Genres

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.

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192,373
on 4 Oct 2026

Niches 3 Oct

Of 1,971 niches with 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months, 870 beat the 1 in 15 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 238 under $5, 44 in 100 at $20 to $40.870 of 1,971 niches beat the 1 in 15 base rate.870 beat the base rate.

Typical launch, all prices, first year $552

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 launches2Base Building + Multiplayer46 in 10046 launches3Online Co-Op + Roguelike45 in 10040 launches4Cozy + Farming Sim45 in 10040 launches5Crafting + 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

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 markets0 outHide small samples101 outHolds in every lens+1,508 if off

1,971 of 4,635 niches have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. 463 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

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Niches at any price, Last 18 months, sorted by chance of $100k+. The first row is the base rate.
Rank#NicheChance of $100k+Typical yearTop 1 in 10LaunchesMarkersPin
All games at any price, Last 18 monthsthe base rate: the row to beat 1 in 151,722 of 26,291 $552not computed 26,291
1 38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches 38 in 10015 hits under 100 under 100 40 Small Pin Base Building + Crafting
2 37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches 37 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 30 Small Pin Cozy + Exploration
3 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches 34 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 32 Small Pin Base Building + RTS
4 34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches 34 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 35 Small Pin Online Co-Op + Simulation
5 32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 32 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 38 Small Pin Colony Sim + Simulation
6 Multiplayer + Simulation31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches 31 in 10020 hits under 100 under 100 64 none Pin Multiplayer + Simulation

31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches at any price, Last 18 months. That is about 4.8 times the base rate.

Base rate at any price, Last 18 months: 1 in 15 (1,722 of 26,291 launches earned $100k+).

Odds by size: $1k+ not computed yet · $10k+ not computed yet · $100k+ 31 in 100. Under 100 launches, so no typical figure.

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

No warning markers: no single game holds half the money, the sample is 50+ launches and the West-facing view does not move the answer.

Chance of $100k+ at every price (Standard lens)
PriceChanceLaunchesTypical
All prices28 in 100197$9,620
Under $51 of 61 launches61under 100
$5 to $1017 in 10054under 100
$10 to $2045 in 10058under 100
$20 to $4019 of 24 launches24under 100

Grey: under 30 launches or 5 hits at that price, written as a count. Typical needs 100 launches. Odds compare best within one price.

Its two tags alone, at any price, Last 18 months

  • Multiplayerstyle tag16 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,295 launches
  • Simulation1 in 11 earned $100k+, from 4,442 launches
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7 31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches 31 in 10010 hits under 100 under 100 32 Small Pin Base Building + Exploration
8 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches 30 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 37 Small Pin Cinematic + Story Rich
9 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches 29 in 10010 hits under 100 under 100 34 Small Pin FMV + Interactive Fiction
10 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches 29 in 10010 hits under 100 under 100 34 Small Pin Investigation + Story Rich
11 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches 29 in 1009 hits under 100 under 100 31 Small Pin Colorful + Cozy
12 29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches 29 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 38 Small Pin Colony Sim + Strategy
13 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches 28 in 10015 hits under 100 under 100 54 none Pin Open World + Sandbox
14 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 48 launches 27 in 10013 hits under 100 under 100 48 Small Pin Crafting + Exploration
15 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 82 launches 27 in 10022 hits under 100 under 100 82 none Pin Base Building + Strategy
16 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 82 launches 27 in 10022 hits under 100 under 100 82 none Pin Building + Sandbox
17 27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 71 launches 27 in 10019 hits under 100 under 100 71 none Pin Building + Management
18 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches 26 in 10015 hits under 100 under 100 57 none Pin Base Building + Building
19 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches 26 in 1009 hits under 100 under 100 35 Small Pin Economy + Sandbox
20 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches 26 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 47 Small Pin Base Building + Survival
21 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 48 launches 25 in 10012 hits under 100 under 100 48 Small Pin Co-op + First-Person
22 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches 25 in 1008 hits under 100 under 100 32 Small Pin Co-op + Exploration
23 25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches 25 in 10013 hits under 100 under 100 53 none Pin Building + Economy
24 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches 24 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 46 Small Pin Economy + Resource Management
25 24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches 24 in 10011 hits under 100 under 100 46 Small Pin Investigation + Mystery
Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 463 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.

Releases

Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.