launches priced, 91 releases in 12 months
- RTS + Roguelite$3,51736 launches priced, 49 releases in 12 months
- Building + RTS$3,03535 launches priced, 34 releases in 12 months
- RTS + Roguelike$3,03133 launches priced, 40 releases in 12 months
Related niches
pairs with Real Time Tactics- War + Real Time Tactics$2,22531 launches priced, 26 releases in 12 months
- Action RTS + Real Time Tactics$98130 launches priced, 45 releases in 12 months
- Real Time Tactics + Roguelite$84643 launches priced, 41 releases in 12 months
- Simulation + Real Time Tactics$76858 launches priced, 105 releases in 12 months
- Real Time Tactics + Wargame$72849 launches priced, 73 releases in 12 months
- Roguelike + Real Time Tactics$64733 launches priced, 34 releases in 12 months
Verdicts
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