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
Open free preview
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. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
Pin another to compare.
Pin another to compare.
| 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 | Fantasy + Magicnone of 64 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $4,048 | $23,070 | 64 | none | Pin Fantasy + Magic |
| 2 | Fantasy + Hidden Objectnone of 53 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $810 | $3,238 | 53 | none | Pin Fantasy + Hidden Object |
| 3 | Casual + LGBTQ+none of 37 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $4,553 | $59,495 | 37 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Casual + LGBTQ+ |
| 4 | Puzzle + VRnone of 34 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $2,367 | $15,177 | 34 | Small | Pin Puzzle + VR |
| 5 | 3D Platformer + Arcadenone of 33 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $1,214 | $15,382 | 33 | Small | Pin 3D Platformer + Arcade |
| 6 | Casual + Linearnone of 33 launches earned $100k+ | 0 in 100no hits | $2,104 | $16,046 | 33 | Small | Pin Casual + Linear |
| 7 | Fantasy + Mystery1 in 51 earned $100k+, from 51 launches | 1 in 511 hit | $810 | $4,048 | 51 | 1-hit | Pin Fantasy + Mystery |
| 8 | Adventure + Text-Based1 in 48 earned $100k+, from 48 launches | 1 in 481 hit | $1,821 | $67,084 | 48 | SmallAudience | Pin Adventure + Text-Based |
| 9 | Choose Your Own Adventure + Text-Based1 in 45 earned $100k+, from 45 launches | 1 in 451 hit | $1,376 | $26,708 | 45 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Choose Your Own Adventure + Text-Based |
| 10 | 2D + Hidden Object1 in 41 earned $100k+, from 81 launches | 1 in 412 hits | $1,214 | $6,374 | 81 | none | Pin 2D + Hidden Object |
| 11 | PvE + Roguelike1 in 39 earned $100k+, from 39 launches | 1 in 391 hit | $6,070 | $71,549 | 39 | Small | Pin PvE + Roguelike |
| 12 | Sports + Strategy1 in 39 earned $100k+, from 39 launches | 1 in 391 hit | $4,858 | $64,049 | 39 | Small | Pin Sports + Strategy |
| 13 | Casual + Text-Based1 in 38 earned $100k+, from 38 launches | 1 in 381 hit | $2,671 | $31,806 | 38 | SmallAudience | Pin Casual + Text-Based |
| 14 | 2D + Family Friendly1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $971 | $14,267 | 37 | Small | Pin 2D + Family Friendly |
| 15 | Adventure + Linear1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $1,619 | $28,146 | 37 | Small | Pin Adventure + Linear |
| 16 | Cute + JRPG1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $4,807 | $25,501 | 37 | SmallAudience | Pin Cute + JRPG |
| 17 | PvE + RPG1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $4,998 | $40,885 | 37 | Small | Pin PvE + RPG |
| 18 | 2.5D + Puzzle1 in 35 earned $100k+, from 35 launches | 1 in 351 hit | $1,518 | $18,621 | 35 | SmallAudience | Pin 2.5D + Puzzle |
| 19 | Immersive Sim + VR1 in 35 earned $100k+, from 35 launches | 1 in 351 hit | $2,834 | $33,598 | 35 | Small | Pin Immersive Sim + VR |
| 20 | 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 |
| 21 | Hidden Object + Point & Click1 in 34 earned $100k+, from 103 launches | 1 in 343 hits | $1,214 | $9,310 | 103 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Point & Click |
| 22 | Interactive Fiction + Text-Based1 in 33 earned $100k+, from 33 launches | 1 in 331 hit | $7,285 | $35,511 | 33 | Small | Pin Interactive Fiction + Text-Based |
| 23 | Cute + Interactive Fiction1 in 32 earned $100k+, from 32 launches | 1 in 321 hit | $7,366 | $50,231 | 32 | SmallAudience | Pin Cute + Interactive Fiction |
| 24 | Arcade + Casual1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 124 launches | 1 in 314 hits | $1,214 | $18,213 | 124 | none | Pin Arcade + Casual |
| 25 | 2.5D + Strategy1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 31 launches | 1 in 311 hit | $607 | $67,759 | 31 | Small | Pin 2.5D + Strategy |
Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 1,269 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.