The niche at a glance

Building on Steam: 6,603 released games, 1,635 in the last 12 months, 4,877 announced and still unreleased. Of the 3,044 released between three years and 90 days ago, the median has 23 lifetime reviews. 35% of them never reached 10 reviews. Free to play: 9%. Building is a Steam store tag, applied by the developer and refined by players; a game carries several tags at once, so niche counts overlap and do not add up to the size of the Steam catalogue. Data as of .

What releases end up with

lifetime reviews · released 3 years ago to 90 days ago · failures included3,044 releases
p101
p254
median23
p75166
p901,095
35% of them never reached 10 reviewsMedian price $9.99 · 9% free-to-play

Releases per year

outcomes count only games released more than 90 days ago, anything newer has not had time to gather reviews
2019
210median 167 · 14% under 10 reviews
2020
398median 32 · 28% under 10 reviews
2021
568median 33 · 29% under 10 reviews
2022
573median 40 · 23% under 10 reviews
2023
770median 32 · 28% under 10 reviews
2024
917median 24 · 33% under 10 reviews
2025
1,112median 26 · 34% under 10 reviews
2026
1,415median 17 · 40% under 10 reviews · 544 too fresh

Building × setting: what the pairings end up with

every setting tag shipped with Building at least 5 times · same window× setting× presentation
share reaching 500 reviews, shrunk towards the catalogue · click a row to open the concept
Building ×3 y12 mmedian≥500adjusted vs chancelast hitwho made it
Decorating402622337.5% 24%–53%27.2%
cliché ×6.4490 d
House Flipper 2
Tavern Keeper 🍻
Teddy's Haven
House Flipper 2 · Tavern Keeper 🍻 · Teddy's Haven
Dating Sim371227735.1% 22%–51%25.1%
avoided ×0.32134 d
The Scroll of Taiwu : Beyond The Dome
Palia
inZOI
The Scroll of Taiwu : Beyond The Dome · Palia · inZOI
Historical165517926.1% 20%–33%24.0%
cliché ×1.79189 d
Manor Lords
Against the Storm
Europa Universalis V
Manor Lords · Against the Storm · Europa Universalis V
Female Protagonist67212326.9% 18%–39%22.2%
avoided ×0.25236 d
Slime Rancher 2
My Time at Sandrock
ASKA
Slime Rancher 2 · My Time at Sandrock · ASKA
Mining149663124.2% 18%–32%22.1%
cliché ×5.4990 d
My Time at Sandrock
Coral Island
The Quinfall
My Time at Sandrock · Coral Island · The Quinfall
Job Simulator753710925.3% 17%–36%21.4%
cliché ×2.46104 d
Tavern Manager Simulator 🍻
Cheap Car Repair
Go-Go Town!
Tavern Manager Simulator 🍻 · Cheap Car Repair · Go-Go Town!
Alternate History53192226.4% 16%–40%21.0%
ordinary ×1.10236 d
Europa Universalis V
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
Farthest Frontier
Europa Universalis V · Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic · Farthest Frontier
Farming64223225.0% 16%–37%20.6%
cliché ×6.15104 d
Farming Simulator 25
Dinkum
Farthest Frontier
Farming Simulator 25 · Dinkum · Farthest Frontier
Fishing90323123.3% 16%–33%20.3%
cliché ×3.31104 d
Dinkum
Coral Island
The Quinfall
Dinkum · Coral Island · The Quinfall
Romance2779429.6% 16%–48%19.8%
avoided ×0.22427 d
inZOI
LoveCraft
STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar
inZOI · LoveCraft · STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar
Mars2262131.8% 16%–53%19.8%
cliché ×3.75233 d
Plan B: Terraform
Mars First Logistics
Occupy Mars: The Game
Plan B: Terraform · Mars First Logistics · Occupy Mars: The Game
LGBTQ+17592under 2019.8%
avoided ×0.18154 d
My Time at Sandrock
Coral Island
Paralives
My Time at Sandrock · Coral Island · Paralives
World War II172197under 2019.8%
ordinary ×0.72188 d
Age of History 3
Plane Mechanic Simulator
SimplePlanes 2
Age of History 3 · Plane Mechanic Simulator · SimplePlanes 2
Science78243623.1% 15%–34%19.7%
cliché ×2.42202 d
Abiotic Factor
Timberborn
Aviassembly
Abiotic Factor · Timberborn · Aviassembly
Psychological Horror38131626.3% 15%–42%19.5%
avoided ×0.1499 d
My Summer Car
Lucid Blocks
Hamster Hunter
My Summer Car · Lucid Blocks · Hamster Hunter
59 pairings cleared 20 releases; 41 more never reached 5 and are not listed. Compared against 6.6% for games that carry any tags at all.

About these numbers

“Adjusted” is the share pulled towards the catalogue with the weight of twenty releases: the top of any ranked list is optimistic (out of a hundred pairings one will show 35 % on 23 releases by luck alone), and the adjustment is what stops a small lucky group from leading. The band next to the raw share is the 95 % interval. This list is the same for everyone today; the second opinion is the description-based one on Pitch comps.