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on 30 Sep 2026

Niches / Difficult + Roguelike

Niche

Difficult + Roguelike

Games tagged both Difficult and Roguelike: 140 indie paid launches, 17 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 Difficult + Roguelike priced $10 to $20, last 18 months. Lens figures exist at all prices only, so inside a price band the page shows the standard figures. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair beats both its tags; priced $10 to $20 it trails 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

Difficult + Roguelike trails both its tags: 20.7 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 22.5 in 100 for Difficult and 23.5 in 100 for Roguelike.

That is about 1.1 times the 18.6 in 100 expected for any launch at this price. Lens figures by price band are not computed yet, so this band uses the standard figures.

2NDRunner-up
Tag onemood tagDifficult
22.5in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds22.5 in 100
Typical earnings$19,202
Launches213 / 48 hits
Pair trails by1.8 in 100
3RDThird
This pairDifficult + Roguelike
20.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds20.7 in 100
Typical earnings$18,150
Launches58 / 12 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
1STWinner
Tag twoRoguelike
23.5in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds23.5 in 100
Typical earnings$18,676
Launches480 / 113 hits
Pair trails by2.8 in 100
All indie launches $10 to $20: 18.6 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $9,226, from 4,810 launches.each block is 2 in 100 all indie at $10 to $20Difficult 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
What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 58 games tagged both Difficult and Roguelike priced $10 to $20. 20.7 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 23.2 for Difficult-only games and 23.9 for Roguelike-only games, so games with both tags did worse than games with either tag alone.

Both: 58 games priced $10 to $20; 20.7 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $18,150.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 58 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. The last 18 months lens is not computed for the outer parts, so this diagram uses the standard figures.

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

9 Kingsleads this pair33.1%
Pair9 Kings33.1%
DifficultHollow Knight: Silksong57.2%
RoguelikeSlay the Spire 222.3%
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 Difficult + Roguelike

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

  • 9 Kings earned 33.1% of the estimated first-year money of the 140 Difficult + Roguelike launches.
  • Difficult is led by Hollow Knight: Silksong, with 57.2% of its money.
  • Roguelike is led by Slay the Spire 2, with 22.3% 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

Difficult + Roguelike is changed recently: Last 18 months moves the answer by more than a quarter. It holds in 2 of 3.

Difficult + Roguelike through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view139 of 140 launchesWithout the breakout139 of 140 launchesLast 18 months75 of 140 launches
Launches counted14017 hits13917 hits13916 hits7511 hits
Earned $100k+12.1 in 10012.2 in 10011.5 in 10014.7 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$3,680top tenth $210,966+$3,680$3,643$4,653
Chance against standardthe yardstick+0.8%0.1 more in 100-5.0%0.6 fewer in 100+21.5%2.6 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-1.0%$37 less+26.4%$973 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsMoves the answer
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Difficult and Roguelike, 6 to 30 months old: 140 launches.

Launches counted
14017 hits
Earned $100k+
12.1 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,680top tenth $210,966+
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: 1 of 140 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
13917 hits
Earned $100k+
12.2 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,680
Chance against standard
+0.8%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, 9 Kings (33.1% of the money): 139 launches left.

Launches counted
13916 hits
Earned $100k+
11.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$3,643
Chance against standard
-5.0%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-1.0%$37 less
Last 18 monthsMoves the answer

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 75 of 140.

Launches counted
7511 hits
Earned $100k+
14.7 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$4,653
Chance against standard
+21.5%2.6 more in 100
Typical against standard
+26.4%$973 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Difficult and Roguelike, 6 to 30 months old: 140 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: 1 of 140 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, 9 Kings (33.1% of the money): 139 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 75 of 140.

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

Difficult through every lens, all prices
DifficultBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,038 of 1,051 launchesWithout the breakout1,050 of 1,051 launchesLast 18 months541 of 1,051 launches
Launches counted1,05171 hits1,03870 hits1,05070 hits54132 hits
Earned $100k+6.8 in 1001 in 156.7 in 1001 in 156.7 in 1001 in 155.9 in 1001 in 17
Typical first-year earnings$1,133top tenth $56,182+$1,150$1,133$971
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100-13.2%0.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+1.5%$17 more0.0%no change-14.3%$162 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Difficult, 6 to 30 months old: 1,051 launches.

Launches counted
1,05171 hits
Earned $100k+
6.8 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133top tenth $56,182+
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: 13 of 1,051 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,03870 hits
Earned $100k+
6.7 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,150
Chance against standard
-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
+1.5%$17 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Hollow Knight: Silksong (57.2% of the money): 1,050 launches left.

Launches counted
1,05070 hits
Earned $100k+
6.7 in 1001 in 15
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133
Chance against standard
-1.5%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 541 of 1,051.

Launches counted
54132 hits
Earned $100k+
5.9 in 1001 in 17
Typical first-year earnings
$971
Chance against standard
-13.2%0.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-14.3%$162 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Difficult, 6 to 30 months old: 1,051 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: 13 of 1,051 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, Hollow Knight: Silksong (57.2% of the money): 1,050 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 541 of 1,051.

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

Roguelike through every lens, all prices
RoguelikeBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view2,355 of 2,511 launchesWithout the breakout2,510 of 2,511 launchesLast 18 months1,504 of 2,511 launches
Launches counted2,511179 hits2,355166 hits2,510178 hits1,50495 hits
Earned $100k+7.1 in 1001 in 147.0 in 1001 in 147.1 in 1001 in 146.3 in 1001 in 16
Typical first-year earnings$969top tenth $60,027+$1,010$969$809
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.4%0.1 fewer in 1000.0%no change-11.3%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+4.2%$41 more0.0%no change-16.5%$160 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Roguelike, 6 to 30 months old: 2,511 launches.

Launches counted
2,511179 hits
Earned $100k+
7.1 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$969top tenth $60,027+
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: 156 of 2,511 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
2,355166 hits
Earned $100k+
7.0 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$1,010
Chance against standard
-1.4%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
+4.2%$41 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Slay the Spire 2 (22.3% of the money): 2,510 launches left.

Launches counted
2,510178 hits
Earned $100k+
7.1 in 1001 in 14
Typical first-year earnings
$969
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: 1,504 of 2,511.

Launches counted
1,50495 hits
Earned $100k+
6.3 in 1001 in 16
Typical first-year earnings
$809
Chance against standard
-11.3%0.8 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-16.5%$160 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Roguelike, 6 to 30 months old: 2,511 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: 156 of 2,511 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, Slay the Spire 2 (22.3% of the money): 2,510 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,504 of 2,511.

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 Difficult + Roguelike 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.