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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 30 Sep 2026

Niches / Investigation + Mystery

Niche

Investigation + Mystery

Games tagged both Investigation and Mystery: 212 indie paid launches, 42 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 Investigation + Mystery priced $10 to $20.

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

Investigation + Mystery beats both its tags: 39.4 in 100 of its launches earned $100k+ priced $10 to $20, against 25.0 in 100 for Investigation and 22.7 in 100 for Mystery.

That is about 2.1 times the 18.6 in 100 expected for any launch at this price.

2NDRunner-up
25.0in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds25.0 in 100
Typical earnings$9,310
Launches124 / 31 hits
Pair leads by14.4 in 100
1STWinner
This pairInvestigation + Mystery
39.4in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds39.4 in 100
Typical earnings$21,814
Launches71 / 28 hits
Expected18.6 in 100
3RDThird
Tag twomood tagMystery
22.7in 100 earned
$100k+
Odds22.7 in 100
Typical earnings$7,891
Launches299 / 68 hits
Pair leads by16.7 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 $20Mystery 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.

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 71 games tagged both Investigation and Mystery priced $10 to $20. 39.4 in 100 of them earned $100k+, against 5.7 for Investigation-only games and 17.5 for Mystery-only games, so games with both tags did better than games with either tag alone.

Both: 71 games priced $10 to $20; 39.4 in 100 earned $100k+, typical first-year earnings $21,814.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 71 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

Blue Princeleads this pair30.3%
PairBlue Prince30.3%
InvestigationBlue Prince21.8%
MysteryBlue Prince12.8%
CheckOne game over half?no
NextNearest hitsnot computed yet

Lens checkHolds in 3 of 3. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: holds.

Open free preview
ComparablesFree until launchClick to unlockWho leads Investigation + Mystery

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

  • Blue Prince earned 30.3% of the estimated first-year money of the 212 Investigation + Mystery launches.
  • It also leads Investigation, with 21.8% of that tag's money.
  • It also leads Mystery, with 12.8% of that tag's 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

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

Investigation + Mystery through every lens, all prices
This pairBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view204 of 212 launchesWithout the breakout211 of 212 launchesLast 18 months108 of 212 launches
Launches counted21242 hits20440 hits21141 hits10821 hits
Earned $100k+19.8 in 10019.6 in 10019.4 in 10019.4 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$2,548top tenth $226,446+$2,548$2,367$2,315
Chance against standardthe yardstick-1.0%0.2 fewer in 100-2.0%0.4 fewer in 100-2.0%0.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-7.1%$181 less-9.1%$233 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Investigation and Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 212 launches.

Launches counted
21242 hits
Earned $100k+
19.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,548top tenth $226,446+
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: 8 of 212 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
20440 hits
Earned $100k+
19.6 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,548
Chance against standard
-1.0%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (30.3% of the money): 211 launches left.

Launches counted
21141 hits
Earned $100k+
19.4 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,367
Chance against standard
-2.0%0.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-7.1%$181 less
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 108 of 212.

Launches counted
10821 hits
Earned $100k+
19.4 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$2,315
Chance against standard
-2.0%0.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-9.1%$233 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged both Investigation and Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 212 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: 8 of 212 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, Blue Prince (30.3% of the money): 211 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 108 of 212.

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

Investigation through every lens, all prices
InvestigationBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view480 of 498 launchesWithout the breakout497 of 498 launchesLast 18 months263 of 498 launches
Launches counted49854 hits48052 hits49753 hits26329 hits
Earned $100k+10.8 in 10010.8 in 10010.7 in 10011.0 in 100
Typical first-year earnings$1,214top tenth $109,241+$1,215$1,214$1,133
Chance against standardthe yardstick0.0%no change-0.9%0.1 fewer in 100+1.9%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick+0.1%$1 more0.0%no change-6.7%$81 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Investigation, 6 to 30 months old: 498 launches.

Launches counted
49854 hits
Earned $100k+
10.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,214top tenth $109,241+
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: 18 of 498 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
48052 hits
Earned $100k+
10.8 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,215
Chance against standard
0.0%no change
Typical against standard
+0.1%$1 more
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (21.8% of the money): 497 launches left.

Launches counted
49753 hits
Earned $100k+
10.7 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,214
Chance against standard
-0.9%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 263 of 498.

Launches counted
26329 hits
Earned $100k+
11.0 in 100
Typical first-year earnings
$1,133
Chance against standard
+1.9%0.2 more in 100
Typical against standard
-6.7%$81 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Investigation, 6 to 30 months old: 498 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: 18 of 498 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, Blue Prince (21.8% of the money): 497 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 263 of 498.

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

Mystery through every lens, all prices
MysteryBaseStandardevery launchWest-facing view1,293 of 1,381 launchesWithout the breakout1,380 of 1,381 launchesLast 18 months791 of 1,381 launches
Launches counted1,381125 hits1,293110 hits1,380124 hits79161 hits
Earned $100k+9.1 in 1001 in 118.5 in 1001 in 129.0 in 1001 in 117.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings$1,052top tenth $74,317+$1,013$1,052$810
Chance against standardthe yardstick-6.6%0.6 fewer in 100-1.1%0.1 fewer in 100-15.4%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standardthe yardstick-3.7%$39 less0.0%no change-23.0%$242 less
Does it hold?The base viewHoldsHoldsHolds
BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 1,381 launches.

Launches counted
1,381125 hits
Earned $100k+
9.1 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,052top tenth $74,317+
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: 88 of 1,381 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted
1,293110 hits
Earned $100k+
8.5 in 1001 in 12
Typical first-year earnings
$1,013
Chance against standard
-6.6%0.6 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-3.7%$39 less
Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (12.8% of the money): 1,380 launches left.

Launches counted
1,380124 hits
Earned $100k+
9.0 in 1001 in 11
Typical first-year earnings
$1,052
Chance against standard
-1.1%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
0.0%no change
Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 791 of 1,381.

Launches counted
79161 hits
Earned $100k+
7.7 in 1001 in 13
Typical first-year earnings
$810
Chance against standard
-15.4%1.4 fewer in 100
Typical against standard
-23.0%$242 less
Standard
Every indie paid launch tagged Mystery, 6 to 30 months old: 1,381 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: 88 of 1,381 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, Blue Prince (12.8% of the money): 1,380 launches left.
Last 18 months
Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 791 of 1,381.

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 Investigation + Mystery 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.