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Explaining his process, Zukowski says: “Every January, I pull a list of the previous year’s releases and filter for those with 1,000+ reviews. I then perform a deep dive—evaluating Steam pages, trailers, tags, and player feedback.”
The data reveals that 2.99% of all Steam releases in 2025 hit that 1,000-review mark. This reflects a positive trend compared to 2.44% in 2024, 2.56% in 2023, and 2.74% in 2022, signaling a recovery after a period of minor stagnation.
While this only represents a fraction of developers, many others likely earned a sustainable living below that threshold. Zukowski remains optimistic, noting that “the trajectory is promising.”
“We could be entering a new indie golden age,” he suggests, pointing out that players often prioritize “fun over polish.” The massive success of titles like Megabonk, RV There Yet, and Peak supports his theory that players are increasingly receptive to trendy, high-engagement concepts.
By wrestling with Steam’s often chaotic tagging system, Zukowski identified the 10 most prominent genres among the 608 breakout hits. Here is the final ranking:
- Narrative – 51 games
- Simulation – 43 games
- Horror – 39 games
- RPG – 28 games
- Idle / Incremental – 27 games
- Roguelike – 22 games
- Adult Content – 21 games
- Multiplayer Shooter – 21 games
- Shooter – 21 games
- Management – 19 games
Horror has traditionally dominated these reports, making this the first time in years it hasn’t secured the top spot. Narrative games, including visual novels and detective mysteries, saw a significant boost, fueled largely by a new wave of FMV titles originating from China.
When looking at which genres have the highest probability of success, the “Open-World Survival Craft” category reigns supreme. An impressive 20.8% of games in this genre (15 titles) reached the 1,000-review mark—miles ahead of farming games, which sat in second place with an 8.3% success rate.
Conversely, 2D platformers and point-and-click adventures struggled significantly, with only 0.18% of releases reaching the benchmark. Out of 1,658 platformers launched in 2025, just three became breakout hits. This context highlights how oversaturated certain genres have become. Zukowski also notes that the prevalence of adult games and roguelikes is often exaggerated compared to their actual market performance.
Despite the hurdles of a “muddy” tagging system, the data offers a vital perspective on visibility. For instance, over 4,000 puzzle games launched last year, with the critically acclaimed Blue Prince being one of the few to truly stand out.
“Do you know why so many people are making Roguelike Deckbuilders? Because Slay the Spire is phenomenal and millions played it,” Zukowski concludes. “I’m just the weatherman reporting the conditions. I don’t change the weather; I just tell you where the wind is blowing.”
Source: gamesradar.com
