Niche

Deckbuilding + Tower Defense

Games tagged both Deckbuilding and Tower Defense: 47 indie paid launches, 5 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". 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.
Price moves the odds more than genre does, so the page opens on one price band. The keys in section 2 switch it.
From 26,280 indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, data of 3 Oct 2026. How it is measured.

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 Standard

Standard West-facing view Without the breakout Last 18 months

All indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old. Lens figures exist at all prices only; inside a price band this page shows the standard figures.

Sample 10+

10+ launchesshow small samples 30+ launches 100+ launchesonly big markets

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20

Showing Deckbuilding + Tower Defense priced $10 to $20. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair is about level with Deckbuilding and beats Tower Defense; priced $10 to $20 it is too small to compare with Deckbuilding and is too small to compare with Tower Defense.

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

Deckbuilding + Tower Defense is too small to compare with Deckbuilding and is too small to compare with Tower Defense: 4 of its 16 launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 25.6 in 100 for Deckbuilding and 23.4 in 100 for Tower Defense.

Small sample: 16 launches, 4 hits.

TIEA tie

Tag oneDeckbuilding

25.6in 100 earned
$100k+

Odds25.6 in 100

Typical earnings$18,545

Launches168 / 43 hits

Pair against ittoo few hits to compare

TIEA tie

This pairDeckbuilding + Tower Defense

4 of 16launches earned
$100k+ small

Odds4 of 16 launches

Typical earnings$16,724

Launches16 / 4 hits

Expected17.6 in 100

TIEA tie

Tag twoTower Defense

23.4in 100 earned
$100k+

Odds23.4 in 100

Typical earnings$7,966

Launches124 / 29 hits

Pair against ittoo few hits to compare

All indie launches $10 to $20: 17.6 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $8,234, from 4,301 launches.each block is 2 in 100 all indie at $10 to $20

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: 40.0 in 100), so read it within a price band.

Price bandswitches the whole page

All prices47 in pair Under $512 in pair $5 to $1019 in pair $10 to $2016 in pair$20 to $40no launches

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 16 games tagged both Deckbuilding and Tower Defense priced $10 to $20. 4 of 16 of them earned $100k+, against 25.7 in 100 for Deckbuilding-only games and 23.1 in 100 for Tower Defense-only games, so the mix is too small to compare with Deckbuilding alone and is too small to compare with Tower Defense alone.

Both: 16 games priced $10 to $20; 4 of 16 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $16,724.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 16 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

Emberwardleads this pair40.5%

PairEmberward40.5%

DeckbuildingBalatro38.5%

Tower DefenseStronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition11.6%

CheckOne game over half?no

NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkHolds in 2 of 3, 1 too few to tell. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: too few to tell.

Open free preview

ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Deckbuilding + Tower Defense

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

Emberward earned 40.5% of the estimated first-year money of the 47 Deckbuilding + Tower Defense launches.
Deckbuilding is led by Balatro, with 38.5% of its money.
Tower Defense is led by Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, with 11.6% 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: games mostly reviewed in Chinese, the single biggest earner, and everything older than 18 months.

Does the answer hold?

All prices

Deckbuilding + Tower Defense holds in West-facing view and Without the breakout; too few to tell in Last 18 months. No lens moves the chance or typical earnings more than chance alone would.

Deckbuilding + Tower Defense through every lens, all prices
This pair	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view45 of 47 launches	Without the breakout46 of 47 launches	Last 18 months17 of 47 launches
Launches counted	475 hits	455 hits	464 hits	172 hits
Earned $100k+	10.6 in 100	11.1 in 100	4 of 46too few for a rate	2 of 17too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings	$1,891top tenth $140,459+	$1,891	$1,891	$957
Chance against standard	the base	+4.4%0.5 more in 100	-18.3%1.9 fewer in 100	+10.6%1.1 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard	the base	0.0%no change; too few to tell	0.0%no change	-49.4%$934 less; too few to tell
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Too few to tell

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Deckbuilding and Tower Defense, 12 to 36 months old: 47 launches.

Launches counted: 475 hits
Earned $100k+: 10.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings: $1,891top tenth $140,459+
Chance against standard: the base
Typical against standard: the base

West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 2 of 47 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 455 hits
Earned $100k+: 11.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings: $1,891
Chance against standard: +4.4%0.5 more in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change; too few to tell

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Emberward (40.5% of the money): 46 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 464 hits
Earned $100k+: 4 of 46too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $1,891
Chance against standard: -18.3%1.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsToo few to tell

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 17 of 47.

