The niche at a glance

Idler on Steam: 4,884 released games, 2,272 in the last 12 months, 3,142 announced and still unreleased. Of the 2,904 released between three years and 90 days ago, the median has 16 lifetime reviews. 41% of them never reached 10 reviews. Free to play: 14%. Idler 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 included2,904 releases
p101
p254
median16
p7573
p90376
41% of them never reached 10 reviewsMedian price $3.99 · 14% 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
36median 166 · 6% under 10 reviews
2020
96median 55 · 24% under 10 reviews
2021
285median 25 · 31% under 10 reviews
2022
298median 30 · 24% under 10 reviews
2023
380median 25 · 33% under 10 reviews
2024
639median 30 · 30% under 10 reviews
2025
1,035median 17 · 39% under 10 reviews
2026
2,015median 11 · 48% under 10 reviews · 850 too fresh

Idler × setting: what the pairings end up with

every setting tag shipped with Idler at least 5 times · same window× setting× presentation
share reaching 500 reviews, shrunk towards the catalogue · click a row to open the concept
Idler ×3 y12 mmedian≥500adjusted vs chancelast hitwho made it
Fishing110463120.0% 14%–28%17.9%
cliché ×4.03197 d
Cast n Chill
Farm Together 2
Tiny Aquarium: Social Fishkeeping
Cast n Chill · Farm Together 2 · Tiny Aquarium: Social Fishkeeping
Mining122802316.4% 11%–24%15.0%
cliché ×5.10104 d
(the) Gnorp Apologue
Upload Labs
Keep on Mining!
(the) Gnorp Apologue · Upload Labs · Keep on Mining!
Capitalism2531342915.4% 11%–20%14.8%
cliché ×4.5491 d
Scritchy Scratchy
Bills Must Be Paid
Keep on Mining!
Scritchy Scratchy · Bills Must Be Paid · Keep on Mining!
Psychological Horror98264316.3% 10%–25%14.7%
ordinary ×0.36132 d
Berry Bury Berry
Amarillo's Butt Slapper
SchoolBoy Runaway
Berry Bury Berry · Amarillo's Butt Slapper · SchoolBoy Runaway
Alternate History33141518.2% 9%–34%13.8%
ordinary ×0.73191 d
Fantasy Map Simulator
xiuzhen idle
FACEMINER
Fantasy Map Simulator · xiuzhen idle · FACEMINER
Job Simulator22124318.2% 7%–39%12.7%
ordinary ×1.41341 d
Furnish Master
Inn Tycoon
Military Incremental Complex
Furnish Master · Inn Tycoon · Military Incremental Complex
Military30152316.7% 7%–34%12.7%
ordinary ×0.4392 d
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem
Fantasy Map Simulator
Doom Sweeper
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem · Fantasy Map Simulator · Doom Sweeper
War30142416.7% 7%–34%12.7%
ordinary ×0.4192 d
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem
Fantasy Map Simulator
Void Miner – Incremental Asteroids Roguelite
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem · Fantasy Map Simulator · Void Miner – Incremental Asteroids Roguelite
Horror103242613.6% 8%–22%12.5%
avoided ×0.28250 d
Berry Bury Berry
Amarillo's Butt Slapper
SchoolBoy Runaway
Berry Bury Berry · Amarillo's Butt Slapper · SchoolBoy Runaway
Post-apocalyptic47281814.9% 7%–28%12.4%
ordinary ×0.4992 d
Rusty's Retirement
Another Try 2
Doom Sweeper
Rusty's Retirement · Another Try 2 · Doom Sweeper
Magic155693012.9% 9%–19%12.2%
ordinary ×0.93118 d
Tower Wizard
Magic Archery
Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim
Tower Wizard · Magic Archery · Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim
Farming32166915.6% 7%–32%12.2%
cliché ×3.94184 d
Rusty's Retirement
The Farmer Was Replaced
Tiny Terraces
Rusty's Retirement · The Farmer Was Replaced · Tiny Terraces
Music41112614.6% 7%–28%12.0%
ordinary ×1.01215 d
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
Ropuka's Idle Island
Mini Cozy Room: Lo-Fi
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions · Ropuka's Idle Island · Mini Cozy Room: Lo-Fi
Decorating25175316.0% 6%–35%11.8%
cliché ×5.12155 d
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
Birdwatching Notebook
Lakeside Bar
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions · Birdwatching Notebook · Lakeside Bar
Hunting9436under 2011.5%
ordinary ×0.77439 d
Multiverse Loot Hunter
Another Try 2
Multiverse Loot Hunter · Another Try 2
56 pairings cleared 20 releases; 46 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.