A new report analyzing 98,555 priced games on Steam finds that sandbox titles are among the platform’s highest earners, with Palworld ranking in the top 0.03% of all paid games. The study, compiled by Steam browsing platform We Love It, also shows that first-person shooters and role-playing games remain major revenue drivers.
According to the report, 27.6% of all sandbox games earn at least $100,000, compared to 21.8% of paid FPS titles and 19.5% of RPGs. Action RPGs lag slightly at 19%. Palworld, which launched in early access in 2024, has earned approximately $500 million on Steam, placing it in the top 0.03% of all paid games. Terraria and Ark are also top earners, with estimated lifetime earnings of $540 million and $400 million, respectively.
The report highlights a stark revenue disparity: the top 1% of games earn 84.5% of estimated revenue, while the median lifetime earnings for a game is just $3,631. Half of all paid games earn less than that amount. Sandbox games have a median of $7,973, while visual novels earn a median of $7,012.
We Love It is a project of Totally Human Media’s CEO Ichiro Lambe, who co-created Steam Labs. The platform leverages generative AI to build a feed of original content.
