Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Ticker: 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 1,269 niches with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 581 beat the 19 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.581 of 1,269 niches beat the 19 in 100 base rate.581 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
1,269 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. 706 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
| 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 | PvE + Roguelike1 in 39 earned $100k+, from 39 launches | 1 in 391 hit | $6,070 | $71,549 | 39 | Small | Pin PvE + Roguelike |
| 4 | Sports + Strategy1 in 39 earned $100k+, from 39 launches | 1 in 391 hit | $4,858 | $64,049 | 39 | Small | Pin Sports + Strategy |
| 5 | 2D + Family Friendly1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $971 | $14,267 | 37 | Small | Pin 2D + Family Friendly |
| 6 | Cute + JRPG1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $4,807 | $25,501 | 37 | SmallAudience | Pin Cute + JRPG |
| 7 | PvE + RPG1 in 37 earned $100k+, from 37 launches | 1 in 371 hit | $4,998 | $40,885 | 37 | Small | Pin PvE + RPG |
| 8 | 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 |
| 9 | 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 |
| 10 | Cute + Interactive Fiction1 in 32 earned $100k+, from 32 launches | 1 in 321 hit | $7,366 | $50,231 | 32 | SmallAudience | Pin Cute + Interactive Fiction |
| 11 | Arcade + Casual1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 124 launches | 1 in 314 hits | $1,214 | $18,213 | 124 | none | Pin Arcade + Casual |
| 12 | Casual + Top-Down1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 31 launches | 1 in 311 hit | $5,099 | $38,668 | 31 | Small | Pin Casual + Top-Down |
| 13 | Adventure + Hidden Object1 in 31 earned $100k+, from 123 launches | 1 in 314 hits | $1,214 | $26,261 | 123 | none | Pin Adventure + Hidden Object |
| 14 | Anime + Fantasy1 in 30 earned $100k+, from 60 launches | 1 in 302 hits | $5,642 | $59,495 | 60 | none | Pin Anime + Fantasy |
| 15 | Anime + Choose Your Own Adventure1 in 27 earned $100k+, from 54 launches | 1 in 272 hits | $1,214 | $38,877 | 54 | none | Pin Anime + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 16 | Hidden Object + Story Rich1 in 23 earned $100k+, from 69 launches | 1 in 233 hits | $1,214 | $9,310 | 69 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Story Rich |
| 17 | Arcade + Strategy1 in 23 earned $100k+, from 46 launches | 1 in 232 hits | $911 | $64,049 | 46 | Small | Pin Arcade + Strategy |
| 18 | Adventure + Choose Your Own Adventure1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 129 launches | 1 in 226 hits | $3,643 | $73,673 | 129 | none | Pin Adventure + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 19 | Arcade + Platformer1 in 22 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 1 in 222 hits | $2,429 | $34,408 | 43 | Small | Pin Arcade + Platformer |
| 20 | Casual + Visual Novel1 in 21 earned $100k+, from 147 launches | 1 in 217 hits | $3,561 | $46,957 | 147 | none | Pin Casual + Visual Novel |
| 21 | Action + Family Friendly1 in 21 earned $100k+, from 42 launches | 1 in 212 hits | $3,400 | $38,247 | 42 | Small | Pin Action + Family Friendly |
| 22 | Casual + Point & Click1 in 20 earned $100k+, from 141 launches | 1 in 207 hits | $1,619 | $33,997 | 141 | none | Pin Casual + Point & Click |
| 23 | Hidden Object + Puzzle1 in 20 earned $100k+, from 141 launches | 1 in 207 hits | $1,214 | $26,261 | 141 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Puzzle |
| 24 | Casual + Choose Your Own Adventure1 in 20 earned $100k+, from 60 launches | 1 in 203 hits | $1,315 | $28,533 | 60 | none | Pin Casual + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 25 | 3D Platformer + Puzzle1 in 20 earned $100k+, from 40 launches | 1 in 202 hits | $2,671 | $62,295 | 40 | Small | Pin 3D Platformer + Puzzle |
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.