Best niches
All pricesPairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.
Open free previewTicker: 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.
Niches 1 Oct
Of 5,130 niches with 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view, 2,264 beat the 1 in 16 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.2,264 of 5,130 niches beat the 1 in 16 base rate.2,264 beat the base rate.
Cohort median $606
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 6 to 30 months old, data 1 Oct 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. The revenue estimate is soft: about 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.
Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.
Open free previewThe 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.
5,130 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
| 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 161,804 of 29,637 | $606 | not computed | 29,637 | |||
| 1 | 2D + Top-Down Shooternone of 363 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 363 | none | Pin 2D + Top-Down Shooter |
| 2 | Casual + Precision Platformernone of 282 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $121 | not computed | 282 | 1-hit | Pin Casual + Precision Platformer |
| 3 | Casual + Runnernone of 273 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $81 | not computed | 273 | none | Pin Casual + Runner |
| 4 | Arcade + Linearnone of 186 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 186 | none | Pin Arcade + Linear |
| 5 | Puzzle + Side Scrollernone of 185 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $242 | not computed | 185 | none | Pin Puzzle + Side Scroller |
| 6 | Action-Adventure + Hidden Objectnone of 184 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 184 | none | Pin Action-Adventure + Hidden Object |
| 7 | 2D + Tabletopnone of 177 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 177 | none | Pin 2D + Tabletop |
| 8 | Puzzle Platformer + Strategynone of 149 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $101 | not computed | 149 | none | Pin Puzzle Platformer + Strategy |
| 9 | 2D Platformer + Linearnone of 148 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $242 | not computed | 148 | none | Pin 2D Platformer + Linear |
| 10 | Physics + Precision Platformernone of 145 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $323 | not computed | 145 | none | Pin Physics + Precision Platformer |
| 11 | Platformer + Strategynone of 145 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $121 | not computed | 145 | Audience | Pin Platformer + Strategy |
| 12 | Casual + Real Time Tacticsnone of 143 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 143 | Audience | Pin Casual + Real Time Tactics |
| 13 | Casual + Solitairenone of 142 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $263 | not computed | 142 | Audience | Pin Casual + Solitaire |
| 14 | Cartoony + Hidden Objectnone of 140 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $601 | not computed | 140 | none | Pin Cartoony + Hidden Object |
| 15 | 3D Platformer + Strategynone of 136 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $100 | not computed | 136 | 1-hitAudience | Pin 3D Platformer + Strategy |
| 16 | Action-Adventure + Bullet Hellnone of 131 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $303 | not computed | 131 | none | Pin Action-Adventure + Bullet Hell |
| 17 | Arena Shooter + Casualnone of 130 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $162 | not computed | 130 | none | Pin Arena Shooter + Casual |
| 18 | Adventure + Top-Down Shooternone of 123 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $243 | not computed | 123 | 1-hitAudience | Pin Adventure + Top-Down Shooter |
| 19 | Fantasy + Hidden Objectnone of 118 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $486 | not computed | 118 | none | Pin Fantasy + Hidden Object |
| 20 | Hidden Object + Linearnone of 111 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $607 | not computed | 111 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Linear |
| 21 | 2D + Arena Shooternone of 107 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 107 | none | Pin 2D + Arena Shooter |
| 22 | 3D Platformer + Hidden Objectnone of 107 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $182 | not computed | 107 | none | Pin 3D Platformer + Hidden Object |
| 23 | Dark + Hidden Objectnone of 106 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $364 | not computed | 106 | none | Pin Dark + Hidden Object |
| 24 | 3D Fighter + Adventurenone of 103 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $202 | not computed | 103 | none | Pin 3D Fighter + Adventure |
| 25 | 3D Platformer + FPSnone of 103 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $162 | not computed | 103 | none | Pin 3D Platformer + FPS |
Under 30 launches 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.
Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.