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.

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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 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 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: Crafting + Multiplayer, 43 in 100. 473 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Building + Multiplayer, $72,210 typical. 4,623 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, 35 in 100. 680 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: 2D + Casual, 3,608 launches. 4,623 match.

Hide one-hit markets1,560 out Hide small samples979 out

4,623 of 4,634 niches have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.

Simulation + VR 1 in 21 earned $100k+, from 165 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $710 1-hit

Multiplayer + Simulation 26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 191 launches at any price, West-facing viewtypical $8,419. 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 171,546 of 26,280	$540	not computed	26,280
1	Base Building + Multiplayer45 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches	45 in 10020 hits	$72,210	not computed	44	1-hitSmall	Pin Base Building + Multiplayer
2	Crafting + Multiplayer43 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	43 in 10020 hits	$47,061	not computed	47	Small	Pin Crafting + Multiplayer
3	Building + Multiplayer40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 45 launches	40 in 10018 hits	$72,210	not computed	45	Small	Pin Building + Multiplayer
4	Base Building + Open World Survival Craft40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 53 launches	40 in 10021 hits	$42,492	not computed	53	none	Pin Base Building + Open World Survival Craft
5	Multiplayer + Open World39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 64 launches	39 in 10025 hits	$52,162	not computed	64	none	Pin Multiplayer + Open World
6	Online Co-Op + Roguelike39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 36 launches	39 in 10014 hits	$38,843	not computed	36	Small	Pin Online Co-Op + Roguelike
7	Character Customization + Open World39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 62 launches	39 in 10024 hits	$11,981	not computed	62	1-hit	Pin Character Customization + Open World
8	City Builder + Survival38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	38 in 10018 hits	$37,711	not computed	47	Small	Pin City Builder + Survival
9	Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox38 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches	38 in 10018 hits	$20,188	not computed	47	Small	Pin Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox
10	Base Building + Colony Sim37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 92 launches	37 in 10034 hits	$37,600	not computed	92	none	Pin Base Building + Colony Sim
11	Multiplayer + Sandbox37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 65 launches	37 in 10024 hits	$21,574	not computed	65	none	Pin Multiplayer + Sandbox
12	Co-op + FPS35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches	35 in 10015 hits	$5,801	not computed	43	Small	Pin Co-op + FPS
13	City Builder + Management35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 110 launches	35 in 10038 hits	$12,407	not computed	110	1-hit	Pin City Builder + Management
14	Open World + Open World Survival Craft35 in 100 earned $100k+, from 55 launches	35 in 10019 hits	$20,188	not computed	55	1-hit	Pin Open World + Open World Survival Craft
15	Co-op + Roguelike34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 38 launches	34 in 10013 hits	$38,613	not computed	38	Small	Pin Co-op + Roguelike
16	Shop Keeper + Simulation34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches	34 in 10015 hits	$32,926	not computed	44	1-hitSmall	Pin Shop Keeper + Simulation
17	Base Building + City Builder33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 123 launches	33 in 10041 hits	$18,791	not computed	123	1-hit	Pin Base Building + City Builder
18	Cozy + Farming Sim33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches	33 in 10013 hits	$46,218	not computed	39	Small	Pin Cozy + Farming Sim
19	Management + Multiplayer33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches	33 in 10013 hits	$20,748	not computed	39	1-hitSmallAudience	Pin Management + Multiplayer
20	City Builder + Resource Management33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 94 launches	33 in 10031 hits	$18,791	not computed	94	1-hit	Pin City Builder + Resource Management
21	Driving + Exploration33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 58 launches	33 in 10019 hits	$6,087	not computed	58	none	Pin Driving + Exploration
22	FPS + Online Co-Op33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches	33 in 10015 hits	$25,251	not computed	46	Small	Pin FPS + Online Co-Op
23	Base Building + Management32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 117 launches	32 in 10038 hits	$13,240	not computed	117	1-hitAudience	Pin Base Building + Management
24	Building + Open World32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 85 launches	32 in 10027 hits	$10,843	not computed	85	1-hit	Pin Building + Open World
25	Colony Sim + Sandbox32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 63 launches	32 in 10020 hits	$18,490	not computed	63	none	Pin Colony Sim + Sandbox

Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 4,623 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.