Steam exploded in 2024 - more than 18,000 new games launched, beating the previous year’s record of 14,000+. But here’s the catch: most of those games went completely unnoticed.

According to Steam marketing expert Chris Zukowski, only around 3,000 to 4,000 games each year even manage to hit between 50 and 1,000 reviews,  and that number hasn’t really changed in years. Here’s how Chris puts it:

• If your game has under 50 reviews, you basically don’t exist on Steam. The platform isn’t sending you traffic.
• If you’re sitting between 50 and 1,000 reviews, you’re in what he calls “Almost Steam”, you're getting some algorithm love, just not the full push. That’s the zone where most of the real competition happens.
• Cross 1,000 reviews? Congrats — you’ve made it. Steam’s treating you like a real product now.

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SteamDB also breaks things down in a similar way: about 14,888 of those newly released games are classified as “limited,” meaning they don’t meet basic criteria like having a player base or making sales. So sure, the number of games is going up, but the number of games that matter? That’s staying the same.

In other words, the competition isn’t actually that much tougher than it was a year or two ago. That means if you have a compelling game and a smart marketing approach, 2025 is just as winnable as previous years.

But if you’re launching on Steam this year, make sure you’re not marketing like it’s 2019. The landscape has shifted. Here are five key insights to help your game succeed in 2025:

1. Publishers Expect You to Show Traction Before They Show Interest

Game funding in 2025 is tougher than ever. Just a few years ago, low interest rates and a surge in gaming made the industry a hot investment. For a brief moment, publishers were more willing to bet on early-stage projects with  a well-crafted pitch deck and a solid vertical slice. But in 2025, that’s no longer the case.

Publishers are still sitting on release backlogs from titles signed during COVID, many of which are delayed thanks to production slowdowns. Meanwhile, the financial market has flipped: inflation, higher interest rates, and increased scrutiny from investors who’ve been burned by risky bets.

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Publishers have grown more cautious. The flood of indie games and increasing difficulty of standing out on Steam have made it harder to “pick a winner” early on. As a result, many publishers now sit back and wait for market signals before they commit. Only once they see signs of traction like wishlist velocity, social proof, media buzz, will they consider stepping in.

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What This Means for Your Strategy:

• Announce early. Don’t hold off waiting for a publisher to reveal your game. Visibility and wishlists take time to build, and publishers want to see that you can market the game yourself.
• Think like a marketer, not just a developer. If you’re not investing in community, PR, and influencer marketing pre-launch, you’re falling behind. This doesn’t have to mean spending big, it means being consistent and deliberate with your communication.
• Treat your early marketing as a proof of concept. Every wishlist, every piece of Discord feedback, every influencer playthrough is evidence. You’re not just building hype, you’re showing future partners that your game has legs.

2. The Rise of China on Steam

In February 2025, something significant happened on Steam: Chinese-speaking users officially became the platform’s largest demographic, making up just over 50% of the global user base.

This spike wasn’t entirely unexpected, - Steam always sees a boost in Chinese user activity during the Lunar New Year. But this year’s growth was extraordinary: a 20.88% increase in Chinese-speaking users in February alone. For comparison, the increase was just 7.26% during the same period in 2024.

This momentum highlights a larger trend: the rapid growth of China’s PC and console gaming market, which saw a 55% year-over-year increase in 2024 alone.

Looking at longer-term trends, Valve’s Steam presentation at GDC 2025 confirmed what many in the industry have been sensing for a while: Simplified Chinese has officially surpassed English as the most used language on Steam, even if just by a small margin of 0.2%.

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What This Means for Your Strategy:

If your Steam strategy doesn’t prioritize the Chinese market, it’s time to reconsider. Games with less than 40% of their sales coming from outside of China may be missing key international growth opportunities.

It’s also important to understand some platform-specific quirks. For example, Chinese players can access Steam and leave reviews without a VPN, but editing those reviews later requires access to Steam Community, which does need a VPN. That means if a player leaves negative feedback and you fix the issue, they might not be able to update their review easily, even if they want to.

As Steam’s global audience shifts eastward, success increasingly depends on how well you can speak to and support the Chinese player base.

3. Not All Wishlists Are Equal

Steam doesn't treat all wishlists equally. According to a Valve developer, wishlists are weighted based on the type of account adding the game:

• Low-tier: Accounts with no purchases or playtime - likely bots or low-quality traffic.
• Mid-tier: Real users, but not very active. They don’t spend much, don’t wishlist often, and don’t play many games.
• Top-tier: Highly engaged users. These are the players who buy often, wishlist frequently, and play regularly.

So, if you're pushing your game into a high-volume but low-quality wishlist funnel (say, through bot-prone giveaway sites or overly broad marketing), you might be inflating numbers that won't help you rank. That’s why some games with fewer total wishlists rank higher on the “Top Wishlists” chart - they’ve got the right people wishlisting.

