Souls-like
An average niche: demand and competition are roughly balanced — the idea and execution decide. Average across 4 platforms: niche 42/100, demand 57/100, competition 65/100, development cost 59/100. On Steam: 1,534 games and 344,176 players online; 26% of games reach 500+ reviews, average spend per player is $28.64.
Niche
42/100
Demand (0–100)
57/100
Competition
65/100
Dev cost
59/100
Spend per player
$28.64
Hit rate (500+ reviews)
26%
Key findings
- Ranked #78 of 100 in the overall niche ranking.
- The niche looks best on itch.io (56/100) and weakest on App Store (31/100).
- Competition is above typical: 65/100 vs a median of 57/100 — standing out will take a strong hook or marketing.
- Development is costlier than typical: index 59/100 vs a median of 39/100 — plan for more time and money.
- On Steam, 26% of games reached 500+ reviews — more often than usual (median 16%).
- Small-studio games make up 52% of all Steam games with this tag.
By platform
| Platform | Popularity | Games / leaders’ share | Competition | Niche | Dev cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | 74/100 | 1,534 | 54/100 | 50/100 | 68/100 |
| itch.io | 63/100 | 1,825 | 50/100 | 56/100 | 58/100 |
| Yandex Games | no data | ||||
| Google Play | 48/100 | 86% | 78/100 | 32/100 | 54/100 |
| App Store | 42/100 | 80% | 77/100 | 31/100 | 56/100 |
Example games — Steam
AAA / big hits
Black Myth: WukongGame Science · $59.99
ELDEN RINGFromSoftware, Inc. · $59.99
Path of Exile 2Grinding Gear Games · $29.99
Indie
Hollow KnightTeam Cherry · $14.99
Dead CellsMotion Twin · $24.99
Related genres
Data updated October 12, 2026 Methodology