Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Casual + Cozyabout 3.0 times the 19 in 100 base rate55 in 100
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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds
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.
The niche list
Best odds at my priceChance of $100k+, read within one price band.Now: Casual + Cozy, 55 in 100. 1,269 match.Steady marketsHolds in every lens and no single game owns it.Now: Casual + Cozy, 55 in 100. 706 match.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Now: Casual + Cozy, $120,225 typical. 1,269 match.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Now: Co-op + Multiplayer, $1.6M top 1 in 10. 658 match.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Building + Sandbox, 38 in 100. 75 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Now: Adventure + Exploration, 437 launches. 1,269 match.
3,697 of 5,145 niches have 10+ launches at $10 to $20. 216 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.
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| Rank# | Niche | Chance of $100k+ | Typical year | Top 1 in 10 | Launches | Markers | Pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All games at $10 to $20the base rate: the row to beat | 19 in 100893 of 4,810 | $9,226 | $248,075 | 4,810 | |||
| 1 | 2D + Music6 of 10 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 106 hits | $263,118 | $2,312,993 | 10 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Music |
| 2 | 2D + Rhythm6 of 15 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 156 hits | $40,062 | $894,198 | 15 | Small | Pin 2D + Rhythm |
| 3 | 2D + Souls-like9 of 24 launches earned $100k+ | 9 of 249 hits | $32,783 | $483,733 | 24 | 1-hitSmallAudience | Pin 2D + Souls-like |
| 4 | 2D + Metroidvania37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 54 launches | 37 in 10020 hits | $42,800 | $575,622 | 54 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Metroidvania |
| 5 | 2D + Difficult32 in 100 earned $100k+, from 50 launches | 32 in 10016 hits | $52,295 | $558,583 | 50 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Difficult |
| 6 | 2D + Investigation7 of 22 launches earned $100k+ | 7 of 227 hits | $27,687 | $448,086 | 22 | Small | Pin 2D + Investigation |
| 7 | 2D + Life Sim8 of 26 launches earned $100k+ | 8 of 268 hits | $50,195 | $239,708 | 26 | Small | Pin 2D + Life Sim |
| 8 | 2D + Multiplayer7 of 23 launches earned $100k+ | 7 of 237 hits | $13,053 | $561,991 | 23 | Small | Pin 2D + Multiplayer |
| 9 | 2D Platformer + Emotional3 of 10 launches earned $100k+ | 3 of 103 hits | $9,472 | $3,520,848 | 10 | 1-hitSmall | Pin 2D Platformer + Emotional |
| 10 | 2D + Open World6 of 21 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 216 hits | $23,478 | $239,708 | 21 | 1-hitSmall | Pin 2D + Open World |
| 11 | 2D + Roguelike Deckbuilder6 of 21 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 216 hits | $33,506 | $574,812 | 21 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Roguelike Deckbuilder |
| 12 | 2D + Nature4 of 14 launches earned $100k+ | 4 of 144 hits | $8,499 | $238,021 | 14 | 1-hitSmall | Pin 2D + Nature |
| 13 | 2D + Dark7 of 25 launches earned $100k+ | 7 of 257 hits | $15,787 | $203,599 | 25 | Small | Pin 2D + Dark |
| 14 | 2D + Psychological Horror5 of 18 launches earned $100k+ | 5 of 185 hits | $41,699 | $945,247 | 18 | Small | Pin 2D + Psychological Horror |
| 15 | 2D Platformer + Character Customization3 of 11 launches earned $100k+ | 3 of 113 hits | $7,088 | $370,024 | 11 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D Platformer + Character Customization |
| 16 | 2D Platformer + Metroidvania27 in 100 earned $100k+, from 52 launches | 27 in 10014 hits | $33,087 | $370,024 | 52 | none | Pin 2D Platformer + Metroidvania |
| 17 | 2D + Crafting4 of 15 launches earned $100k+ | 4 of 154 hits | $11,293 | $522,189 | 15 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Crafting |
| 18 | 2D + Dark Fantasy26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches | 26 in 1008 hits | $19,139 | $187,162 | 31 | Small | Pin 2D + Dark Fantasy |
| 19 | 2D Platformer + Female Protagonist26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 35 launches | 26 in 1009 hits | $12,018 | $346,811 | 35 | Small | Pin 2D Platformer + Female Protagonist |
| 20 | 2D + Cartoon26 in 100 earned $100k+, from 39 launches | 26 in 10010 hits | $5,099 | $570,144 | 39 | Small | Pin 2D + Cartoon |
| 21 | 2D + Futuristic5 of 20 launches earned $100k+ | 5 of 205 hits | $10,321 | $393,463 | 20 | Small | Pin 2D + Futuristic |
| 22 | 2D + Exploration24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 140 launches | 24 in 10034 hits | $15,783 | $382,129 | 140 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Exploration |
| 23 | 2D + Platformer24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 112 launches | 24 in 10027 hits | $26,717 | $346,811 | 112 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Platformer |
| 24 | 2D + Hand-drawn24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 67 launches | 24 in 10016 hits | $16,440 | $293,478 | 67 | 1-hit | Pin 2D + Hand-drawn |
| 25 | 2D Fighter + Multiplayer4 of 17 launches earned $100k+ | 4 of 174 hits | $9,066 | $1,242,324 | 17 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D Fighter + Multiplayer |
Show 25 moreShowing 25 of 216 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.