Survival horror
An average niche: demand and competition are roughly balanced — the idea and execution decide. Average across 4 platforms: niche 53/100, demand 68/100, competition 56/100, development cost 48/100. On Steam: 4,069 games and 164,089 players online; 19% of games reach 500+ reviews, average spend per player is $18.17.
Niche
53/100
Demand (0–100)
68/100
Competition
56/100
Dev cost
48/100
Spend per player
$18.17
Hit rate (500+ reviews)
19%
Key findings
- Ranked #33 of 100 in the overall niche ranking.
- The niche looks best on Google Play (61/100) and weakest on Steam (42/100).
- Competition is at a typical level: 56/100 vs a median of 57/100.
- Development is costlier than typical: index 48/100 vs a median of 39/100 — plan for more time and money.
- On Steam, 19% of games reached 500+ reviews — more often than usual (median 16%).
- Small-studio games make up 57% of all Steam games with this tag.
By platform
| Platform | Popularity | Games / leaders’ share | Competition | Niche | Dev cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | 67/100 | 4,069 | 68/100 | 42/100 | 52/100 |
| itch.io | 79/100 | 14,013 | 71/100 | 48/100 | 50/100 |
| Yandex Games | no data | ||||
| Google Play | 75/100 | 67% | 50/100 | 61/100 | 47/100 |
| App Store | 52/100 | 45% | 34/100 | 59/100 | 43/100 |
Example games — Steam
AAA / big hits
Dead by DaylightBehaviour Interactive Inc. · $19.99
Lethal CompanyZeekerss · $9.99
Dying LightTechland · $24.99
Indie
The ForestEndnight Games Ltd · $19.99
Sons Of The ForestEndnight Games Ltd · $29.99
SCP: Secret LaboratoryNorthwood Studios · free
Related genres
Data updated October 12, 2026 Methodology