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.

Open free preview

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 West-facing view

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Games mostly reviewed outside China: drops games with 35% or more of their reviews in Chinese. That share is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; for smaller games it is guessed from the game's name. 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 West-facing view 30+ launches Reset

The West-facing view 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. 473 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Building + Multiplayer, $72,210 typical. 4,623 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: City Builder + Management, 35 in 100. 680 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 3,608 launches. 4,623 match.

Hide one-hit markets1,560 out Hide small samples979 out

4,623 of 4,634 niches have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.

Pin a niche to keep it here while you filter.

Pin another to compare.

Niches at any price, West-facing view, 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, West-facing viewthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Casual + Precision Platformernone of 267 launches earned $100k+	0 of 267no hits	$115	not computed	267	1-hit	Pin Casual + Precision Platformer
2	Casual + Runnernone of 256 launches earned $100k+	0 of 256no hits	$67	not computed	256	none	Pin Casual + Runner
3	Action + Hidden Objectnone of 200 launches earned $100k+	0 of 200no hits	$396	not computed	200	none	Pin Action + Hidden Object
4	3D + Minimalistnone of 190 launches earned $100k+	0 of 190no hits	$172	not computed	190	none	Pin 3D + Minimalist
5	Action-Adventure + Hidden Objectnone of 180 launches earned $100k+	0 of 180no hits	$295	not computed	180	none	Pin Action-Adventure + Hidden Object
6	Puzzle + Side Scrollernone of 174 launches earned $100k+	0 of 174no hits	$213	not computed	174	none	Pin Puzzle + Side Scroller
7	Casual + Top-Down Shooternone of 172 launches earned $100k+	0 of 172no hits	$125	not computed	172	1-hit	Pin Casual + Top-Down Shooter
8	3D + Precision Platformernone of 171 launches earned $100k+	0 of 171no hits	$191	not computed	171	none	Pin 3D + Precision Platformer
9	3D + Bullet Hellnone of 164 launches earned $100k+	0 of 164no hits	$376	not computed	164	none	Pin 3D + Bullet Hell
10	Arcade + Linearnone of 162 launches earned $100k+	0 of 162no hits	$213	not computed	162	none	Pin Arcade + Linear
11	Family Friendly + Hidden Objectnone of 158 launches earned $100k+	0 of 158no hits	$456	not computed	158	none	Pin Family Friendly + Hidden Object
12	Shoot 'Em Up + Top-Downnone of 148 launches earned $100k+	0 of 148no hits	$281	not computed	148	none	Pin Shoot 'Em Up + Top-Down
13	Casual + Sokobannone of 145 launches earned $100k+	0 of 145no hits	$168	not computed	145	none	Pin Casual + Sokoban
14	Puzzle Platformer + Strategynone of 145 launches earned $100k+	0 of 145no hits	$84	not computed	145	none	Pin Puzzle Platformer + Strategy
15	2D + Sportsnone of 143 launches earned $100k+	0 of 143no hits	$505	not computed	143	none	Pin 2D + Sports
16	3D + Shoot 'Em Upnone of 143 launches earned $100k+	0 of 143no hits	$170	not computed	143	none	Pin 3D + Shoot 'Em Up
17	2D Platformer + Linearnone of 142 launches earned $100k+	0 of 142no hits	$253	not computed	142	none	Pin 2D Platformer + Linear
18	Casual + Solitairenone of 140 launches earned $100k+	0 of 140no hits	$284	not computed	140	Audience	Pin Casual + Solitaire
19	Cute + Precision Platformernone of 139 launches earned $100k+	0 of 139no hits	$383	not computed	139	none	Pin Cute + Precision Platformer
20	Arena Shooter + Casualnone of 122 launches earned $100k+	0 of 122no hits	$127	not computed	122	none	Pin Arena Shooter + Casual
21	3D Platformer + Strategynone of 119 launches earned $100k+	0 of 119no hits	$76	not computed	119	1-hit	Pin 3D Platformer + Strategy
22	Arcade + Collectathonnone of 118 launches earned $100k+	0 of 118no hits	$191	not computed	118	none	Pin Arcade + Collectathon
23	Puzzle Platformer + Side Scrollernone of 117 launches earned $100k+	0 of 117no hits	$283	not computed	117	none	Pin Puzzle Platformer + Side Scroller
24	Puzzle + Time Managementnone of 116 launches earned $100k+	0 of 116no hits	$506	not computed	116	none	Pin Puzzle + Time Management
25	Cartoony + Hidden Objectnone of 113 launches earned $100k+	0 of 113no hits	$652	not computed	113	none	Pin Cartoony + Hidden Object

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 4,623 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.