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 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.

Best niches

All prices

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

Base Building + Multiplayerabout 2.3 times expected at its prices, could be luck44 in 100

1Base Building + Multiplayer44 in 10045 launches 2Crafting + Multiplayer44 in 10048 launches 3Online Co-Op + Roguelike43 in 10040 launches 4Base Building + Open World Survival Craft39 in 10054 launches 5Character Customization + Open World39 in 10062 launches

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

Open free preview

Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds

The niche list

Price $10 to $20

All prices1 in 17 hit $100k+Under $51 in 219 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 30 hit $100k+$10 to $2018 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4040 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,280 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: Cozy + Exploration, 37 in 100. 421 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Base Building + City Builder, $61,759 typical. 1,968 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, 23 in 100. 156 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 1,131 launches. 1,968 match.

Hide one-hit markets457 out Hide small samples852 out

1,968 of 4,634 niches have 30+ launches at any price, Last 18 months. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Multiplayer + Simulation 30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $15,122. Best of the pins none

Character Customization + Simulation 3 of 37 earned $100k+ at any price, Last 18 monthstypical $958 Small

Pin another to compare.

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 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Base Building + City Builder39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches	39 in 10012 hits	$61,759	not computed	31	1-hitSmall	Pin Base Building + City Builder
2	Cozy + Exploration37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	37 in 10011 hits	$33,032	not computed	30	Small	Pin Cozy + Exploration
3	City Builder + Management35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	35 in 10012 hits	$29,142	not computed	34	1-hitSmall	Pin City Builder + Management
4	City Builder + Sandbox35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	35 in 10012 hits	$14,155	not computed	34	1-hitSmall	Pin City Builder + Sandbox
5	Base Building + Crafting35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches	35 in 10014 hits	$28,489	not computed	40	Small	Pin Base Building + Crafting
6	Base Building + Management33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	33 in 10010 hits	$50,602	not computed	30	1-hitSmallAudience	Pin Base Building + Management
7	Co-op + PvE33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	33 in 10010 hits	$19,328	not computed	30	1-hitSmall	Pin Co-op + PvE
8	Building + City Builder32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	32 in 10017 hits	$11,537	not computed	53	1-hit	Pin Building + City Builder
9	Online Co-Op + Simulation31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches	31 in 10011 hits	$12,561	not computed	35	Small	Pin Online Co-Op + Simulation
10	Base Building + Exploration31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches	31 in 10010 hits	$4,596	not computed	32	Small	Pin Base Building + Exploration
11	Base Building + RTS31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches	31 in 10010 hits	$35,857	not computed	32	Small	Pin Base Building + RTS
12	Cinematic + Story Rich30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 37 launches	30 in 10011 hits	$3,130	not computed	37	Small	Pin Cinematic + Story Rich
13	Multiplayer + Simulation30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches	30 in 10019 hits	$15,122	not computed	64	none	Pinned Multiplayer + Simulation
14	FMV + Interactive Fiction29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches	29 in 10010 hits	$36,920	not computed	35	Small	Pin FMV + Interactive Fiction
15	Open World + Sandbox28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	28 in 10015 hits	$5,665	not computed	53	none	Pin Open World + Sandbox
16	Base Building + Sandbox28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches	28 in 10014 hits	$8,454	not computed	50	1-hitAudience	Pin Base Building + Sandbox
17	Co-op + Simulation28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 36 launches	28 in 10010 hits	$17,857	not computed	36	1-hitSmall	Pin Co-op + Simulation
18	Building + Relaxing27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 55 launches	27 in 10015 hits	$3,215	not computed	55	none	Pin Building + Relaxing
19	Crafting + Exploration27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 48 launches	27 in 10013 hits	$6,737	not computed	48	Small	Pin Crafting + Exploration
20	Building + Sandbox27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 82 launches	27 in 10022 hits	$10,920	not computed	82	none	Pin Building + Sandbox
21	Economy + Relaxing27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	27 in 1008 hits	$15,138	not computed	30	Small	Pin Economy + Relaxing
22	Economy + Trading27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 30 launches	27 in 1008 hits	$44,464	not computed	30	1-hitSmall	Pin Economy + Trading
23	Building + Exploration26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	26 in 1009 hits	$5,172	not computed	34	1-hitSmall	Pin Building + Exploration
24	Investigation + Story Rich26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 34 launches	26 in 1009 hits	$10,573	not computed	34	Small	Pin Investigation + Story Rich
25	City Builder + Simulation26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 66 launches	26 in 10017 hits	$9,614	not computed	66	1-hit	Pin City Builder + Simulation

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 1,968 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.