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 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.

Best niches

All prices

Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch

Capitalism + Incrementalabout 13 times expected at its prices14 in 100

1Capitalism + Incremental14 in 10050 launches 2Casual + Desktop Companion28 in 10047 launches 3Desktop Companion + Idler25 in 10064 launches 4Desktop Companion + Relaxing30 in 10043 launches 5Comedy + Memes10 in 10049 launches

Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.

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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 16 hit $100k+Under $51 in 200 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 26 hit $100k+$10 to $2019 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4042 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 6 to 30 months old, 29,637 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 30+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 Last 18 months 30+ launches 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: Cinematic + FMV, 45 in 100. 1,522 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Cinematic + FMV, $66,831 typical. 4,039 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Crafting + Exploration, 26 in 100. 408 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 2,403 launches. 4,039 match.

Hide one-hit markets644 out Hide small samples+1,533 if off

4,039 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. 2,506 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#	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 161,804 of 29,637	$606	not computed	29,637
1	Base Building + Exploration33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 69 launches	33 in 10023 hits	$9,714	not computed	69	Audience	Pin Base Building + Exploration
2	Base Building + Crafting33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 85 launches	33 in 10028 hits	$21,307	not computed	85	1-hit	Pin Base Building + Crafting
3	Base Building + Sandbox32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches	32 in 10030 hits	$13,963	not computed	94	Audience	Pin Base Building + Sandbox
4	Base Building + Management30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 70 launches	30 in 10021 hits	$21,570	not computed	70	none	Pin Base Building + Management
5	Historical + Simulation30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 57 launches	30 in 10017 hits	$4,859	not computed	57	1-hit	Pin Historical + Simulation
6	Co-op + PvE29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 62 launches	29 in 10018 hits	$9,410	not computed	62	none	Pin Co-op + PvE
7	Base Building + Survival28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 92 launches	28 in 10026 hits	$18,938	not computed	92	none	Pin Base Building + Survival
8	Co-op + Exploration28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches	28 in 10018 hits	$20,412	not computed	64	none	Pin Co-op + Exploration
9	Base Building + Colony Sim28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches	28 in 10014 hits	$39,670	not computed	50	none	Pin Base Building + Colony Sim
10	Immersive Sim + Story Rich28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches	28 in 10017 hits	$4,143	not computed	61	Audience	Pin Immersive Sim + Story Rich
11	FMV + Interactive Fiction27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 67 launches	27 in 10018 hits	$20,027	not computed	67	Audience	Pin FMV + Interactive Fiction
12	Building + Crafting27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches	27 in 10025 hits	$7,770	not computed	94	none	Pin Building + Crafting
13	Crafting + Exploration26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 102 launches	26 in 10027 hits	$7,119	not computed	102	none	Pin Crafting + Exploration
14	Open World + Survival26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 87 launches	26 in 10023 hits	$8,498	not computed	87	none	Pin Open World + Survival
15	Online Co-Op + PvE26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches	26 in 10016 hits	$5,867	not computed	61	none	Pin Online Co-Op + PvE
16	Cozy + Exploration26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches	26 in 10014 hits	$9,508	not computed	54	none	Pin Cozy + Exploration
17	City Builder + Sandbox25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 67 launches	25 in 10017 hits	$5,667	not computed	67	1-hit	Pin City Builder + Sandbox
18	Crafting + Open World25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 71 launches	25 in 10018 hits	$10,525	not computed	71	1-hit	Pin Crafting + Open World
19	Building + Life Sim25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 52 launches	25 in 10013 hits	$11,329	not computed	52	none	Pin Building + Life Sim
20	Base Building + City Builder25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	25 in 10018 hits	$10,687	not computed	73	1-hit	Pin Base Building + City Builder
21	Co-op + Simulation25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 61 launches	25 in 10015 hits	$12,766	not computed	61	1-hit	Pin Co-op + Simulation
22	Cinematic + Story Rich24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 74 launches	24 in 10018 hits	$4,713	not computed	74	Audience	Pin Cinematic + Story Rich
23	Crafting + Survival24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 91 launches	24 in 10022 hits	$6,882	not computed	91	none	Pin Crafting + Survival
24	Open World + Sandbox24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 109 launches	24 in 10026 hits	$6,871	not computed	109	none	Pin Open World + Sandbox
25	Sandbox + Survival24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 63 launches	24 in 10015 hits	$6,208	not computed	63	Audience	Pin Sandbox + Survival

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 2,506 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 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.