How often do games in each genre actually break out on Steam? These are honest base rates — every tracked release counts, not just the winners. The Steam-wide average is 6.0%, across 46,699 releases (2024–2026).
| Genre | Success rate | Releases | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | 3.1% | 15,435 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Action | 4.4% | 12,084 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Adventure | 4.6% | 11,221 | a tough, below-average bet |
| 2D | 2.6% | 9,457 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Strategy | 5.6% | 7,483 | right around the Steam average |
| Singleplayer | 5.3% | 7,424 | right around the Steam average |
| Puzzle | 3.4% | 7,363 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Simulation | 7.3% | 7,317 | above the Steam average |
| 3D | 3.2% | 6,853 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Exploration | 5.5% | 5,992 | right around the Steam average |
| RPG | 7.2% | 5,963 | above the Steam average |
| Arcade | 2.1% | 5,195 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Indie | 4.6% | 4,522 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Action-Adventure | 3.7% | 4,402 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Horror | 6.8% | 4,206 | above the Steam average |
| Pixel Graphics | 6.0% | 4,044 | right around the Steam average |
| First-Person | 6.2% | 3,969 | right around the Steam average |
| Cute | 5.5% | 3,732 | right around the Steam average |
| 2D Platformer | 1.9% | 3,599 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Shooter | 4.0% | 3,384 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Platformer | 2.7% | 3,241 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Roguelike | 6.9% | 2,996 | above the Steam average |
| Roguelite | 7.6% | 2,873 | above the Steam average |
| Visual Novel | 6.6% | 2,867 | right around the Steam average |
| Atmospheric | 6.7% | 2,782 | above the Steam average |
| Psychological Horror | 6.7% | 2,766 | above the Steam average |
| Action Roguelike | 6.4% | 2,740 | right around the Steam average |
| Early Access | 9.0% | 2,581 | a standout opportunity |
| Story Rich | 10.9% | 2,531 | a standout opportunity |
| Point & Click | 4.0% | 2,461 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Relaxing | 6.8% | 2,413 | above the Steam average |
| 3D Platformer | 2.9% | 2,181 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Multiplayer | 15.5% | 2,172 | a standout opportunity |
| Colorful | 3.5% | 2,057 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Bullet Hell | 5.0% | 2,010 | right around the Steam average |
| Hidden Object | 3.6% | 2,005 | a tough, below-average bet |
| FPS | 7.5% | 1,940 | above the Steam average |
| Walking Simulator | 3.6% | 1,909 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Idler | 7.8% | 1,836 | above the Steam average |
| Sandbox | 12.1% | 1,829 | a standout opportunity |
| Action RPG | 8.3% | 1,793 | above the Steam average |
| Interactive Fiction | 5.9% | 1,738 | right around the Steam average |
| Immersive Sim | 8.9% | 1,735 | above the Steam average |
| PvE | 4.7% | 1,733 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Anime | 9.2% | 1,724 | a standout opportunity |
| Female Protagonist | 9.6% | 1,650 | a standout opportunity |
| PvP | 6.2% | 1,646 | right around the Steam average |
| Funny | 7.0% | 1,642 | above the Steam average |
| Fantasy | 6.0% | 1,620 | right around the Steam average |
| Card Game | 5.2% | 1,619 | right around the Steam average |
| Top-Down | 2.2% | 1,578 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Turn-Based Strategy | 5.7% | 1,568 | right around the Steam average |
| Puzzle Platformer | 1.6% | 1,396 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Sports | 5.0% | 1,395 | right around the Steam average |
| Physics | 6.3% | 1,385 | right around the Steam average |
| Turn-Based Tactics | 6.1% | 1,383 | right around the Steam average |
| Choose Your Own Adventure | 4.2% | 1,370 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Clicker | 6.6% | 1,357 | right around the Steam average |
| Management | 13.1% | 1,324 | a standout opportunity |
| Side Scroller | 2.6% | 1,323 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Racing | 4.5% | 1,302 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Life Sim | 10.7% | 1,264 | a standout opportunity |
