Niche

Linear + Puzzle

Games tagged both Linear and Puzzle: 297 indie paid launches, 2 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.

Price $10 to $20

All prices1 in 15 hit $100k+Under $51 in 238 hit $100k+$5 to $101 in 28 hit $100k+$10 to $2020 in 100 hit $100k+$20 to $4044 in 100 hit $100k+

Base rate: indie paid launches 12 to 36 months old, 26,291 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 100+

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

Hides anything measured on fewer launches.

$10 to $20 100+ launches Reset

Showing Linear + Puzzle priced $10 to $20, hiding samples under 100 launches. This filter changes the answer: at all prices the pair is too small to compare with Linear and is too small to compare with Puzzle; 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

23 launches, under your minimum sample of 100.

Pick another price band, or lower the minimum sample.

--No reading

Tag onemood tagLinear

--too few
to read

Odds--

Typical earnings--

Launches86

86 launches, under your minimum sample of 100.

--No reading

This pairLinear + Puzzle

--too few
to read

Odds--

Typical earnings--

Launches23

23 launches, under your minimum sample of 100.

1STWinner

Tag twoPuzzle

14.3in 100 earned
$100k+

Odds14.3 in 100

Typical earnings$5,070

Launches684 / 98 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 $20Linear 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.

Price bandswitches the whole page

All prices297 in pair Under $5173 in pair $5 to $1093 in pair $10 to $2023 in pair$20 to $408: too few

What the overlap means

The overlap is this niche: the 23 games tagged both Linear and Puzzle priced $10 to $20. 2 of 23 of them earned $100k+, against 2 of 63 for Linear-only games and 14.5 in 100 for Puzzle-only games, so the mix is too small to compare with Linear alone and is too small to compare with Puzzle alone.

Both: 23 games priced $10 to $20; 2 of 23 earned $100k+, odds by size $1k+ 17 of 23 launches · $10k+ 4 of 23 launches · $100k+ 2 of 23 launches.

Circle areas follow launch counts; the gold overlap is exactly the pair's 23 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

Mindlock - The Apartmentleads this pair26.4%

PairMindlock - The Apartment26.4%

LinearSpilled!10.6%

PuzzleBlue Prince7.4%

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 Linear + Puzzle

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

Mindlock - The Apartment earned 26.4% of the estimated first-year money of the 297 Linear + Puzzle launches.
Linear is led by Spilled!, with 10.6% of its money.
Puzzle is led by Blue Prince, with 7.4% 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

Linear + Puzzle 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.

Linear + Puzzle through every lens, all prices
This pair	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view291 of 297 launches	Without the breakout296 of 297 launches	Last 18 months79 of 297 launches
Launches counted	2972 hits	2912 hits	2961 hits	790 hits
Earned $100k+	2 of 297too few for a rate	2 of 291too few for a rate	1 of 296too few for a rate	0 of 79too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings	$320top tenth $4,569+	$350	$320	under 100 launches
Chance against standard	the base	+2.1%no change; too few to tell	-49.8%0.3 fewer in 100	-100.0%0.7 fewer in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard	the base	+9.4%$30 more	0.0%no change	under 100 launches
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Too few to tell

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged both Linear and Puzzle, 12 to 36 months old: 297 launches.

Launches counted: 2972 hits
Earned $100k+: 2 of 297too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $320top tenth $4,569+
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: 6 of 297 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 2912 hits
Earned $100k+: 2 of 291too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $350
Chance against standard: +2.1%no change; too few to tell
Typical against standard: +9.4%$30 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Mindlock - The Apartment (26.4% of the money): 296 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 2961 hits
Earned $100k+: 1 of 296too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $320
Chance against standard: -49.8%0.3 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsToo few to tell

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 79 of 297.

Launches counted: 790 hits
Earned $100k+: 0 of 79too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: under 100 launches
Chance against standard: -100.0%0.7 fewer in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: under 100 launches

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged both Linear and Puzzle, 12 to 36 months old: 297 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: 6 of 297 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, Mindlock - The Apartment (26.4% of the money): 296 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: 79 of 297.

Linear is audience split: West-facing view moves the answer more than chance alone would. It holds in Without the breakout and Last 18 months.

