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Ticker: price and year-over-year change for 40 genres. Price is the median estimated first-year revenue of indie paid launches. The same figures are on the Genres page.

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on 2 Oct 2026

Niches / Action-Adventure + Side Scroller

Niche

Action-Adventure + Side Scroller

Games tagged both Action-Adventure and Side Scroller: 256 indie paid launches, 14 of them earned $100k+ in their first year.

How to read this page

  • A hit is an estimated $100k+ first year. Revenue is estimated from Steam reviews, so read figures as "about".
  • Price moves the odds more than genre does, so the page opens on one price band. The keys in section 2 switch it.
  • From 29,637 indie paid launches 6 to 30 months old, data of 1 Oct 2026. How it is measured.

Showing Action-Adventure + Side Scroller priced $10 to $20. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair is level with Action-Adventure and beats Side Scroller; priced $10 to $20 it beats both its tags.

1Scoreboard: the pair against each of its tags

The pair's chance of a $100k+ first year beside each of its two tags, ranked like a high-score table, with typical earnings and the launches behind every figure.

ScoreboardDoes this pair beat its genres?$10 to $20

Action-Adventure + Side Scroller beats both its tags: 19.4 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 15.2 in 100 for Action-Adventure and 12.8 in 100 for Side Scroller.

That is about 1.0 times the 18.6 in 100 expected for any launch at this price.

2NDRunner-up
Tag oneAction-Adventure
15.2in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds15.2 in 100
Typical earnings$5,767
Launches572 / 87 hits
Pair leads by4.2 in 100
1STWinner
This pairAction-Adventure + Side Scroller
19.4in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds19.4 in 100
Typical earnings$12,142
Launches36 / 7 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
3RDThird
Tag twomood tagSide Scroller
12.8in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds12.8 in 100
Typical earnings$10,120
Launches149 / 19 hits
Pair leads by6.6 in 100
All indie launches $10 to $20: 18.6 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $9,226, from 4,810 launches.each block is 1 in 100 all indie at $10 to $20Side Scroller is a mood tag: GMD never ranks it alone, but every game carrying it is counted.

2Overlap: where the two tags meet

Each circle is one tag, sized by its launches, and the gold overlap is exactly this pair. Click a part to read it. Price changes the odds more than genre does (under $5: 0.5 in 100 launches earned $100k+; $20 to $40: 42.4 in 100), so read it within a price band.

Price bandswitches the whole page
All prices256 in pairUnder $5125 in pair$5 to $1081 in pair$10 to $2036 in pair$20 to $4014 in pair
What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 36 games tagged both Action-Adventure and Side Scroller priced $10 to $20. 19.4 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 14.9 for Action-Adventure-only games and 10.6 for Side Scroller-only games, so games with both tags did better than games with either tag alone.

Both: 36 games priced $10 to $20; 19.4 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $12,142.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 36 launches. The outer parts are each tag's launches minus the pair's, so their chance is exact; their typical earnings are not computed yet.

3Comparables

Who leads this pair and each of its tags. Free until launch: one click opens the card. The full comparables list (nearest hits by tag pair, price and launch year) is not computed yet, and the card says so.

Comparables

Leaders

Top earner, share of the moneyFree until launch

MARVEL Cosmic Invasionleads this pair19.5%
PairMARVEL Cosmic Invasion19.5%
Action-AdventureAI LIMIT7.3%
Side ScrollerAbsolum17.8%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Action-Adventure + Side Scroller

What this card holds

  • Leaders. The top earner in this pair and in each of its two tags, with its share of the money.
  • One-hit check. Whether a single game holds over half of the pair's money.
  • Nearest hits. Similar games that earned $100k+, matched by tag pair, price and launch year: not computed yet.

How the list will be picked

Same tag pairdata ready
Same price banddata ready
Launched within a year of each otherplanned
Earned $100k+planned
The list itselfnot computed yet

Free until launch: one click opens the card.

The leaders, in words

  • MARVEL Cosmic Invasion earned 19.5% of the estimated first-year money of the 256 Action-Adventure + Side Scroller launches.
  • Action-Adventure is led by AI LIMIT, with 7.3% of its money.
  • Side Scroller is led by Absolum, with 17.8% of its money.
  • No game holds over half of this pair's money, so the pair is not a one-hit market.

Nearest hits (similar games that earned $100k+, matched by tag pair, price and launch year): not computed yet.

Filters do not apply here yet. Leaders and shares are for all prices and the Standard view; per price band and per lens they are not computed yet.

4Lens check: does the answer hold?

The same figures with three kinds of games set aside: those with a mostly Chinese audience, the single biggest earner, and everything older than 18 months.

Does the answer hold?

All prices

Action-Adventure + Side Scroller is changed recently: Last 18 months moves the answer by more than a quarter. It holds in 2 of 3.

