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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 change shows for genres with 100+ launches. The same figures are on the Genres page.

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on 3 Oct 2026

Niches / Historical + Simulation

Niche

Historical + Simulation

Games tagged both Historical and Simulation: 94 indie paid launches, 18 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 26,291 indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, data of 3 Oct 2026. How it is measured.

Showing Historical + Simulation priced $10 to $20, hiding samples under 30 launches. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair beats both its tags; priced $10 to $20 it has too few launches to read.

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

24 launches, under your minimum sample of 30.

Pick another price band, or lower the minimum sample.

TIEA tie
Tag onemood tagHistorical
26.0in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds26.0 in 100
Typical earnings$24,544
Launches104 / 27 hits
Pairno reading
--No reading
This pairHistorical + Simulation
--too few
to read
Odds--
Typical earnings--
Launches24

24 launches, under your minimum sample of 30.

TIEA tie
Tag twoSimulation
23.8in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds23.8 in 100
Typical earnings$15,416
Launches874 / 208 hits
Pairno reading
All indie launches $10 to $20: 20.4 in 100 earned $100k+, typical $10,978, from 4,304 launches.each block is 2 in 100 all indie at $10 to $20Historical 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: 0.4 in 100 launches earned $100k+; $20 to $40: 44.2 in 100), so read it within a price band.

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 24 games tagged both Historical and Simulation priced $10 to $20. 8 of 24 of them earned $100k+, against 23.8 in 100 for Historical-only games and 23.5 in 100 for Simulation-only games, so the mix is too small to compare with Historical alone and is too small to compare with Simulation alone.

Both: 24 games priced $10 to $20; 8 of 24 earned $100k+, odds by size $1k+ 23 of 24 launches · $10k+ 16 of 24 launches · $100k+ 8 of 24 launches.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 24 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

Manor Lordsleads this pair82.5%
PairManor Lords82.5%
HistoricalManor Lords63.2%
SimulationSchedule I17.9%
CheckOne game over half?yes
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkOne-hit market. Standard: the base the others are compared with. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: moves the answer. Last 18 months: holds.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Historical + Simulation

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

  • Manor Lords earned 82.5% of the estimated first-year money of the 94 Historical + Simulation launches.
  • It also leads Historical, with 63.2% of that tag's money.
  • Simulation is led by Schedule I, with 17.9% of its money.
  • One game holds over half of this pair's money: read every figure here as that game's story.

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

Historical + Simulation is one-hit market: one game earned over half the money. It holds in West-facing view and Last 18 months.

Historical + Simulation through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view89 of 94 launchesWithout the breakout93 of 94 launchesLast 18 months28 of 94 launches
Launches counted9418 hits8918 hits9317 hits286 hits
Earned $100k+19.1 in 10020.2 in 10018.3 in 1006 of 28too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+33 in 100chance of $10k+; $1k+ 71 in 100under 100 launchesunder 100 launchesunder 100 launches
Chance against standardthe base+5.6%1.1 more in 100-4.5%0.9 fewer in 100+11.9%2.3 more in 100
Typical against standardthe baseunder 100 launchesunder 100 launchesunder 100 launches
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsMoves the answerHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Historical and Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 94 launches.

Launches counted
9418 hits
Earned $100k+
19.1 in 100
Chance of $10k+
33 in 100chance of $10k+; $1k+ 71 in 100
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: 5 of 94 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
8918 hits
Earned $100k+
20.2 in 100
Chance of $10k+
under 100 launches
Chance against standard
+5.6%1.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
under 100 launches
Without the breakoutMoves the answer

Drops the single biggest earner, Manor Lords (82.5% of the money): 93 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
9317 hits
Earned $100k+
18.3 in 100
Chance of $10k+
under 100 launches
Chance against standard
-4.5%0.9 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
under 100 launches
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 28 of 94.

Launches counted
286 hits
Earned $100k+
6 of 28too few for a rate
Chance of $10k+
under 100 launches
Chance against standard
+11.9%2.3 more in 100
Typical against standard
under 100 launches
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Historical and Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 94 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: 5 of 94 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, Manor Lords (82.5% of the money): 93 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: 28 of 94.

Historical is one-hit market: one game earned over half the money. It holds in West-facing view and Last 18 months.

Historical through every lens, all prices
HistoricalBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view378 of 425 launchesWithout the breakout424 of 425 launchesLast 18 months106 of 425 launches
Launches counted42553 hits37847 hits42452 hits10612 hits
Earned $100k+12.5 in 10012.4 in 10012.3 in 10011.3 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$2,124top tenth $185,560+$2,054$2,124$2,054
Chance against standardthe base-0.3%no change-1.7%0.2 fewer in 100-9.2%1.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe base-3.3%$70 less0.0%no change-3.3%$70 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsMoves the answerHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Historical, 12 to 36 months old: 425 launches.

Launches counted
42553 hits
Earned $100k+
12.5 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,124top tenth $185,560+
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 425 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
37847 hits
Earned $100k+
12.4 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,054
Chance against standard
-0.3%no change
Typical against standard
-3.3%$70 less
Without the breakoutMoves the answer

Drops the single biggest earner, Manor Lords (63.2% of the money): 424 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
42452 hits
Earned $100k+
12.3 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,124
Chance against standard
-1.7%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 106 of 425.

Launches counted
10612 hits
Earned $100k+
11.3 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,054
Chance against standard
-9.2%1.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-3.3%$70 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Historical, 12 to 36 months old: 425 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 425 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, Manor Lords (63.2% of the money): 424 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: 106 of 425.

Simulation 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.

Simulation through every lens, all prices
SimulationBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view4,191 of 4,442 launchesWithout the breakout4,441 of 4,442 launchesLast 18 months1,386 of 4,442 launches
Launches counted4,442408 hits4,191389 hits4,441407 hits1,386133 hits
Earned $100k+9.2 in 1001 in 119.3 in 1001 in 119.2 in 1001 in 119.6 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings$929top tenth $86,074+$1,011$928$1,011
Chance against standardthe base+1.1%0.1 more in 100-0.2%no change+4.5%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standardthe base+8.8%$82 more-0.1%$1 less+8.8%$82 more
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 4,442 launches.

Launches counted
4,442408 hits
Earned $100k+
9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$929top tenth $86,074+
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: 251 of 4,442 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
4,191389 hits
Earned $100k+
9.3 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,011
Chance against standard
+1.1%0.1 more in 100
Typical against standard
+8.8%$82 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Schedule I (17.9% of the money): 4,441 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted
4,441407 hits
Earned $100k+
9.2 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$928
Chance against standard
-0.2%no change
Typical against standard
-0.1%$1 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,386 of 4,442.

Launches counted
1,386133 hits
Earned $100k+
9.6 in 1001 in 10
Typical first-year earnings
$1,011
Chance against standard
+4.5%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard
+8.8%$82 more
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Simulation, 12 to 36 months old: 4,442 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: 251 of 4,442 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, Schedule I (17.9% of the money): 4,441 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: 1,386 of 4,442.

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 Historical + Simulation 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.