Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Casual + Cozyabout 3.0 times the 19 in 100 base rate55 in 100
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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds
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 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.
The niche list
Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: Casual + Cozy, 55 in 100. 1,269 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Casual + Cozy, 55 in 100. 706 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Casual + Cozy, $120,225 typical. 1,269 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op + Multiplayer, $1.6M top 1 in 10. 658 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Building + Sandbox, 38 in 100. 75 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Adventure + Exploration, 437 launches. 1,269 match.
1,269 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. 97 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
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| Rank# | Niche | Chance of $100k+ | Typical year | Top 1 in 10 | Launches | Markers | Pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All games at $10 to $20the base rate: the row to beat | 19 in 100893 of 4,810 | $9,226 | $248,075 | 4,810 | |||
| 1 | 2D + Hidden Object1 in 41 earned $100k+, from 81 launches | 1 in 412 hits | $1,214 | $6,374 | 81 | none | Pin 2D + Hidden Object |
| 2 | 2D + Family Friendly1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $971 | $14,267 | 37 | Small | Pin 2D + Family Friendly |
| 3 | 2D + Choose Your Own Adventure1 in 35 earned $100k+, from 69 launches | 1 in 352 hits | $3,116 | $48,802 | 69 | none | Pin 2D + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 4 | 2D + Board Game1 in 30 earned $100k+, from 30 launches | 1 in 301 hit | $5,160 | $55,457 | 30 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Board Game |
| 5 | 2D + Linear1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 1 in 222 hits | $3,966 | $52,459 | 43 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Linear |
| 6 | 2D Platformer + Puzzle Platformer1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 1 in 222 hits | $9,472 | $65,025 | 43 | Small | Pin 2D Platformer + Puzzle Platformer |
| 7 | 2D + JRPG1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 68 launches | 1 in 174 hits | $4,048 | $46,512 | 68 | none | Pin 2D + JRPG |
| 8 | 2D + Romance1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 50 launches | 1 in 173 hits | $5,410 | $54,144 | 50 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Romance |
| 9 | 2D Platformer + Puzzle1 in 17 earned $100k+, from 33 launches | 1 in 172 hits | $4,472 | $51,004 | 33 | Small | Pin 2D Platformer + Puzzle |
| 10 | 2D + 3D1 in 16 earned $100k+, from 31 launches | 1 in 162 hits | $5,175 | $88,651 | 31 | Small | Pin 2D + 3D |
| 11 | 2D + Text-Based1 in 15 earned $100k+, from 45 launches | 1 in 153 hits | $4,816 | $70,435 | 45 | Small | Pin 2D + Text-Based |
| 12 | 2D + Turn-Based Tactics1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 70 launches | 1 in 145 hits | $6,071 | $68,465 | 70 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Turn-Based Tactics |
| 13 | 2D + Arcade1 in 14 earned $100k+, from 95 launches | 1 in 147 hits | $4,209 | $72,131 | 95 | none | Pin 2D + Arcade |
| 14 | 2D Platformer + Adventure1 in 13 earned $100k+, from 113 launches | 1 in 139 hits | $4,453 | $72,131 | 113 | Audience | Pin 2D Platformer + Adventure |
| 15 | 2D + Strategy RPG1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 123 hits | $4,250 | $97,961 | 37 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Strategy RPG |
| 16 | 2D + Casual1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 308 launches | 1 in 1225 hits | $1,821 | $65,725 | 308 | none | Pin 2D + Casual |
| 17 | 2D Platformer + Casual1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 61 launches | 1 in 125 hits | $1,214 | $42,381 | 61 | none | Pin 2D Platformer + Casual |
| 18 | 2D + PvE1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 36 launches | 1 in 123 hits | $1,841 | $59,495 | 36 | 1-hitSmall | Pin 2D + PvE |
| 19 | 2D + Interactive Fiction1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 59 launches | 1 in 125 hits | $6,516 | $77,388 | 59 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Interactive Fiction |
| 20 | 2D + Relaxing1 in 12 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 1 in 124 hits | $6,374 | $96,342 | 47 | Small | Pin 2D + Relaxing |
| 21 | 2D + Fantasy1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 160 launches | 1 in 1114 hits | $2,429 | $74,317 | 160 | none | Pin 2D + Fantasy |
| 22 | 2D + Visual Novel1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 145 launches | 1 in 1113 hits | $6,072 | $80,173 | 145 | none | Pin 2D + Visual Novel |
| 23 | 2D + Multiple Endings1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 44 launches | 1 in 114 hits | $4,816 | $74,317 | 44 | Small | Pin 2D + Multiple Endings |
| 24 | 2D + LGBTQ+1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 32 launches | 1 in 113 hits | $9,714 | $65,725 | 32 | Small | Pin 2D + LGBTQ+ |
| 25 | 2D + Dating Sim1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 63 launches | 1 in 116 hits | $4,453 | $74,888 | 63 | none | Pin 2D + Dating Sim |
Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 97 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 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.