Niches

Every tag pair (two tags on the same game), screened by how often its indie launches earned $100k or more in their first year. Pick your price first: price moves the odds more than the tags do.

Indie paid Steam launches 12 to 36 months old, data 3 Oct 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. 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. The revenue estimate is soft: about 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

All prices

Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch

Base Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck44 in 100

1Base Building + Multiplayer44 in 10045 launches 2Crafting + Multiplayer44 in 10048 launches 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike43 in 10040 launches 4Base Building + Open World Survival Craft39 in 10054 launches 5Character Customization + Open World39 in 10062 launches

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds

The niche list

Price $10 to $20

All prices1 in 17 hit $100k+Under $51 in 219 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 30 hit $100k+$10 to $2018 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4040 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,280 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Without the breakout

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Drops the single biggest earner. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money. Lenses are computed across all prices only so far, so a lens reads All prices.

Sample 30+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Without the breakout 30+ launches Reset

The Without the breakout lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Opens $10 to $20, Standard lens.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Crafting + Multiplayer, 43 in 100. 475 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: FMV + Multiple Endings, $64,637 typical. 4,634 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Base Building + City Builder, 32 in 100. 681 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 3,827 launches. 4,634 match.

Hide one-hit markets1,563 out Hide small samples886 out

4,634 of 4,634 niches have 30+ launches at any price, Without the breakout. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

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Niches at any price, Without the breakout, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#	Niche	Chance of $100k+	Typical year	Top 1 in 10	Launches	Markers	Pin
	All games at any price, Without the breakoutthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	2D + Hidden Objectnone of 479 launches earned $100k+	0 of 479no hits	$470	not computed	479	none	Pin 2D + Hidden Object
2	Casual + Linearnone of 397 launches earned $100k+	0 of 397no hits	$229	not computed	397	none	Pin Casual + Linear
3	Casual + Side Scrollernone of 379 launches earned $100k+	0 of 379no hits	$125	not computed	379	none	Pin Casual + Side Scroller
4	Incremental + Point & Clicknone of 378 launches earned $100k+	0 of 378no hits	$188	not computed	378	none	Pin Incremental + Point & Click
5	Puzzle + Top-Downnone of 297 launches earned $100k+	0 of 297no hits	$253	not computed	297	none	Pin Puzzle + Top-Down
6	Linear + Puzzlenone of 296 launches earned $100k+	0 of 296no hits	$342	not computed	296	none	Pin Linear + Puzzle
7	Incremental + Puzzlenone of 272 launches earned $100k+	0 of 272no hits	$142	not computed	272	none	Pin Incremental + Puzzle
8	Casual + Precision Platformernone of 271 launches earned $100k+	0 of 271no hits	$114	not computed	271	1-hit	Pin Casual + Precision Platformer
9	Casual + Runnernone of 263 launches earned $100k+	0 of 263no hits	$62	not computed	263	none	Pin Casual + Runner
10	2D + Board Gamenone of 237 launches earned $100k+	0 of 237no hits	$101	not computed	237	none	Pin 2D + Board Game
11	Hand-drawn + Hidden Objectnone of 232 launches earned $100k+	0 of 232no hits	$862	not computed	232	none	Pin Hand-drawn + Hidden Object
12	Hidden Object + Psychological Horrornone of 229 launches earned $100k+	0 of 229no hits	$783	not computed	229	none	Pin Hidden Object + Psychological Horror
13	Arcade + Precision Platformernone of 217 launches earned $100k+	0 of 217no hits	$172	not computed	217	none	Pin Arcade + Precision Platformer
14	2D + Score Attacknone of 213 launches earned $100k+	0 of 213no hits	$155	not computed	213	none	Pin 2D + Score Attack
15	3D + Runnernone of 213 launches earned $100k+	0 of 213no hits	$94	not computed	213	1-hit	Pin 3D + Runner
16	2.5D + Casualnone of 206 launches earned $100k+	0 of 206no hits	$141	not computed	206	1-hit	Pin 2.5D + Casual
17	Action + Hidden Objectnone of 206 launches earned $100k+	0 of 206no hits	$376	not computed	206	none	Pin Action + Hidden Object
18	3D + Minimalistnone of 191 launches earned $100k+	0 of 191no hits	$170	not computed	191	none	Pin 3D + Minimalist
19	2D + Match 3none of 188 launches earned $100k+	0 of 188no hits	$155	not computed	188	1-hit	Pin 2D + Match 3
20	Casual + Top-Down Shooternone of 188 launches earned $100k+	0 of 188no hits	$117	not computed	188	1-hit	Pin Casual + Top-Down Shooter
21	Action-Adventure + Hidden Objectnone of 181 launches earned $100k+	0 of 181no hits	$280	not computed	181	none	Pin Action-Adventure + Hidden Object
22	Arcade + Puzzle Platformernone of 178 launches earned $100k+	0 of 178no hits	$134	not computed	178	none	Pin Arcade + Puzzle Platformer
23	Casual + Difficultnone of 176 launches earned $100k+	0 of 176no hits	$421	not computed	176	none	Pin Casual + Difficult
24	Puzzle + Side Scrollernone of 176 launches earned $100k+	0 of 176no hits	$213	not computed	176	none	Pin Puzzle + Side Scroller
25	Linear + Platformernone of 175 launches earned $100k+	0 of 175no hits	$268	not computed	175	1-hit	Pin Linear + Platformer

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 4,634 niches

green beats the base ratecoral below it bar: the chance; amber tick: the base rate1-hit one game holds over half the moneySmall under 50 launches in this viewAudience reads differently for Western players

Under 30 launches or 5 hits a chance is written as a count ("3 of 12"), never as odds. Typical year is the middle launch's first-year earnings. Lenses, the one-hit share and the audience split are measured across all prices. A game counts in every pair its tags make.