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What This Means for Your Strategy:

• Target real, engaged players. Focus your marketing efforts on communities where active Steam users hang out (like relevant subreddits, enthusiast YouTube/Twitch creators, or Discord groups tied to your genre).
• Be cautious with giveaways. Free key drops can drive up wishlists, but if you're pulling in bot accounts or disengaged users, it could hurt your algorithmic visibility.
• Track wishlist quality, not just quantity. While Steam doesn't expose wishlist weight directly, you can use downstream metrics like demo downloads, Discord joins, or store page CTR to get a pulse on engagement quality.

4. Early Performance in Steam Next Fest Is Key

Steam Next Fest is still a major opportunity for developers to showcase their games to a huge audience, but it only works if you approach it strategically. In 2024, Valve changed how the event works. It’s no longer front-loaded. The livestream carousel was intentionally removed to level the playing field. Instead, Valve is aiming for a more “egalitarian” model, especially in the first few days of the Fest.

For the first 2 days of the event (Monday & Tuesday), Steam distributes visibility more evenly, showcasing a broad mix of titles, regardless of size or reputation. But after that, a machine learning algorithm takes over.

After Day 2, visibility shifts. The algorithm starts personalizing the Next Fest homepage based on what players are actually engaging with.

From Day 3 onward, games that perform well continue getting visibility. Others fade from the homepage, sometimes permanently.

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What This Means for Your Strategy:

• The first 48 hours are critical. Even though exposure is more “egalitarian” at first, Steam is collecting performance data from the start. That means your job as a developer is to make the most of that window by driving real engagement—downloads, wishlists, playtime. Once the algorithm starts ranking games (usually around Day 3), only the strongest-performing ones continue getting visibility.
• Use accurate tags and genres. Steam recommendations during Next Fest are heavily influenced by players’ recent activity. If someone recently played several strategy games, they’re more likely to be shown similar content. Correct tagging helps ensure you’re matched with the right audience.
• Expect variety at the start. Early in the Fest, you’ll see a wide range of games, including some that may not be ready for primetime. But by Day 2 or 3, weaker titles start dropping off and the algorithm surfaces stronger-performing ones.

5. Gaming Influencers Are the Key to Steam Discovery

If your game doesn’t show up in the Steam algorithm, most players won’t even know it exists. Features like the Discovery Queue, Upcoming Releases, and New & Trending sections are the top ways players discover new games on Steam. In fact, for most games, the Discovery Queue alone can drive nearly half of all page visits during the first two weeks after launch.

Sounds great, but the algorithm doesn’t just magically notice your game. Someone has to find it and play it first. So how do you reach those first crucial players?

The answer is gaming influencers. While Steam’s algorithm may be the machine that scales your success, influencers are the spark that gets it started. Influencers serve a dual purpose:

1. They generate early discovery and engagement,  those initial views, wishlists, and purchases.
2. They feed Steam’s algorithm  helping your game rise through the ranks and reach a much broader audience.

What you can achieve through your own social channels is just a fraction of what gaming creators can deliver. When a streamer or YouTuber with the right audience talks about your game, it can trigger thousands of visits in hours -  exactly the kind of signal Steam needs to boost your visibility.

What This Means for Your Strategy:

Influencer outreach is most effective when it’s planned well in advance — not just in the final weeks before launch.

• Look for creator-led showcase opportunities. Don’t rely solely on individual sponsorships, consider special creator-supported events like the OTK Games Expo or Wholesome Direct. These curated showcases spotlight indie titles and regularly attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, offering a huge boost in visibility and Steam wishlist conversions.

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• Start early and research thoroughly. Begin identifying and tracking relevant creators at least six months before launch. Look for influencers who align with your game’s genre, and make sure they’ve been recently active. Avoid creators locked into a single game. Use YouTube/Twitch search or third-party tools for discovery, and start collecting email addresses early as it can take time due to YouTube’s daily limits.
• Build relationships before you pitch. Don’t go straight for the ask. Follow creators, engage with their content, and build familiarity over time. Attending events like TwitchCon or PAX can help you connect in person and form deeper relationships. You might even consider sending a physical gift with game swag to make a lasting impression.
• Provide real value to creators. Make it easy and appealing for them to cover your game. This could include early access, Steam keys for giveaways, or offering exclusive content opportunities.
• Be prepared and keep outreach simple. Have a press kit ready with your fact sheet, trailer, screenshots, Steam page link, release schedule etc. When you reach out, include everything they need (including a Steam key) in one email so they don’t have to chase you for details.
• Time your outreach wisely. Wait until you have a playable build, most creators won’t cover a game they can’t try themselves. Also, understand that not all creators behave the same: some are excited to discover early gems, while others prefer games that already have some visibility. Plan your outreach based on their behavior and your campaign timeline.

Wrapping Up

2025 isn’t necessarily harder, it’s just different. The number of games launching on Steam is growing fast, but the number of visible, relevant, and successful games has remained surprisingly stable. That’s good news for developers willing to adapt. If you bring a compelling game and match it with smart, modern marketing focused on traction, community, and creator support,  you’re still in the game. Steam may be more competitive, but it’s also more transparent, data-driven, and opportunity-rich than ever. Learn how the system works, plan ahead, and focus on getting noticed — not just getting listed.