Best niches
$10 to $20Pairs that hit $100k+ beyond the oddsFree until launch
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.
Niches 1 Oct
Of 3,697 niches with 10+ launches at $10 to $20, 581 beat the 19 in 100 base rate. Price moves the odds most: 1 in 192 under $5, 42 in 100 at $20 to $40.581 of 3,697 niches beat the 19 in 100 base rate.581 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
3,697 of 5,145 niches have 10+ launches at $10 to $20. 1,151 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 $10 to $20the base rate: the row to beat | 19 in 100893 of 4,810 | $9,226 | $248,075 | 4,810 | |||
| 1 | Cozy + Story Rich10 of 15 launches earned $100k+ | 10 of 1510 hits | $234,378 | $510,045 | 15 | SmallAudience | Pin Cozy + Story Rich |
| 2 | Cozy + Pixel Graphics9 of 14 launches earned $100k+ | 9 of 149 hits | $129,593 | $1,360,500 | 14 | SmallAudience | Pin Cozy + Pixel Graphics |
| 3 | Building + Cozy12 of 19 launches earned $100k+ | 12 of 1912 hits | $176,757 | $4,020,651 | 19 | Small | Pin Building + Cozy |
| 4 | FMV + Multiple Endings12 of 20 launches earned $100k+ | 12 of 2012 hits | $154,935 | $304,089 | 20 | SmallAudience | Pin FMV + Multiple Endings |
| 5 | 2D + Music6 of 10 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 106 hits | $263,118 | $2,312,993 | 10 | SmallAudience | Pin 2D + Music |
| 6 | Cinematic + FMV12 of 21 launches earned $100k+ | 12 of 2112 hits | $127,841 | $304,089 | 21 | SmallAudience | Pin Cinematic + FMV |
| 7 | Multiplayer + Third-Person Shooter8 of 14 launches earned $100k+ | 8 of 148 hits | $200,375 | $1,536,611 | 14 | SmallAudience | Pin Multiplayer + Third-Person Shooter |
| 8 | FMV + Immersive Sim13 of 23 launches earned $100k+ | 13 of 2313 hits | $136,417 | $341,606 | 23 | Small | Pin FMV + Immersive Sim |
| 9 | FMV + Visual Novel14 of 25 launches earned $100k+ | 14 of 2514 hits | $136,417 | $412,826 | 25 | SmallAudience | Pin FMV + Visual Novel |
| 10 | Casual + Cozy55 in 100 earned $100k+, from 58 launches | 55 in 10032 hits | $120,225 | $1,360,500 | 58 | none | Pin Casual + Cozy |
| 11 | Action RPG + Sandbox11 of 20 launches earned $100k+ | 11 of 2011 hits | $131,936 | $855,782 | 20 | SmallAudience | Pin Action RPG + Sandbox |
| 12 | Mystery + Pixel Graphics12 of 22 launches earned $100k+ | 12 of 2212 hits | $120,225 | $1,928,050 | 22 | Small | Pin Mystery + Pixel Graphics |
| 13 | 1990's + Horror6 of 11 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 116 hits | $100,171 | $141,551 | 11 | Small | Pin 1990's + Horror |
| 14 | Automation + Economy6 of 11 launches earned $100k+ | 6 of 116 hits | $111,098 | $1,025,497 | 11 | Small | Pin Automation + Economy |
| 15 | Co-op + FPS8 of 15 launches earned $100k+ | 8 of 158 hits | $122,249 | $3,216,764 | 15 | Small | Pin Co-op + FPS |
| 16 | Building + Life Sim53 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches | 53 in 10017 hits | $111,098 | $594,898 | 32 | Small | Pin Building + Life Sim |
| 17 | FMV + Interactive Fiction53 in 100 earned $100k+, from 32 launches | 53 in 10017 hits | $118,000 | $302,965 | 32 | SmallAudience | Pin FMV + Interactive Fiction |
| 18 | Mystery + Simulation9 of 17 launches earned $100k+ | 9 of 179 hits | $118,606 | $1,171,490 | 17 | SmallAudience | Pin Mystery + Simulation |
| 19 | FMV + RPG10 of 19 launches earned $100k+ | 10 of 1910 hits | $118,000 | $444,973 | 19 | SmallAudience | Pin FMV + RPG |
| 20 | Colorful + Cozy12 of 23 launches earned $100k+ | 12 of 2312 hits | $100,462 | $395,623 | 23 | Small | Pin Colorful + Cozy |
| 21 | Cozy + Life Sim13 of 25 launches earned $100k+ | 13 of 2513 hits | $118,606 | $1,036,140 | 25 | Small | Pin Cozy + Life Sim |
| 22 | Dating Sim + FMV13 of 25 launches earned $100k+ | 13 of 2513 hits | $127,841 | $304,089 | 25 | SmallAudience | Pin Dating Sim + FMV |
| 23 | Cooking + Management14 of 27 launches earned $100k+ | 14 of 2714 hits | $109,636 | $1,014,240 | 27 | SmallAudience | Pin Cooking + Management |
| 24 | Adventure + Cozy52 in 100 earned $100k+, from 31 launches | 52 in 10016 hits | $118,606 | $615,202 | 31 | SmallAudience | Pin Adventure + Cozy |
| 25 | Action Roguelike + Online Co-Op14 of 28 launches earned $100k+ | 14 of 2814 hits | $102,180 | $2,610,738 | 28 | SmallAudience | Pin Action Roguelike + Online Co-Op |
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.