| Retro | 4.8% | 1,262 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Tower Defense | 5.2% | 1,257 | right around the Steam average |
| Survival | 11.6% | 1,240 | a standout opportunity |
| Third Person | 5.5% | 1,236 | right around the Steam average |
| Dungeon Crawler | 6.7% | 1,202 | above the Steam average |
| Realistic | 6.9% | 1,197 | above the Steam average |
| Mystery | 6.6% | 1,190 | right around the Steam average |
| Hack and Slash | 8.8% | 1,182 | above the Steam average |
| Difficult | 4.9% | 1,157 | right around the Steam average |
| Sci-fi | 6.6% | 1,153 | right around the Steam average |
| Survival Horror | 8.1% | 1,143 | above the Steam average |
| Precision Platformer | 1.5% | 1,142 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Choices Matter | 8.6% | 1,140 | above the Steam average |
| Free to Play | 12.9% | 1,121 | a standout opportunity |
| Shoot 'Em Up | 2.9% | 1,119 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dark | 5.5% | 1,106 | right around the Steam average |
| Top-Down Shooter | 3.0% | 1,101 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Multiple Endings | 7.8% | 1,083 | above the Steam average |
| Cartoony | 3.8% | 1,046 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Stylized | 4.7% | 1,037 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Minimalist | 2.9% | 1,035 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Family Friendly | 3.9% | 1,030 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Hand-drawn | 4.2% | 1,012 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Collectathon | 4.3% | 1,009 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Online Co-Op | 18.9% | 1,004 | a standout opportunity |
| Open World | 20.6% | 1,000 | a standout opportunity |
| Education | 2.2% | 959 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Time Management | 3.5% | 945 | a tough, below-average bet |
| JRPG | 9.6% | 937 | a standout opportunity |
| Board Game | 2.5% | 928 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Comedy | 7.3% | 918 | above the Steam average |
| Card Battler | 6.5% | 905 | right around the Steam average |
| Combat | 4.9% | 897 | right around the Steam average |
| Co-op | 17.5% | 884 | a standout opportunity |
| Deckbuilding | 9.5% | 873 | a standout opportunity |
| Building | 15.4% | 857 | a standout opportunity |
| Logic | 1.9% | 837 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Character Customization | 9.9% | 811 | a standout opportunity |
| Dating Sim | 14.2% | 805 | a standout opportunity |
| VR | 4.8% | 777 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Arena Shooter | 3.4% | 767 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Cozy | 13.7% | 766 | a standout opportunity |
| Crafting | 14.5% | 751 | a standout opportunity |
| Space | 6.6% | 746 | right around the Steam average |
| Third-Person Shooter | 6.5% | 744 | right around the Steam average |
| 2.5D | 3.7% | 726 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Controller | 2.6% | 725 | a tough, below-average bet |
| City Builder | 13.4% | 724 | a standout opportunity |
| Linear | 1.4% | 712 | a tough, below-average bet |
| RTS | 7.3% | 708 | above the Steam average |
| Turn-Based Combat | 8.1% | 705 | above the Steam average |
| Creature Collector | 9.1% | 705 | a standout opportunity |
| Runner | 1.3% | 695 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Real Time Tactics | 4.4% | 689 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Resource Management | 12.0% | 683 | a standout opportunity |
| Text-Based | 2.9% | 681 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Strategy RPG | 5.1% | 681 | right around the Steam average |
| Cats | 9.0% | 663 | a standout opportunity |
| Auto Battler | 8.0% | 663 | above the Steam average |
| Tabletop | 2.9% | 660 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Base Building | 19.7% | 651 | a standout opportunity |
| Economy | 10.4% | 651 | a standout opportunity |
| Cartoon | 2.6% | 646 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Incremental | 4.4% | 643 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Medieval | 7.2% | 640 | above the Steam average |
| 1990's | 5.6% | 623 | right around the Steam average |
| 2D Fighter | 2.6% | 608 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dark Fantasy | 10.6% | 605 | a standout opportunity |
