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 West-facing view

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

Games mostly reviewed outside China: drops games with 35% or more of their reviews in Chinese. That share is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; for smaller games it is guessed from the game's name. 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 West-facing view 30+ launches Reset

The West-facing view 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: Building + Multiplayer, 48 in 100. 536 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Base Building + City Builder, $24,828 typical. 4,624 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Not computed for lenses yet.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: City Builder + Management, 37 in 100. 701 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 3,611 launches. 4,624 match.

Hide one-hit markets1,614 out Hide small samples978 out

4,624 of 4,635 niches have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Arcade + Simulation 1 in 42 earned $100k+, from 377 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $248 1-hit

Multiplayer + Simulation 28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 191 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $8,634. Best of the pins none

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Niches at any price, West-facing view, 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, West-facing viewthe base rate: the row to beat	1 in 151,722 of 26,291	$552	not computed	26,291
1	Building + Multiplayer48 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches	48 in 10022 hits	under 100	under 100	46	Small	Pin Building + Multiplayer
2	Base Building + Multiplayer47 in 100 earned $100k+, from 45 launches	47 in 10021 hits	under 100	under 100	45	Small	Pin Base Building + Multiplayer
3	Crafting + Multiplayer44 in 100 earned $100k+, from 48 launches	44 in 10021 hits	under 100	under 100	48	Small	Pin Crafting + Multiplayer
4	Cozy + Farming Sim44 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches	44 in 10017 hits	under 100	under 100	39	Small	Pin Cozy + Farming Sim
5	City Builder + Survival43 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	43 in 10020 hits	under 100	under 100	47	Small	Pin City Builder + Survival
6	Online Co-Op + Roguelike42 in 100 earned $100k+, from 36 launches	42 in 10015 hits	under 100	under 100	36	Small	Pin Online Co-Op + Roguelike
7	Base Building + Open World Survival Craft41 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches	41 in 10022 hits	under 100	under 100	54	none	Pin Base Building + Open World Survival Craft
8	Base Building + Colony Sim40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 92 launches	40 in 10037 hits	under 100	under 100	92	none	Pin Base Building + Colony Sim
9	Multiplayer + Open World40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 65 launches	40 in 10026 hits	under 100	under 100	65	none	Pin Multiplayer + Open World
10	Co-op + Roguelike39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches	39 in 10015 hits	under 100	under 100	38	Small	Pin Co-op + Roguelike
11	Character Customization + Open World39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 62 launches	39 in 10024 hits	under 100	under 100	62	1-hit	Pin Character Customization + Open World
12	Multiplayer + Sandbox38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 65 launches	38 in 10025 hits	under 100	under 100	65	none	Pin Multiplayer + Sandbox
13	Management + Multiplayer38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches	38 in 10015 hits	under 100	under 100	39	1-hitSmallAudience	Pin Management + Multiplayer
14	Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	38 in 10018 hits	under 100	under 100	47	Small	Pin Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox
15	City Builder + Management37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	37 in 10041 hits	$14,564	not computed	110	1-hitAudience	Pin City Builder + Management
16	Cozy + Life Sim37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches	37 in 10019 hits	under 100	under 100	51	none	Pin Cozy + Life Sim
17	Co-op + FPS37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches	37 in 10016 hits	under 100	under 100	43	Small	Pin Co-op + FPS
18	Open World + Open World Survival Craft36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 56 launches	36 in 10020 hits	under 100	under 100	56	1-hit	Pin Open World + Open World Survival Craft
19	Management + Shop Keeper36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches	36 in 10015 hits	under 100	under 100	42	1-hitSmall	Pin Management + Shop Keeper
20	Automation + Base Building36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 73 launches	36 in 10026 hits	under 100	under 100	73	1-hit	Pin Automation + Base Building
21	Automation + Resource Management35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 65 launches	35 in 10023 hits	under 100	under 100	65	none	Pin Automation + Resource Management
22	City Builder + Resource Management35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches	35 in 10033 hits	under 100	under 100	94	1-hit	Pin City Builder + Resource Management
23	Base Building + City Builder35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 123 launches	35 in 10043 hits	$24,828	not computed	123	1-hit	Pin Base Building + City Builder
24	FPS + Online Co-Op35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches	35 in 10016 hits	under 100	under 100	46	Small	Pin FPS + Online Co-Op
25	Driving + Exploration34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 58 launches	34 in 10020 hits	under 100	under 100	58	none	Pin Driving + Exploration

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 4,624 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.