Don’t fight the metas, ride them

Metas like cozy, automation, survivors-like, simulation and friendslop exist because the demand is there, and they sell far more than you would guess. Sim games, for example, are close to evergreen and sell again and again in every Steam sale.

On your first games especially, catching a meta early and using it is to your advantage, because you get to see directly what works and what does not, both in your competitor analysis and in your own games. That also becomes a huge resource for the games that come after.

Yes, going into the unknown and making different games is fun too, but first your industry knowledge and your finances both need to be at a level where you can run R&D constantly, and at a point where, if it fails, you can still go back and make a 2nd game.

PS: What Steam or marketing question is stuck in your head the most? I will write the next one based on that.