| Detective | 8.7% | 595 | above the Steam average |
| Beat 'em up | 4.7% | 592 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Romance | 10.7% | 570 | a standout opportunity |
| Score Attack | 2.1% | 565 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Rhythm | 6.1% | 559 | right around the Steam average |
| Procedural Generation | 7.3% | 558 | above the Steam average |
| Party-Based RPG | 7.3% | 550 | above the Steam average |
| Souls-like | 10.9% | 542 | a standout opportunity |
| Wargame | 5.4% | 538 | right around the Steam average |
| Farming Sim | 10.2% | 532 | a standout opportunity |
| Word Game | 5.3% | 532 | right around the Steam average |
| Surreal | 6.9% | 521 | above the Steam average |
| Driving | 10.0% | 520 | a standout opportunity |
| Zombies | 9.0% | 520 | a standout opportunity |
| Metroidvania | 9.4% | 519 | a standout opportunity |
| Nature | 5.8% | 516 | right around the Steam average |
| Emotional | 7.0% | 511 | above the Steam average |
| Thriller | 4.3% | 492 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Tactical RPG | 8.6% | 491 | above the Steam average |
| Automation | 15.7% | 490 | a standout opportunity |
| 3D Fighter | 3.1% | 488 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Parkour | 4.6% | 474 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Post-apocalyptic | 12.7% | 458 | a standout opportunity |
| Psychological | 2.9% | 445 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Flight | 3.2% | 444 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Magic | 7.8% | 438 | above the Steam average |
| Isometric | 7.1% | 437 | above the Steam average |
| Historical | 12.1% | 428 | a standout opportunity |
| Investigation | 8.0% | 426 | above the Steam average |
| Perma Death | 4.5% | 425 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Drama | 7.3% | 423 | above the Steam average |
| Cinematic | 12.8% | 422 | a standout opportunity |
| Stealth | 8.2% | 417 | above the Steam average |
| Automobile Sim | 10.6% | 414 | a standout opportunity |
| Roguelike Deckbuilder | 15.2% | 409 | a standout opportunity |
| Abstract | 2.5% | 407 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Local Multiplayer | 3.4% | 406 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Party Game | 3.5% | 404 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Old School | 4.5% | 403 | a tough, below-average bet |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 402 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Sexual Content | 16.2% | 401 | a standout opportunity |
| Tactical | 10.7% | 391 | a standout opportunity |
| Twin Stick Shooter | 5.3% | 378 | right around the Steam average |
| LGBTQ+ | 11.2% | 376 | a standout opportunity |
| Match 3 | 1.1% | 372 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Boomer Shooter | 8.8% | 363 | above the Steam average |
| Cooking | 8.7% | 355 | above the Steam average |
| Dark Humor | 9.8% | 348 | a standout opportunity |
| Wholesome | 12.0% | 343 | a standout opportunity |
| Supernatural | 5.1% | 334 | right around the Steam average |
| Colony Sim | 16.6% | 331 | a standout opportunity |
| CRPG | 9.2% | 327 | a standout opportunity |
| Loot | 15.5% | 322 | a standout opportunity |
| Cyberpunk | 7.2% | 321 | above the Steam average |
| Grand Strategy | 8.2% | 318 | above the Steam average |
| Mystery Dungeon | 2.9% | 312 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Local Co-Op | 5.9% | 303 | right around the Steam average |
| Typing | 6.6% | 301 | right around the Steam average |
| Capitalism | 9.7% | 298 | a standout opportunity |
| Sokoban | 0.0% | 298 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Space Sim | 5.1% | 293 | right around the Steam average |
| Futuristic | 6.5% | 291 | right around the Steam average |
| Lore-Rich | 7.6% | 278 | above the Steam average |
| Psychedelic | 5.8% | 277 | right around the Steam average |
| Massively Multiplayer | 8.0% | 275 | above the Steam average |
| Robots | 8.0% | 264 | above the Steam average |
| Solitaire | 2.7% | 263 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Tutorial | 2.7% | 261 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Shop Keeper | 8.5% | 258 | above the Steam average |
