Guides · Steam launch
Steam launch checklist
Eight steps from the first idea to the weeks after release. Each guide connects a question to evidence, a practical test and the decision it can support.
Step 1
Should I make this game?
Step 2
What does the Steam page need?
Step 3
How many wishlists do I need?
- How many wishlists before a Steam launch?There is no wishlist total that guarantees your launch. The useful question is whether the audience you have can support your plan, and what your recent campaigns actually demonstrate.Read the guide →
- Steam wishlist velocity: read the change behind the totalTrack comparable periods and explain changes with campaign context. A weekly decline is a question to investigate, rather than proof that Steam stopped showing your game.Read the guide →
Step 4
Should I join Steam Next Fest?
Step 5
Who will talk about the game?
- Find creators by the gameplay their audience returns forStart with recent coverage of genuinely comparable games, then inspect the format and audience response. A large follower count is not evidence that a channel is a good place for your particular game.Read the guide →
- Pitch creators with a playable reason to cover the gameMake the fit visible in the first message: why this channel, what its audience can watch and how to access a stable build. A key alone does not give a creator a useful episode.Read the guide →
Step 6
What price and which day?
- How to price an indie game on SteamBuild a price argument from comparable experiences, then test the business assumptions separately. A cohort in which expensive games collect more reviews does not show that raising your own price will create demand.Read the guide →
- Choose a Steam release date your team can supportChoose the date around a ready build, reachable players and a staffed launch. A weekday difference in an observational cohort does not establish that moving the same game to Thursday improves its outcome.Read the guide →
Step 7
What has to be ready for launch week?
Step 8
Why is the game not selling?
- Why is my game not selling on Steam? Start with the missing stepLow sales can come from limited reach, an unclear offer, poor audience fit or problems in the game. Diagnose the step with evidence before buying more traffic or rewriting the price.Read the guide →
- Diagnose mixed Steam reviews before choosing the responseRead what players are objecting to and whether it is reproducible. A rating groups reactions together; the useful response depends on whether the issue is stability, usability, balance, missing content or an inaccurate promise.Read the guide →