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 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 6 to 7.5 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

All prices

Pairs with the best chance of $100k+, above the base rateFree until launch

Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck46 in 100

1Building + Multiplayer46 in 10048 launches 2Base Building + Multiplayer46 in 10046 launches 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike45 in 10040 launches 4Cozy + Farming Sim45 in 10040 launches 5Crafting + Multiplayer45 in 10049 launches

Lens checkHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: holds.

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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds

The niche list

Price $10 to $20

All prices1 in 15 hit $100k+Under $51 in 238 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2020 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,291 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Lens Last 18 months

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Only launches from the last 18 months. Lenses are computed across all prices only so far, so a lens reads All prices.

Sample 10+

10+ launchesshow small samples 30+ launches 100+ launchesonly big markets

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Last 18 months Reset

The Last 18 months lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.

Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Opens $10 to $20, Standard lens.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Base Building + Crafting, 38 in 100. 463 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Building + Simulation, $10,414 typical. 1,971 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Building + Simulation, 25 in 100. 148 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 1,131 launches. 1,971 match.

Hide one-hit markets1,528 out Hide small samples3,343 out

4,456 of 4,635 niches have 10+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Physics + Simulation 11 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches at any price, Last 18 months$10k+ not computed yet none

Multiplayer + Simulation 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches at any price, Last 18 months$10k+ not computed yet. Best of the pins none

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Niches at any price, Last 18 months, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#	Niche	Chance of $100k+	Typical year	Top 1 in 10	Launches	Markers	Pin
	All games at any price, Last 18 monthsthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 151,722 of 26,291	$552	not computed	26,291
1	Immersive Sim + Shooter7 of 13 launches earned $100k+	7 of 137 hits	under 100	under 100	13	Small	Pin Immersive Sim + Shooter
2	Adventure + Cozy11 of 21 launches earned $100k+	11 of 2111 hits	under 100	under 100	21	SmallAudience	Pin Adventure + Cozy
3	Shop Keeper + Simulation10 of 20 launches earned $100k+	10 of 2010 hits	under 100	under 100	20	1-hitSmall	Pin Shop Keeper + Simulation
4	Cinematic + FMV8 of 16 launches earned $100k+	8 of 168 hits	under 100	under 100	16	Small	Pin Cinematic + FMV
5	Medieval + Sandbox7 of 14 launches earned $100k+	7 of 147 hits	under 100	under 100	14	Small	Pin Medieval + Sandbox
6	Base Building + Multiplayer6 of 12 launches earned $100k+	6 of 126 hits	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Base Building + Multiplayer
7	FMV + Multiple Endings9 of 19 launches earned $100k+	9 of 199 hits	under 100	under 100	19	Small	Pin FMV + Multiple Endings
8	Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox7 of 15 launches earned $100k+	7 of 157 hits	under 100	under 100	15	Small	Pin Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox
9	Base Building + Open World Survival Craft6 of 13 launches earned $100k+	6 of 136 hits	under 100	under 100	13	Small	Pin Base Building + Open World Survival Craft
10	Crafting + Multiplayer5 of 11 launches earned $100k+	5 of 115 hits	under 100	under 100	11	Small	Pin Crafting + Multiplayer
11	Management + Shop Keeper9 of 20 launches earned $100k+	9 of 209 hits	under 100	under 100	20	1-hitSmall	Pin Management + Shop Keeper
12	Base Building + PvE7 of 16 launches earned $100k+	7 of 167 hits	under 100	under 100	16	Small	Pin Base Building + PvE
13	Management + Multiplayer7 of 16 launches earned $100k+	7 of 167 hits	under 100	under 100	16	1-hitSmallAudience	Pin Management + Multiplayer
14	Multiplayer + Sandbox10 of 23 launches earned $100k+	10 of 2310 hits	under 100	under 100	23	Small	Pin Multiplayer + Sandbox
15	FPS + Online Co-Op6 of 14 launches earned $100k+	6 of 146 hits	under 100	under 100	14	Small	Pin FPS + Online Co-Op
16	City Builder + Resource Management11 of 26 launches earned $100k+	11 of 2611 hits	under 100	under 100	26	1-hitSmall	Pin City Builder + Resource Management
17	City Builder + Medieval8 of 19 launches earned $100k+	8 of 198 hits	under 100	under 100	19	Small	Pin City Builder + Medieval
18	Cozy + Farming Sim8 of 19 launches earned $100k+	8 of 198 hits	under 100	under 100	19	Small	Pin Cozy + Farming Sim
19	Base Building + City Builder42 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches	42 in 10013 hits	under 100	under 100	31	1-hitSmall	Pin Base Building + City Builder
20	Character Customization + Story Rich5 of 12 launches earned $100k+	5 of 125 hits	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Character Customization + Story Rich
21	Co-op + Roguelike5 of 12 launches earned $100k+	5 of 125 hits	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Co-op + Roguelike
22	Colorful + Wholesome5 of 12 launches earned $100k+	5 of 125 hits	under 100	under 100	12	Small	Pin Colorful + Wholesome
23	Base Building + Management12 of 29 launches earned $100k+	12 of 2912 hits	under 100	under 100	29	1-hitSmall	Pin Base Building + Management
24	Character Customization + Open World7 of 17 launches earned $100k+	7 of 177 hits	under 100	under 100	17	1-hitSmall	Pin Character Customization + Open World
25	Character Customization + Life Sim9 of 22 launches earned $100k+	9 of 229 hits	under 100	under 100	22	Small	Pin Character Customization + Life Sim

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 4,456 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 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.