Linear through every lens, all prices
Linear	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view1,010 of 1,038 launches	Without the breakout1,037 of 1,038 launches	Last 18 months289 of 1,038 launches
Launches counted	1,03811 hits	1,0109 hits	1,03710 hits	2894 hits
Earned $100k+	1.1 in 1001 in 94	0.9 in 1001 in 112	1.0 in 1001 in 104	4 of 289too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings	$310top tenth $6,319+	$315	$307	$268
Chance against standard	the base	-15.9%0.2 fewer in 100	-9.0%0.1 fewer in 100	+30.6%0.3 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard	the base	+1.6%$5 more	-1.0%$3 less	-13.5%$42 less
Does it hold?	The base view	Moves the answer	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Linear, 12 to 36 months old: 1,038 launches.

Launches counted: 1,03811 hits
Earned $100k+: 1.1 in 1001 in 94
Typical first-year earnings: $310top tenth $6,319+
Chance against standard: the base
Typical against standard: the base

West-facing viewMoves the answer

Games mostly reviewed outside China. Drops games mostly reviewed in Chinese, meaning 35% or more of their reviews are in Simplified Chinese: 28 of 1,038 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 1,0109 hits
Earned $100k+: 0.9 in 1001 in 112
Typical first-year earnings: $315
Chance against standard: -15.9%0.2 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: +1.6%$5 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Spilled! (10.6% of the money): 1,037 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 1,03710 hits
Earned $100k+: 1.0 in 1001 in 104
Typical first-year earnings: $307
Chance against standard: -9.0%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: -1.0%$3 less

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 289 of 1,038.

Launches counted: 2894 hits
Earned $100k+: 4 of 289too few for a rate
Typical first-year earnings: $268
Chance against standard: +30.6%0.3 more in 100; too few to tell
Typical against standard: -13.5%$42 less

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Linear, 12 to 36 months old: 1,038 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: 28 of 1,038 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, Spilled! (10.6% of the money): 1,037 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: 289 of 1,038.

Puzzle 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.

Puzzle through every lens, all prices
Puzzle	BaseStandardevery launch	West-facing view5,055 of 5,256 launches	Without the breakout5,255 of 5,256 launches	Last 18 months1,493 of 5,256 launches
Launches counted	5,256185 hits	5,055174 hits	5,255184 hits	1,49359 hits
Earned $100k+	3.5 in 1001 in 28	3.4 in 1001 in 29	3.5 in 1001 in 29	4.0 in 1001 in 25
Typical first-year earnings	$421top tenth $14,242+	$428	$421	$428
Chance against standard	the base	-2.2%0.1 fewer in 100	-0.5%no change	+12.3%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard	the base	+1.7%$7 more	0.0%no change	+1.7%$7 more
Does it hold?	The base view	Holds	Holds	Holds

BaseStandardThe base view

Every indie paid launch tagged Puzzle, 12 to 36 months old: 5,256 launches.

Launches counted: 5,256185 hits
Earned $100k+: 3.5 in 1001 in 28
Typical first-year earnings: $421top tenth $14,242+
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: 201 of 5,256 launches here. Review language is measured for games with 2,000+ reviews; smaller games are guessed from their names.

Launches counted: 5,055174 hits
Earned $100k+: 3.4 in 1001 in 29
Typical first-year earnings: $428
Chance against standard: -2.2%0.1 fewer in 100
Typical against standard: +1.7%$7 more

Without the breakoutHolds

Drops the single biggest earner, Blue Prince (7.4% of the money): 5,255 launches left. It moves the answer when that one game earned over half the money.

Launches counted: 5,255184 hits
Earned $100k+: 3.5 in 1001 in 29
Typical first-year earnings: $421
Chance against standard: -0.5%no change
Typical against standard: 0.0%no change

Last 18 monthsHolds

Keeps only launches 18 months old or newer: 1,493 of 5,256.

Launches counted: 1,49359 hits
Earned $100k+: 4.0 in 1001 in 25
Typical first-year earnings: $428
Chance against standard: +12.3%0.4 more in 100
Typical against standard: +1.7%$7 more

Standard: Every indie paid launch tagged Puzzle, 12 to 36 months old: 5,256 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: 201 of 5,256 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, Blue Prince (7.4% of the money): 5,255 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: 1,493 of 5,256.

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 Linear + Puzzle 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.