| Action RTS | 4.7% | 255 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Military | 10.7% | 253 | a standout opportunity |
| War | 11.5% | 252 | a standout opportunity |
| Comic Book | 6.0% | 249 | right around the Steam average |
| Demons | 4.5% | 245 | a tough, below-average bet |
| God Game | 7.0% | 243 | above the Steam average |
| Grid-Based Movement | 2.1% | 243 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Gore | 12.0% | 241 | a standout opportunity |
| Looter Shooter | 5.5% | 238 | right around the Steam average |
| Fast-Paced | 10.5% | 238 | a standout opportunity |
| Design & Illustration | 7.6% | 238 | above the Steam average |
| Combat Racing | 3.4% | 233 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Level Editor | 4.8% | 231 | a tough, below-average bet |
| eSports | 8.4% | 227 | above the Steam average |
| MMORPG | 9.3% | 226 | a standout opportunity |
| Artificial Intelligence | 4.5% | 224 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Battle Royale | 4.9% | 224 | right around the Steam average |
| Trading Card Game | 3.6% | 223 | a tough, below-average bet |
| FMV | 30.3% | 221 | a standout opportunity |
| Fishing | 13.3% | 218 | a standout opportunity |
| Spectacle fighter | 7.3% | 218 | above the Steam average |
| Music | 14.7% | 217 | a standout opportunity |
| Aliens | 2.8% | 216 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Short | 7.0% | 215 | above the Steam average |
| 4 Player Local | 3.3% | 213 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Utilities | 4.7% | 213 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Crime | 13.8% | 210 | a standout opportunity |
| Gambling | 10.1% | 208 | a standout opportunity |
| Philosophical | 5.3% | 206 | right around the Steam average |
| Inventory Management | 10.2% | 206 | a standout opportunity |
| Turn-Based | 13.7% | 204 | a standout opportunity |
| Hentai | 14.3% | 203 | a standout opportunity |
| Replay Value | 16.1% | 199 | a standout opportunity |
| Violent | 10.2% | 197 | a standout opportunity |
| Narration | 5.8% | 189 | right around the Steam average |
| Mining | 14.4% | 187 | a standout opportunity |
| Lovecraftian | 12.4% | 186 | a standout opportunity |
| Mythology | 7.0% | 185 | above the Steam average |
| Nudity | 12.1% | 182 | a standout opportunity |
| Trading | 12.3% | 179 | a standout opportunity |
| Dark Comedy | 5.6% | 177 | right around the Steam average |
| Hero Shooter | 5.6% | 177 | right around the Steam average |
| Nonlinear | 7.3% | 177 | above the Steam average |
| Trivia | 1.1% | 175 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Conversation | 4.7% | 169 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Memes | 12.5% | 168 | a standout opportunity |
| Dystopian | 6.1% | 164 | right around the Steam average |
| Software | 0.0% | 162 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Political Sim | 3.7% | 161 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Team-Based | 8.2% | 158 | above the Steam average |
| Noir | 10.3% | 155 | a standout opportunity |
| Destruction | 9.1% | 154 | a standout opportunity |
| Martial Arts | 13.0% | 154 | a standout opportunity |
| Open World Survival Craft | 31.4% | 153 | a standout opportunity |
| Underwater | 2.6% | 152 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Escape Room | 5.3% | 152 | right around the Steam average |
| Voxel | 7.6% | 145 | above the Steam average |
| Alternate History | 10.5% | 143 | a standout opportunity |
| 4X | 12.9% | 140 | a standout opportunity |
| Split Screen | 5.0% | 140 | right around the Steam average |
| Narrative | 10.9% | 138 | a standout opportunity |
| Job Simulator | 13.4% | 134 | a standout opportunity |
| Competitive | 6.8% | 132 | above the Steam average |
| Mechs | 19.5% | 128 | a standout opportunity |
| Traditional Roguelike | 5.5% | 127 | right around the Steam average |
| Otome | 4.7% | 127 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Programming | 8.7% | 126 | above the Steam average |
| Agriculture | 13.5% | 126 | a standout opportunity |
| Modern | 2.4% | 126 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Spelling | 1.6% | 125 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Satire | 7.3% | 123 | above the Steam average |
| Football (Soccer) | 9.0% | 122 | a standout opportunity |
| Vehicular Combat | 12.5% | 120 | a standout opportunity |
