Genre popularity by platform

A 0–100 popularity score for 96 genres on five platforms in one table: which genres are popular everywhere and which only on PC or only on phones. Data as of October 12, 2026.

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Popular everywhere

Multiplayer — at least 77/100 on every platform
Simulation — at least 76/100 on every platform
Action — at least 73/100 on every platform
Horror — at least 72/100 on every platform
Strategy — at least 71/100 on every platform
Zombies — at least 70/100 on every platform
Survival — at least 69/100 on every platform
Online co-op — at least 67/100 on every platform

Stronger on mobile

Mahjong — mobile 69/100 vs PC 0/100
Runners — mobile 84/100 vs PC 36/100
Trivia — mobile 72/100 vs PC 35/100
Hypercasual — mobile 70/100 vs PC 33/100
Solitaire — mobile 78/100 vs PC 45/100
Hero shooters — mobile 67/100 vs PC 35/100
Match-3 — mobile 84/100 vs PC 52/100
Word games — mobile 79/100 vs PC 50/100

Stronger on PC (Steam and itch.io)

Text-based — PC 72/100 vs mobile 27/100
Time management — PC 51/100 vs mobile 8/100
Psychological horror — PC 81/100 vs mobile 40/100
Visual novels — PC 75/100 vs mobile 39/100
Bullet hell — PC 72/100 vs mobile 37/100
Automation / factories — PC 66/100 vs mobile 32/100
Dungeon crawlers — PC 65/100 vs mobile 36/100
Deckbuilders — PC 70/100 vs mobile 41/100

All genres

Popularity score 0–100 on each platform; “—” means the genre is missing there or data is thin.

Genre	Steam	itch.io	Yandex Games	Google Play	App Store	Average
Action	99	73	77	94	100	89
Multiplayer	100	82	77	100	78	87
Adventure	91	88	64	91	91	85
Simulation	87	90	76	79	91	85
Casual	80	85	65	90	97	83
Puzzle	62	94	77	87	94	83
Horror	79	99	73	72	85	82
RPG	88	93	64	78	84	81
Shooters	93	74	64	96	78	81
Online co-op	95	75	—	87	67	81
Board games	52	75	100	81	88	79
Strategy	84	81	71	71	84	78
Sandbox	85	80	71	90	63	78
Card games	62	83	89	72	83	78
Battle royale	78	54	—	95	83	78
Survival	88	84	69	76	71	77
Fighting	65	74	—	93	77	77
Racing	66	70	81	93	77	77
Arcade	62	76	66	95	81	76
Sports	71	69	59	91	87	75
Zombies	70	70	—	88	71	75
Open world	90	69	—	72	65	74
Farming	63	76	—	84	72	74
Action RPG	80	82	—	72	60	74
Dating sims	62	97	—	66	61	71
.io games	—	58	56	88	83	71
Rhythm & music	52	91	59	87	66	71
Platformers	62	82	64	97	48	71
Life sims	66	80	—	77	59	71
Crafting	81	77	—	60	62	70
Interactive fiction	52	97	—	69	61	70
Economy / management	77	81	44	72	74	70
Survival horror	67	79	—	75	52	68
Physics games	68	79	—	68	57	68
Educational	52	79	55	80	—	66
Stealth	66	—	—	84	49	66
Match-3	38	66	57	87	81	66
City builders	69	75	—	66	53	66
Cooking	42	78	—	80	62	66
4X	61	66	—	82	52	65
Mystery	51	86	—	67	56	65
Space sims	44	71	—	93	52	65
Word games	27	73	—	78	80	65
Tower defense	50	80	55	62	75	64
RTS	67	69	—	52	67	64
JRPG	64	78	—	68	44	64
MMO	79	62	—	59	50	63
Incremental / idle	61	74	41	66	70	62
Arena shooters	45	57	—	77	70	62
Flight sims	58	70	—	71	50	62
Merge games	—	63	—	67	56	62
Solitaire	25	66	—	77	79	62
Gambling / casino	33	71	—	66	77	62
Detective	49	88	—	66	44	61
Tactical RPGs	62	73	—	65	44	61
Hunting	52	62	—	67	64	61
Mining	47	73	—	66	57	61
Psychological horror	72	91	—	65	15	60
Runners	16	56	—	99	69	60
Clickers	58	76	53	59	55	60
Precision platformers	51	45	—	93	52	60
Cozy games	43	89	—	49	59	60
Monster collecting	52	59	—	62	60	58
Auto battlers	46	72	—	66	49	58
Party games	45	56	60	84	47	58
Hypercasual	—	33	—	83	57	58
Fishing	52	—	—	67	52	57
Hidden object	30	75	—	64	60	57
Souls-like	74	63	—	48	42	57
Trivia	12	57	70	75	69	57
Wargames	58	38	—	72	55	56
Deckbuilders	59	81	—	45	38	56
Hack and slash	67	71	—	62	22	55
Friendslop (chaotic co-op)	61	53	30	63	65	54
Bullet hell	64	80	—	19	54	54
Collectible card games (CCG)	45	—	—	48	68	54
Metroidvanias	45	76	—	43	51	54
Party-based RPGs	60	—	—	60	37	53
Typing games	19	83	—	44	63	52
Grand strategy	69	49	—	47	41	52
Hero shooters	70	0	—	75	60	51
Dungeon crawlers	61	70	—	42	30	51
Roguelikes	65	82	0	65	42	51
Text-based	57	86	—	35	20	50
Automation / factories	62	70	—	63	0	49
Political sims	42	—	—	49	55	49
Colony sims	59	39	—	46	48	48
Twin-stick shooters	31	73	—	46	40	48
Visual novels	50	100	10	46	33	48
Escape rooms	38	55	—	56	36	47
Mahjong	0	—	—	71	67	46
Survivors-like (Vampire Survivors)	51	34	—	60	39	46
Roguelike deckbuilders (Balatro, StS)	55	45	—	36	33	42
Social deduction (Among Us)	35	50	—	78	0	41
Pinball	15	61	—	54	12	36
Time management	53	48	—	0	16	29

How it is calculated and what the numbers do not show

Popularity is calculated within each platform from its own signal: online players on Steam, player ratings on itch.io, Yandex Games and the App Store, installs on Google Play. The values are then turned into a 0–100 score on a log scale. So the score shows the genre’s place among the platform’s other genres, not a player count: “80 on Steam” and “80 on Google Play” are different audiences.

Data updated October 12, 2026 Methodology

More research: Best genres for an indie game · Steam vs itch.io