Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree 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 change shows for genres with 100+ launches. The same figures are on the Genres page.
Niches 3 Oct
Of 1,115 niches with 30+ launches at $10 to $20, 500 beat the 18 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 219 under $5, 40 in 100 at $20 to $40.500 of 1,115 niches beat the 18 in 100 base rate.500 beat the base rate.
Typical launch, all prices, first year $540
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.
Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch
1,115 of 4,634 niches have 30+ launches at $10 to $20. 563 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 | 18 in 100758 of 4,301 | $8,234 | $217,858 | 4,301 | |||
| 1 | 2D + Hidden Objectnone of 72 launches earned $100k+ | 0 of 72no hits | $766 | $3,377 | 72 | none | Pin 2D + Hidden Object |
| 2 | 3D Platformer + Casualnone of 50 launches earned $100k+ | 0 of 50no hits | $1,065 | $19,804 | 50 | 1-hit | Pin 3D Platformer + Casual |
| 3 | Adventure + VR1 of 58 launches earned $100k+ | 1 of 581 hit | $5,047 | $36,522 | 58 | 1-hit | Pin Adventure + VR |
| 4 | Casual + VR1 of 56 launches earned $100k+ | 1 of 561 hit | $2,279 | $16,089 | 56 | none | Pin Casual + VR |
| 5 | Anime + Fantasy1 of 51 launches earned $100k+ | 1 of 511 hit | $2,956 | $52,331 | 51 | 1-hit | Pin Anime + Fantasy |
| 6 | Adventure + Hidden Object2 of 99 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 992 hits | $1,380 | $27,933 | 99 | none | Pin Adventure + Hidden Object |
| 7 | Hidden Object + Point & Click2 of 80 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 802 hits | $1,256 | $16,879 | 80 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Point & Click |
| 8 | 2D + Choose Your Own Adventure2 of 75 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 752 hits | $2,785 | $38,419 | 75 | none | Pin 2D + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 9 | Platformer + Puzzle Platformer2 of 65 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 652 hits | $5,571 | $48,341 | 65 | Audience | Pin Platformer + Puzzle Platformer |
| 10 | Arcade + Casual4 of 124 launches earned $100k+ | 4 of 1244 hits | $862 | $14,174 | 124 | none | Pin Arcade + Casual |
| 11 | Adventure + Puzzle Platformer2 of 62 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 622 hits | $3,764 | $35,402 | 62 | Audience | Pin Adventure + Puzzle Platformer |
| 12 | Casual + Romance2 of 62 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 622 hits | $5,065 | $43,748 | 62 | none | Pin Casual + Romance |
| 13 | Text-Based + Visual Novel2 of 62 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 622 hits | $4,825 | $40,772 | 62 | none | Pin Text-Based + Visual Novel |
| 14 | Adventure + Cartoony2 of 59 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 592 hits | $3,241 | $34,918 | 59 | none | Pin Adventure + Cartoony |
| 15 | Casual + Visual Novel1 in 29 earned $100k+, from 145 launches | 1 in 295 hits | $3,122 | $45,862 | 145 | Audience | Pin Casual + Visual Novel |
| 16 | Simulation + VR2 of 56 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 562 hits | $4,826 | $36,522 | 56 | 1-hit | Pinned Simulation + VR |
| 17 | Fantasy + JRPG2 of 55 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 552 hits | $2,757 | $44,763 | 55 | 1-hit | Pin Fantasy + JRPG |
| 18 | Anime + Choose Your Own Adventure2 of 54 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 542 hits | $760 | $37,930 | 54 | Audience | Pin Anime + Choose Your Own Adventure |
| 19 | 3D + PvE2 of 53 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 532 hits | $2,011 | $38,738 | 53 | 1-hit | Pin 3D + PvE |
| 20 | First-Person + VR2 of 53 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 532 hits | $2,352 | $36,522 | 53 | none | Pin First-Person + VR |
| 21 | Action-Adventure + Strategy2 of 52 launches earned $100k+ | 2 of 522 hits | $2,086 | $55,755 | 52 | 1-hit | Pin Action-Adventure + Strategy |
| 22 | Hidden Object + Puzzle1 in 25 earned $100k+, from 127 launches | 1 in 255 hits | $1,149 | $27,933 | 127 | none | Pin Hidden Object + Puzzle |
| 23 | Casual + Point & Click1 in 25 earned $100k+, from 126 launches | 1 in 255 hits | $1,532 | $32,794 | 126 | none | Pin Casual + Point & Click |
| 24 | Casual + Dating Sim3 of 73 launches earned $100k+ | 3 of 733 hits | $2,298 | $41,845 | 73 | none | Pin Casual + Dating Sim |
| 25 | 3D + 3D Platformer4 of 95 launches earned $100k+ | 4 of 954 hits | $2,228 | $30,785 | 95 | none | Pin 3D + 3D Platformer |
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.
Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.