Steam Revenue by Genre
Every Steam genre ranked by median revenue per game, total market size, and competition. Find the profitable ones · Updated Aug 17, 2026
| Genre | Distribution |
|---|
Simulation | 26.3K | $2.3K | $21.1B | 28 | $4.99 | |
RPG | 22.6K | $2.1K | $35.5B | 29 | $4.99 | |
Photo EditingSoftware | 159 | $2K | $162.6M | 18 | $4.99 | |
Adventure | 48.5K | $1.9K | $47.1B | 25 | $4.99 | |
Game DevelopmentSoftware | 268 | $1.8K | $72.4M | 21.5 | $9.99 | |
Design & IllustrationSoftware | 545 | $1.6K | $245.2M | 26 | $4.99 | |
Sports | 5.5K | $1.4K | $3.1B | 22 | $4.99 | |
Strategy | 25.9K | $1.4K | $17.9B | 20 | $4.99 | |
Indie | 88.9K | $1.2K | $32.1B | 19 | $3.99 | |
Racing | 4.6K | $1.1K | $3.3B | 18 | $4.99 | |
Action | 51.6K | $994.5 | $66.3B | 18 | $4.99 | |
Animation & ModelingSoftware | 441 | $955 | $198.5M | 28 | $3.99 | |
Casual | 53.7K | $776 | $7.6B | 15 | $3.99 | |
UtilitiesSoftware | 911 | $719 | $267.4M | 24 | $3.99 | |
Software TrainingSoftware | 201 | $718 | $31.4M | 23 | $4.99 | |
Audio ProductionSoftware | 242 | $599 | $35.5M | 26 | $3.99 | |
Web PublishingSoftware | 110 | $524.5 | $63.7M | 37.5 | $1.99 | |
EducationSoftware | 394 | $408 | $65M | 15 | $2.99 | |
Video ProductionSoftware | 324 | $329 | $28.7M | 22.5 | $1.99 | |
AccountingSoftware | 22 | $0 | $459.7K | 10.5 | Free | |
Massively Multiplayer | 3K | $0 | $6.2B | 68.5 | Free |
Titles
26.3K
Median Rev
$2.3K
Total Revenue
$21.1B
Avg Rating
72%
Median Reviews
28
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
22.6K
Median Rev
$2.1K
Total Revenue
$35.5B
Avg Rating
75%
Median Reviews
29
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
159
Median Rev
$2K
Total Revenue
$162.6M
Avg Rating
72%
Median Reviews
18
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
48.5K
Median Rev
$1.9K
Total Revenue
$47.1B
Avg Rating
76%
Median Reviews
25
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
268
Median Rev
$1.8K
Total Revenue
$72.4M
Avg Rating
74%
Median Reviews
21.5
Median Price
$9.99
Titles
545
Median Rev
$1.6K
Total Revenue
$245.2M
Avg Rating
72%
Median Reviews
26
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
5.5K
Median Rev
$1.4K
Total Revenue
$3.1B
Avg Rating
72%
Median Reviews
22
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
25.9K
Median Rev
$1.4K
Total Revenue
$17.9B
Avg Rating
75%
Median Reviews
20
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
88.9K
Median Rev
$1.2K
Total Revenue
$32.1B
Avg Rating
77%
Median Reviews
19
Median Price
$3.99
Titles
4.6K
Median Rev
$1.1K
Total Revenue
$3.3B
Avg Rating
74%
Median Reviews
18
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
51.6K
Median Rev
$994.5
Total Revenue
$66.3B
Avg Rating
76%
Median Reviews
18
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
441
Median Rev
$955
Total Revenue
$198.5M
Avg Rating
71%
Median Reviews
28
Median Price
$3.99
Titles
53.7K
Median Rev
$776
Total Revenue
$7.6B
Avg Rating
78%
Median Reviews
15
Median Price
$3.99
Titles
911
Median Rev
$719
Total Revenue
$267.4M
Avg Rating
71%
Median Reviews
24
Median Price
$3.99
Titles
201
Median Rev
$718
Total Revenue
$31.4M
Avg Rating
71%
Median Reviews
23
Median Price
$4.99
Titles
242
Median Rev
$599
Total Revenue
$35.5M
Avg Rating
69%
Median Reviews
26
Median Price
$3.99
Titles
110
Median Rev
$524.5
Total Revenue
$63.7M
Avg Rating
72%
Median Reviews
37.5
Median Price
$1.99
Titles
394
Median Rev
$408
Total Revenue
$65M
Avg Rating
71%
Median Reviews
15
Median Price
$2.99
Titles
324
Median Rev
$329
Total Revenue
$28.7M
Avg Rating
69%
Median Reviews
22.5
Median Price
$1.99
Titles
22
Median Rev
$0
Total Revenue
$459.7K
Avg Rating
73%
Median Reviews
10.5
Median Price
Free
Titles
3K
Median Rev
$0
Total Revenue
$6.2B
Avg Rating
63%
Median Reviews
68.5
Median Price
Free
Which Steam Genres Make the Most Money?
The biggest genre is not the best one to build in. Action is the largest market on Steam by total revenue, tens of billions of dollars spread across some fifty thousand games, yet its median title earns less than the catalog median. Simulation moves less money overall while paying the typical developer roughly twice as much, with RPG and Adventure close behind. That gap between total market size and median revenue per game is the whole point of this table: one number tells you how big the audience is, the other tells you what a normal game in that genre actually takes home.
Why Median Revenue Beats the Average
Steam revenue follows a power law. A few hits earn most of the money in every genre, so an average is dragged up by outliers and describes nobody's real outcome. The median ignores those extremes and answers the question that matters when you are picking a genre: what does a typical game here earn? The review counts make the same point. In most genres the median game has only a few dozen reviews, a reminder that the visible Steam hits are a thin slice of what actually ships.
Finding an Underserved Genre
An underserved genre pairs a healthy median with a low game count, meaning real money and few competitors chasing it. Sports is a good illustration: it carries a small fraction of the games Indie does, yet its median title earns more. Use the underserved view to rank genres on that trade-off directly, then read the distribution bar to see how the earnings split. A genre where most games land in the middle bands is friendlier than one where a few titles take everything.
A Note on Free-to-Play Genres
Revenue here is estimated from price and review count, so a free game estimates at zero no matter how many players it has. Massively Multiplayer is the genre this hits hardest, since its median price is zero and much of the category earns through in-game purchases we cannot see. Read that row as a floor rather than a verdict, and treat any free-to-play heavy genre the same way. Every other figure on this page comes from live Steam sales and refreshes daily.
Steam Genres FAQ
What is the most profitable Steam genre?
How many game genres does Steam have?
How is Steam genre revenue calculated?
Are the most popular Steam genres the most profitable?
Which Steam genres are least saturated?
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