| Pirates | 12.9% | 116 | a standout opportunity |
| Swordplay | 14.9% | 114 | a standout opportunity |
| Parody | 6.2% | 113 | right around the Steam average |
| Science | 4.5% | 110 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Time Manipulation | 3.7% | 108 | a tough, below-average bet |
| MOBA | 9.3% | 108 | a standout opportunity |
| Mature | 15.7% | 108 | a standout opportunity |
| 3D Vision | 1.0% | 105 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dog | 4.8% | 104 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Quick-Time Events | 2.9% | 103 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Trains | 19.4% | 103 | a standout opportunity |
| Fighting | 14.9% | 101 | a standout opportunity |
| Dinosaurs | 8.9% | 101 | above the Steam average |
| Transportation | 12.9% | 101 | a standout opportunity |
| Western | 8.2% | 97 | above the Steam average |
| On-Rails Shooter | 3.1% | 96 | a tough, below-average bet |
| NSFW | 9.5% | 95 | a standout opportunity |
| Gun Customization | 13.8% | 94 | a standout opportunity |
| Experimental | 2.2% | 92 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Hacking | 6.5% | 92 | right around the Steam average |
| Hunting | 7.8% | 90 | above the Steam average |
| Minigames | 9.1% | 88 | a standout opportunity |
| Hex Grid | 4.7% | 86 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dragons | 5.9% | 85 | right around the Steam average |
| Sailing | 5.9% | 85 | right around the Steam average |
| Faith | 8.2% | 85 | above the Steam average |
| Ninja | 12.9% | 85 | a standout opportunity |
| Medical Sim | 4.8% | 84 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Party | 6.0% | 84 | right around the Steam average |
| Underground | 4.8% | 83 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Political | 6.0% | 83 | right around the Steam average |
| World War II | 14.8% | 81 | a standout opportunity |
| Time Travel | 2.5% | 80 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Bullet Heaven | 11.2% | 80 | a standout opportunity |
| Moddable | 20.3% | 79 | a standout opportunity |
| Bullet Time | 7.6% | 79 | above the Steam average |
| Class-Based | 6.3% | 79 | right around the Steam average |
| Chess | 2.6% | 78 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Co-op Campaign | 9.5% | 74 | a standout opportunity |
| Golf | 4.1% | 73 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Social Deduction | 9.9% | 71 | a standout opportunity |
| Vampire | 8.6% | 70 | above the Steam average |
| Gothic | 10.0% | 70 | a standout opportunity |
| Steampunk | 3.0% | 67 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dialogue Heavy | 4.5% | 67 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Game Development | 0.0% | 66 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Outbreak Sim | 3.1% | 65 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Tanks | 9.2% | 65 | a standout opportunity |
| Dice | 9.2% | 65 | a standout opportunity |
| Basketball | 3.1% | 64 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Dynamic Narration | 3.2% | 62 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Asynchronous Multiplayer | 9.7% | 62 | a standout opportunity |
| America | 3.3% | 61 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Snow | 4.9% | 61 | right around the Steam average |
| Animation & Modeling | 0.0% | 61 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Conspiracy | 8.3% | 60 | above the Steam average |
| Boxing | 0.0% | 58 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Roguevania | 1.8% | 57 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Extraction Shooter | 29.1% | 55 | a standout opportunity |
| Superhero | 11.3% | 53 | a standout opportunity |
| Politics | 7.5% | 53 | above the Steam average |
| Dogs | 3.8% | 53 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Naval | 17.3% | 52 | a standout opportunity |
| Archery | 3.8% | 52 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Music-Based Procedural Generation | 3.9% | 51 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Naval Combat | 13.7% | 51 | a standout opportunity |
| Boss Rush | 3.9% | 51 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Mini Golf | 4.0% | 50 | a tough, below-average bet |
| Horses | 14.0% | 50 | a standout opportunity |
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