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 5,145 niches with 30+ launches at any price, Without the breakout, 1,928 beat the 1 in 16 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.1,928 of 5,145 niches beat the 1 in 16 base rate.1,928 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 Without the breakout lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.
5,145 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at any price, Without the breakout. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.
| Rank# | Niche | Chance of $100k+ | Typical year | Top 1 in 10 | Launches | Markers | Pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All games at any price, Without the breakoutthe base rate: the row to beat | 1 in 161,804 of 29,637 | $606 | not computed | 29,637 | |||
| 1 | Co-op + Open World47 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 47 in 10020 hits | $83,230 | not computed | 43 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Co-op + Open World |
| 2 | FMV + Immersive Sim39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches | 39 in 10021 hits | $47,398 | not computed | 54 | none | Pin FMV + Immersive Sim |
| 3 | FMV + Multiple Endings39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches | 39 in 10017 hits | $66,831 | not computed | 44 | SmallAudience | Pin FMV + Multiple Endings |
| 4 | Co-op + Sandbox38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches | 38 in 10016 hits | $38,616 | not computed | 42 | SmallAudience | Pin Co-op + Sandbox |
| 5 | Base Building + Multiplayer37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 37 in 10016 hits | $43,313 | not computed | 43 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Base Building + Multiplayer |
| 6 | Cozy + Story Rich37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 37 in 10016 hits | $24,883 | not computed | 43 | SmallAudience | Pin Cozy + Story Rich |
| 7 | Cinematic + FMV37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 49 launches | 37 in 10018 hits | $35,252 | not computed | 49 | SmallAudience | Pin Cinematic + FMV |
| 8 | Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches | 36 in 10016 hits | $21,307 | not computed | 44 | SmallAudience | Pin Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox |
| 9 | Crafting + Multiplayer36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 36 in 10017 hits | $37,241 | not computed | 47 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Crafting + Multiplayer |
| 10 | Base Building + Open World Survival Craft35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches | 35 in 10018 hits | $40,281 | not computed | 51 | 1-hit | Pin Base Building + Open World Survival Craft |
| 11 | Character Customization + Open World35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 69 launches | 35 in 10024 hits | $12,947 | not computed | 69 | 1-hit | Pin Character Customization + Open World |
| 12 | Simulation + Wholesome34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 41 launches | 34 in 10014 hits | $33,263 | not computed | 41 | Small | Pin Simulation + Wholesome |
| 13 | Online Co-Op + Sandbox34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 34 in 10016 hits | $27,526 | not computed | 47 | Small | Pinned Online Co-Op + Sandbox |
| 14 | Multiplayer + Sandbox33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 78 launches | 33 in 10026 hits | $24,891 | not computed | 78 | none | Pin Multiplayer + Sandbox |
| 15 | Building + Multiplayer33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 48 launches | 33 in 10016 hits | $38,616 | not computed | 48 | SmallAudience | Pin Building + Multiplayer |
| 16 | Base Building + Colony Sim33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 100 launches | 33 in 10033 hits | $27,623 | not computed | 100 | none | Pin Base Building + Colony Sim |
| 17 | Management + Multiplayer33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches | 33 in 10015 hits | $22,885 | not computed | 46 | 1-hitSmall | Pin Management + Multiplayer |
| 18 | Open World Survival Craft + Survival32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 75 launches | 32 in 10024 hits | $21,307 | not computed | 75 | none | Pin Open World Survival Craft + Survival |
| 19 | City Builder + Survival32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 32 in 10015 hits | $17,098 | not computed | 47 | Small | Pin City Builder + Survival |
| 20 | Co-op + Roguelike32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 32 in 10015 hits | $11,231 | not computed | 47 | 1-hitSmallAudience | Pin Co-op + Roguelike |
| 21 | Online Co-Op + Roguelike32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 32 in 10015 hits | $10,722 | not computed | 47 | Small | Pin Online Co-Op + Roguelike |
| 22 | Dating Sim + FMV32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 66 launches | 32 in 10021 hits | $37,833 | not computed | 66 | Audience | Pin Dating Sim + FMV |
| 23 | Base Building + Management32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 142 launches | 32 in 10045 hits | $14,874 | not computed | 142 | none | Pin Base Building + Management |
| 24 | Multiplayer + Open World32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 79 launches | 32 in 10025 hits | $24,891 | not computed | 79 | 1-hit | Pin Multiplayer + Open World |
| 25 | Co-op + FPS31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches | 31 in 10016 hits | $3,436 | not computed | 51 | none | Pin Co-op + 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.