Get Seen on Steam: 3 Key Areas to Optimize Now
Getting noticed on Steam feels like a daunting task, but often hinges on easily overlooked details. Before diving into Valve's extensive documentation, consider your own browsing habits, almost like window shopping at a mall: What grabs your attention instantly? What makes you walk away? We'll look at a few example pages (Palworld and Obra Dinn) to better understand how a user experience perspective can help you craft a better Steam page. Applying those insights alongside Steam's best practices to three key areas (Tags, Descriptions, Capsule Art) can improve your game's visibility.
Case Studies: A Buyer's UX Perspective
Think about walking past a store in a mall. You glance at the window display and the sign above the door. In seconds, you decide whether to walk in or keep moving. The Steam store is like that experience, but accelerated. How quickly can a potential buyer grasp what your game offers? Once they understand it, will they walk in and browse long enough to end up making a purchase? Let's look at two examples to see how some games succeed at this.
Case Study: Palworld — Maximalist Appeal & Clarity
Palworld's page offers a strong example of grabbing attention quickly with a broad appeal.
Header Capsule: It uses bold, white, massive text for the title against a vibrant background showcasing a diverse array of creatures—walking, flying, even one with a machine gun—plus a mysterious castle. It instantly signals variety, combat, and exploration. The name itself, "Palworld," is direct, much like older, effective game titles. It tells you exactly what it is: a world of pals.
Tags: Its top tags are "Open World Survival Craft," "Multiplayer," and "Creature Collector." These function like the main categories listed outside a department store (e.g., "Shoes," "Mens," "Jewelry"). They tell you immediately if this "store" has what you're looking for, filtering interest before a user even needs to read a description.
Description (Initial Hook): The game uses just 49 words for its initial pitch: You have pals, and you choose how to play (peacefully or with force). This is the final, quick check to confirm interest. Like the labels on the various carousels of products in the store entrance, it clarifies the core offering. The subsequent detailed description, with punchy lines and supporting visuals, is like seeing the products displayed on mannequins. You can see them in context and easily imagine yourself using them. It's one small step removed from actual use.
Palworld passes the split-second "walk-by" test through sheer breadth and immediate clarity of its core loop presented visually and textually.
Case Study: Return of the Obra Dinn — Minimalist Intrigue
In contrast to Palworld's maximalism, Return of the Obra Dinn excels through focused mystery and a unique presentation, inviting curiosity rather than broadcasting everything at once.
Header Capsule: The art immediately sets a distinct tone with its stark, 1-bit style. A ghost ship sits isolated on a vast, empty sea under an ominous sky. The title, "Return of the Obra Dinn," is unique and unfamiliar, sparking curiosity about its meaning. It doesn't scream action; it whispers mystery and asks you to decipher the scene.
Tags: The top tags ("Detective," "Mystery," "Puzzle," "Story Rich," and "Indie") offer complete coverage of the experience. They signal a departure from standard AAA mechanics, targeting players seeking out a unique puzzle-solving experience. It clearly carves out its niche.
Description (Initial Hook): The description is remarkably concise at ~150 words and uses no embedded images. It mirrors the game's core loop: presenting limited information and trusting the player's curiosity to fill the gaps. Phrases like "An Insurance Adventure with Minimal Color" convey its unique premise and aesthetic. It doesn't try to appeal to everyone; it specifically calls to players intrigued by the unconventional.
Obra Dinn passes the "walk-by" test not through broad appeal, but by projecting an intriguing, specific atmosphere that promises a unique, thought-provoking experience for the right audience.
These examples show how different approaches can work, but the core principle is the same: clarity and targeted appeal. Now, let's put theory into practice by looking at the specific elements you control on your Steam page. Remember, as you playtest your game, you can also ask testers for their first impressions of your Steam page itself as it's another vital part of the player experience.
Craft an Engaging 'About This Game' Description
Your game's description is often a potential player's first deep dive into what your game offers. Steam's best practices for descriptions emphasize clarity and skimmability.
- Be Concise: Get to the point quickly; users often skim.
- Format for Skimming: Use bolding or headers for key features.
- Write for Newcomers: Avoid excessive jargon or acronyms.
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Embed illustrative GIFs/screenshots.
- Keep it Lean: Limit embedded visuals to under 15MB total for faster loads.
Think of this section as a structured pitch. Highlight what makes your game unique and easy to understand, using key visuals to back up your claims or do the heavy lifting.
Make Your Capsule Art Count
Capsules are the visual handshake your game offers across Steam. The Standard Capsule documentation provides clear guidelines for each of the types of contents/capsules.
For instance, the Header Capsule at the top of your page should be of 920x430px and follow these guidelines:
- Use Key Art & Logo: Immediately conveys something important about the game's genre, mood, or gameplay.
- No Extra Text: Avoid adding quotes, award mentions, or descriptive text directly on the main capsule.
- Legible Logo: Ensure your game's title is clear and readable against the background. Can use a tool like WebAIM to confirm contrast readability.
Your capsule art competes for attention everywhere on Steam. Make sure it's polished, informative at a glance, and follows Steam's specific guidelines for maximum impact.
Invest the Time & Get Feedback
The Steamworks Documentation is an invaluable resource; regularly consulting it ensures you're leveraging the platform effectively. Sometimes the best improvements don't require a lot of time or effort like updating your tags or description. Use my Mishon tool to track your Steam page improvements alongside your other marketing tasks.
I'm currently exploring ways to automate the assessment of Steam page quality, using data from sources like SteamSpy to see how well a page aligns with successful titles. If you'd like a sneak peek, send me an email or a DM on Bluesky (@kokutech.com) with a link to your game, and I'll share a report back with you when it's ready!