A revenue analysis of over 100,000 Steam games estimates sandbox titles have the highest chance of crossing $100,000 in earnings, with a 27.3% hit rate. The study, using user tags and a review-to-sales multiplier, found sandbox games like Terraria and Red Dead Redemption 2 outperform more narrowly defined genres.
First-person shooters rank second at 21.6%, followed by RPGs (19.4%) and simulation (16.9%). Visual novels, often overlooked, sit at 16.5%, while racing (15.8%) and horror (16.1%) round out the top half. The lowest performers include hidden object games (5.4%) and 2D platformers (5.5%), signaling higher risk for developers in those niches.
The data also highlights recent Steam successes, with Mortal Shell II and Wardogs debuting strongly, while Stalker 2 rebounded after a price cut and major update.
