Best niches
All pricesPairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.
Open free previewTicker: 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.
Niches 1 Oct
Of 5,130 niches with 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view, 2,264 beat the 1 in 16 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.2,264 of 5,130 niches beat the 1 in 16 base rate.2,264 beat the base rate.
Cohort median $606
Every tag pair (two tags on the same game), screened by how often its indie launches earned $100k or more in their first year. Pick your price first: price moves the odds more than the tags do.
Indie paid Steam launches 6 to 30 months old, data 1 Oct 2026. A hit is an estimated first year of $100k+. The revenue estimate is soft: about 5 to 8 in 100 launches overall.
Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
Lens checkChanged recently. Standard: the yardstick. West-facing view: holds. Without the breakout: holds. Last 18 months: moves the answer.
Open free previewThe West-facing view lens is computed across all prices only for now, so this list reads All prices. Pick Standard to read $10 to $20.
5,130 of 5,145 niches have 30+ launches at any price, West-facing view. 1,751 match the search and chips. Sorted by chance of $100k+, highest first.
| Rank# | Niche | Chance of $100k+ | Typical year | Top 1 in 10 | Launches | Markers | Pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All games at any price, West-facing viewthe base rate: the row to beat | 1 in 161,804 of 29,637 | $606 | not computed | 29,637 | |||
| 1 | Co-op + Sandbox40 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches | 40 in 10017 hits | $47,612 | not computed | 42 | SmallAudience | Pin Co-op + Sandbox |
| 2 | Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox39 in 100 earned $100k+, from 44 launches | 39 in 10017 hits | $37,033 | not computed | 44 | SmallAudience | Pin Open World Survival Craft + Sandbox |
| 3 | Cozy + Story Rich37 in 100 earned $100k+, from 43 launches | 37 in 10016 hits | $24,883 | not computed | 43 | SmallAudience | Pin Cozy + Story Rich |
| 4 | Building + Multiplayer36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 36 in 10017 hits | $47,349 | not computed | 47 | SmallAudience | Pin Building + Multiplayer |
| 5 | Online Co-Op + Sandbox36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 36 in 10017 hits | $32,570 | not computed | 47 | Small | Pin Online Co-Op + Sandbox |
| 6 | Simulation + Wholesome36 in 100 earned $100k+, from 42 launches | 36 in 10015 hits | $39,155 | not computed | 42 | Small | Pin Simulation + Wholesome |
| 7 | Base Building + Colony Sim34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 97 launches | 34 in 10033 hits | $27,623 | not computed | 97 | none | Pin Base Building + Colony Sim |
| 8 | Multiplayer + Sandbox34 in 100 earned $100k+, from 77 launches | 34 in 10026 hits | $24,891 | not computed | 77 | none | Pin Multiplayer + Sandbox |
| 9 | Co-op + FPS33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 51 launches | 33 in 10017 hits | $3,436 | not computed | 51 | none | Pin Co-op + FPS |
| 10 | Open World Survival Craft + Survival33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 76 launches | 33 in 10025 hits | $25,194 | not computed | 76 | none | Pin Open World Survival Craft + Survival |
| 11 | City Builder + Survival33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 46 launches | 33 in 10015 hits | $21,482 | not computed | 46 | Small | Pin City Builder + Survival |
| 12 | Base Building + Management33 in 100 earned $100k+, from 135 launches | 33 in 10044 hits | $16,148 | not computed | 135 | none | Pin Base Building + Management |
| 13 | Base Building + Sandbox31 in 100 earned $100k+, from 160 launches | 31 in 10050 hits | $7,286 | not computed | 160 | Audience | Pin Base Building + Sandbox |
| 14 | Driving + Open World30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 66 launches | 30 in 10020 hits | $6,511 | not computed | 66 | none | Pin Driving + Open World |
| 15 | Cozy + Life Sim30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 60 launches | 30 in 10018 hits | $16,148 | not computed | 60 | none | Pin Cozy + Life Sim |
| 16 | Dating Sim + FMV30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 40 launches | 30 in 10012 hits | $33,405 | not computed | 40 | SmallAudience | Pin Dating Sim + FMV |
| 17 | Medieval + Sandbox30 in 100 earned $100k+, from 47 launches | 30 in 10014 hits | $12,463 | not computed | 47 | Small | Pin Medieval + Sandbox |
| 18 | Multiplayer + Realistic29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 92 launches | 29 in 10027 hits | $8,252 | not computed | 92 | none | Pin Multiplayer + Realistic |
| 19 | Co-op + PvE29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 99 launches | 29 in 10029 hits | $8,185 | not computed | 99 | none | Pin Co-op + PvE |
| 20 | Life Sim + Open World29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 72 launches | 29 in 10021 hits | $16,665 | not computed | 72 | Audience | Pin Life Sim + Open World |
| 21 | FPS + Online Co-Op29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 55 launches | 29 in 10016 hits | $7,485 | not computed | 55 | none | Pin FPS + Online Co-Op |
| 22 | Open World + Open World Survival Craft29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 52 launches | 29 in 10015 hits | $20,964 | not computed | 52 | none | Pin Open World + Open World Survival Craft |
| 23 | Co-op + Roguelite29 in 100 earned $100k+, from 63 launches | 29 in 10018 hits | $13,305 | not computed | 63 | none | Pin Co-op + Roguelite |
| 24 | Online Co-Op + Survival28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 90 launches | 28 in 10025 hits | $7,266 | not computed | 90 | Audience | Pin Online Co-Op + Survival |
| 25 | Building + Open World28 in 100 earned $100k+, from 83 launches | 28 in 10023 hits | $8,902 | not computed | 83 | none | Pin Building + Open World |
Under 30 launches a chance is written as a count ("3 of 12"), never as odds. Typical year is the middle launch's first-year earnings. Lenses, the one-hit share and the audience split are measured across all prices. A game counts in every pair its tags make.
Ticker: 30 upcoming games dated within 90 days, with wishlist rank, release date and followers. The same list is on the Upcoming page.