Launches counted: 172 hits
Earned $100k+: 2 of 17too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $957
Chance against standard: +10.6%1.1 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: -49.4%$934 less; too few to tell

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged both Deckbuilding and Tower Defense, 12 to 36 months old: 47 launches.
West-facing view: Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 2 of 47 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, Emberward (40.5% of the money): 46 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months: Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 17 of 47.

Deckbuilding holds in West-facing view, Without the breakout and Last 18 months. No lens moves the chance or typical earnings more than chance alone would.

Deckbuilding through every lens, all prices
Deckbuilding	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view535 of 577 launches	Without the breakout576 of 577 launches	Last 18 months200 of 577 launches
Launches counted	57761 hits	53556 hits	57660 hits	20018 hits
Earned $100k+	10.6 in 100	10.5 in 100	10.4 in 100	9.0 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings	$2,193top tenth $101,479+	$2,411	$2,193	$1,804
Chance against standard	the base	-1.0%0.1 fewer in 100	-1.5%0.2 fewer in 100	-14.9%1.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard	the base	+9.9%$218 more	0.0%no change	-17.7%$389 less
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Deckbuilding, 12 to 36 months old: 577 launches.

Launches counted: 57761 hits
Earned $100k+: 10.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings: $2,193top tenth $101,479+
Chance against standard: the base
Typical against standard: the base

West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 42 of 577 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 53556 hits
Earned $100k+: 10.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings: $2,411
Chance against standard: -1.0%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: +9.9%$218 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Balatro (38.5% of the money): 576 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 57660 hits
Earned $100k+: 10.4 in 100
Typical first-year earnings: $2,193
Chance against standard: -1.5%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 200 of 577.

Launches counted: 20018 hits
Earned $100k+: 9.0 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings: $1,804
Chance against standard: -14.9%1.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: -17.7%$389 less

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Deckbuilding, 12 to 36 months old: 577 launches.
West-facing view: Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 42 of 577 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, Balatro (38.5% of the money): 576 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months: Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 200 of 577.

Tower Defense holds in West-facing view, Without the breakout and Last 18 months. No lens moves the chance or typical earnings more than chance alone would.

Tower Defense through every lens, all prices
Tower Defense	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view740 of 787 launches	Without the breakout786 of 787 launches	Last 18 months222 of 787 launches
Launches counted	78744 hits	74039 hits	78643 hits	22212 hits
Earned $100k+	5.6 in 1001 in 18	5.3 in 1001 in 19	5.5 in 1001 in 18	5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings	$383top tenth $32,058+	$405	$383	$383
Chance against standard	the base	-5.7%0.3 fewer in 100	-2.1%0.1 fewer in 100	-3.3%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard	the base	+5.7%$22 more	0.0%no change	0.0%no change
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Tower Defense, 12 to 36 months old: 787 launches.

Launches counted: 78744 hits
Earned $100k+: 5.6 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings: $383top tenth $32,058+
Chance against standard: the base
Typical against standard: the base

West-facing viewHolds

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 47 of 787 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 74039 hits
Earned $100k+: 5.3 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings: $405
Chance against standard: -5.7%0.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: +5.7%$22 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (11.6% of the money): 786 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 78643 hits
Earned $100k+: 5.5 in 1001 in 18
Typical first-year earnings: $383
Chance against standard: -2.1%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 222 of 787.

Launches counted: 22212 hits
Earned $100k+: 5.4 in 1001 in 19
Typical first-year earnings: $383
Chance against standard: -3.3%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Tower Defense, 12 to 36 months old: 787 launches.
West-facing view: Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 47 of 787 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, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (11.6% of the money): 786 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.
Last 18 months: Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 222 of 787.

A lens moves the chance only when it differs from standard by more than a random cut of the same size would, with 5+ hits on both sides; typical earnings are compared from 100 launches, within 25%. Without the breakout moves the answer when one game earned over half the money. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this table is for all prices.

5Premium early list

Alerts when Deckbuilding + Tower Defense moves, comparables the day they land, and every lens for every pair and price. Free until launch.

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