Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Building + Sandboxabout 2.0 times the 19 in 100 base rate38 in 100
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Best nichesFree until launchClick to unlockTag pairs that beat the odds
Genres
Every genre, 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 genre does.
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 genre list
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.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest typical yearWhat the middle launch earned, highest first.Loads the 30+ launches view.Biggest upsideWhat the top tenth earned at least.Loads the 30+ launches view.Proven at scale100+ launches and above the base rate.Now: Cozy, 45 in 100. 45 match.Busiest marketsMost launches first: where the competition is.Loads the 30+ launches view.
83 of 266 genres have 100+ launches at $10 to $20. 39 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, lowest first.
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| Rank# | Genre | 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 | Dating Sim19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 185 launches | 19 in 10035 hits | $7,891 | $237,886 | 185 | Audience | Pin Dating Sim |
| 2 | Action RPG19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 297 launches | 19 in 10057 hits | $8,741 | $235,997 | 297 | none | Pin Action RPG |
| 3 | Time Management19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 176 launches | 19 in 10034 hits | $6,798 | $184,557 | 176 | none | Pin Time Management |
| 4 | RTS19 in 100 earned $100k+, from 119 launches | 19 in 10023 hits | $13,660 | $281,739 | 119 | Audience | Pin RTS |
| 5 | Shooter20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 394 launches | 20 in 10077 hits | $8,418 | $319,385 | 394 | Audience | Pin Shooter |
| 6 | Psychological Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 228 launches | 20 in 10045 hits | $16,691 | $233,568 | 228 | none | Pin Psychological Horror |
| 7 | Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 397 launches | 20 in 10079 hits | $10,460 | $242,848 | 397 | none | Pin Horror |
| 8 | Survival Horror20 in 100 earned $100k+, from 135 launches | 20 in 10027 hits | $15,866 | $187,016 | 135 | none | Pin Survival Horror |
| 9 | Simulation21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 1,006 launches | 21 in 100216 hits | $14,573 | $294,876 | 1,006 | none | Pin Simulation |
| 10 | Souls-like21 in 100 earned $100k+, from 121 launches | 21 in 10026 hits | $18,695 | $286,515 | 121 | none | Pin Souls-like |
| 11 | Third-Person Shooter22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 106 launches | 22 in 10023 hits | $3,035 | $471,994 | 106 | none | Pin Third-Person Shooter |
| 12 | Tactical22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 128 launches | 22 in 10028 hits | $13,963 | $240,450 | 128 | none | Pin Tactical |
| 13 | City Builder22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 145 launches | 22 in 10032 hits | $17,624 | $313,313 | 145 | Audience | Pin City Builder |
| 14 | Dungeon Crawler22 in 100 earned $100k+, from 224 launches | 22 in 10050 hits | $14,811 | $415,727 | 224 | Audience | Pin Dungeon Crawler |
| 15 | Hack and Slash23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 189 launches | 23 in 10043 hits | $13,053 | $286,515 | 189 | none | Pin Hack and Slash |
| 16 | Character Customization23 in 100 earned $100k+, from 203 launches | 23 in 10047 hits | $14,811 | $305,217 | 203 | none | Pin Character Customization |
| 17 | FPS24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 238 launches | 24 in 10056 hits | $11,231 | $636,746 | 238 | none | Pin FPS |
| 18 | Roguelike24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 480 launches | 24 in 100113 hits | $18,676 | $415,727 | 480 | none | Pin Roguelike |
| 19 | Tower Defense24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 143 launches | 24 in 10034 hits | $7,628 | $430,966 | 143 | none | Pin Tower Defense |
| 20 | Survival24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 226 launches | 24 in 10054 hits | $18,938 | $358,651 | 226 | none | Pin Survival |
| 21 | Roguelite24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 448 launches | 24 in 100108 hits | $18,456 | $485,586 | 448 | none | Pin Roguelite |
| 22 | Detective24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 141 launches | 24 in 10034 hits | $10,665 | $248,075 | 141 | none | Pin Detective |
| 23 | Immersive Sim24 in 100 earned $100k+, from 359 launches | 24 in 10087 hits | $18,621 | $332,634 | 359 | none | Pin Immersive Sim |
| 24 | Medieval25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 126 launches | 25 in 10031 hits | $18,150 | $363,650 | 126 | none | Pin Medieval |
| 25 | Investigation25 in 100 earned $100k+, from 124 launches | 25 in 10031 hits | $9,310 | $291,418 | 124 | none | Pin Investigation |
Show 14 moreShowing 25 of 39 genres
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.