Action-Adventure + Side Scroller through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view246 of 256 launchesWithout the breakout255 of 256 launchesLast 18 months136 of 256 launches
Launches counted25614 hits24614 hits25513 hits13610 hits
Earned $100k+5.5 in 1001 in 185.7 in 1001 in 185.1 in 1001 in 207.4 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings$405top tenth $27,526+$405$405$606
Chance against standardthe yardstick+3.6%0.2 more in 100-7.3%0.4 fewer in 100+34.5%1.9 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change+49.6%$201 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Action-Adventure and Side Scroller, 6 to 30 months old: 256 launches.

Launches counted
25614 hits
Earned $100k+
5.5 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings
$405top tenth $27,526+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 10 of 256 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
24614 hits
Earned $100k+
5.7 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings
$405
Chance against standard
+3.6%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion (19.5% of the money): 255 launches left.

Launches counted
25513 hits
Earned $100k+
5.1 in 1001 in 20
Typical first-year earnings
$405
Chance against standard
-7.3%0.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 136 of 256.

Launches counted
13610 hits
Earned $100k+
7.4 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$606
Chance against standard
+34.5%1.9 more in 100
Typical against standard
+49.6%$201 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Action-Adventure and Side Scroller, 6 to 30 months old: 256 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 10 of 256 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion (19.5% of the money): 255 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 136 of 256.

Action-Adventure holds in 3 of 3: every lens keeps the chance and typical earnings within a quarter of the standard figures.

Action-Adventure through every lens, all prices
Action-AdventureBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view3,443 of 3,592 launchesWithout the breakout3,591 of 3,592 launchesLast 18 months1,851 of 3,592 launches
Launches counted3,592194 hits3,443186 hits3,591193 hits1,85195 hits
Earned $100k+5.4 in 1001 in 195.4 in 1001 in 195.4 in 1001 in 195.1 in 1001 in 20
Typical first-year earnings$404top tenth $23,070+$405$404$363
Chance against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change0.0%no change-5.6%0.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+0.2%$1 more0.0%no change-10.1%$41 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Action-Adventure, 6 to 30 months old: 3,592 launches.

Launches counted
3,592194 hits
Earned $100k+
5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$404top tenth $23,070+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 149 of 3,592 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
3,443186 hits
Earned $100k+
5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$405
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
+0.2%$1 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, AI LIMIT (7.3% of the money): 3,591 launches left.

Launches counted
3,591193 hits
Earned $100k+
5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings
$404
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,851 of 3,592.

Launches counted
1,85195 hits
Earned $100k+
5.1 in 1001 in 20
Typical first-year earnings
$363
Chance against standard
-5.6%0.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-10.1%$41 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Action-Adventure, 6 to 30 months old: 3,592 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 149 of 3,592 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, AI LIMIT (7.3% of the money): 3,591 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,851 of 3,592.

Side Scroller holds in 3 of 3: every lens keeps the chance and typical earnings within a quarter of the standard figures.

Side Scroller through every lens, all prices
Side ScrollerBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,105 of 1,126 launchesWithout the breakout1,125 of 1,126 launchesLast 18 months592 of 1,126 launches
Launches counted1,12638 hits1,10538 hits1,12537 hits59222 hits
Earned $100k+3.4 in 1001 in 293.4 in 1001 in 293.3 in 1001 in 303.7 in 1001 in 27
Typical first-year earnings$401top tenth $18,826+$385$385$303
Chance against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-2.9%0.1 fewer in 100+8.8%0.3 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick-4.0%$16 less-4.0%$16 less-24.4%$98 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Side Scroller, 6 to 30 months old: 1,126 launches.

Launches counted
1,12638 hits
Earned $100k+
3.4 in 1001 in 29
Typical first-year earnings
$401top tenth $18,826+
Chance against standard
the yardstick
Typical against standard
the yardstick
West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 21 of 1,126 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,10538 hits
Earned $100k+
3.4 in 1001 in 29
Typical first-year earnings
$385
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
-4.0%$16 less
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Absolum (17.8% of the money): 1,125 launches left.

Launches counted
1,12537 hits
Earned $100k+
3.3 in 1001 in 30
Typical first-year earnings
$385
Chance against standard
-2.9%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-4.0%$16 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 592 of 1,126.

Launches counted
59222 hits
Earned $100k+
3.7 in 1001 in 27
Typical first-year earnings
$303
Chance against standard
+8.8%0.3 more in 100
Typical against standard
-24.4%$98 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Side Scroller, 6 to 30 months old: 1,126 launches.
West-facing view
Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games whose audience is mostly Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 21 of 1,126 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.
Without the breakout
Drops the single biggest earner, Absolum (17.8% of the money): 1,125 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 592 of 1,126.

A lens holds when chance and typical earnings both stay within 25% of standard. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this table is for all prices.

5Premium early list

Alerts when Action-Adventure + Side Scroller moves, comparables the day they land, and every lens for every pair and price. Free until launch.

Free until launch

Keep gold access after launch: alerts, comparables, every lens.

Releases

Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.