DLC can have actual files that you distribute to customers, or it can also just be a license entitlement. Either way, your game should check ownership via the BisSubscribedApp API to make sure the customer actually has a license to the content. …

The vast majority of featuring on Steam is algorithmic based on customer interest. The store looks for bursts of customer interest, typically measured in revenue, and reacts accordingly with additional featuring on the store. …

[docimg=steamworks_steam_input_custom_config.png]steamworks_steam_input_custom_config.png[/docimg] And from the selection below, select "Add Custom Configuration." [docimg=steamworks_steam_controller_custom2.png]steamworks_steam_controller_custom2.png[/docimg] [*] Paste the file ID of your public configuration into the box, and click the OK button. …

. [*] Display game achievements in their Achievement Showcase. [/list] Games that do not have these profile customization options do not count towards Game Collector or Achievement Collector totals. Steam automatically enables profile customization features as games reach certain player and sales metrics that give confidence that a reasonable number of customers that are engaged with your game. …

Steam doesn't mark your game "bad" or "fake" - we will automatically recheck your game against our sales and player metrics several times per day. We do not find that lack of profile customization options is a major factor for customers who are deciding whether to buy your game. In general this mainly affects games whose [i]only [/i]value is in profile features (trading cards, emoticons, etc). …

[/section] [subsection]A better experience for your best fans[/subsection] Past Collector Packs were a bad deal for customers that already own one or more of the products in the pack. Either it made bad economic sense for those customers to purchase the pack, or they just felt bad about doing so since it looks like they were paying for products they already have. …

Instead, these Bundles will just show the user the items they are able to purchase. So if a customer was in Germany, they would be purchasing a bundle and automatically get the low violence version of a game where customers in other countries would be purchasing the same bundle and automatically get the regular version of the game. …

You can participate in official sales events and take advantage of discounting tools to run your own custom discounts. In general, we've found that there is a customer at every price point, and an effective discounting strategy can contribute to overall long term success on Steam. …

[subsection]Weeklong Deals[/subsection] Weeklong Deals begin every Monday morning at 10AM Pacific time and run for 7 days. [subsection]Custom Discounts[/subsection] You can configure your own custom discounts to align with special events like a major update or the anniversary of your products's release. …

[docimg=utm-example-update-2023.png]utm-example-update-2023.png[/docimg] [subsection]Privacy[/subsection] To protect customer privacy, the information provided is kept at a summary view with no personal data included. This allows you to learn how your campaigns are performing while also protecting customer privacy. …

There can be a difference in the total visits reported by Steam and a 3rd party as Steam increments the total visits anytime the customer visits the link with UTM params on the URL. Examples include if customers share the Store page link w/UTM parameters for others to click, or visit the link using their browser history. …

[/list] [*]It's OK to run a discount for Steam Keys on different stores at different times as long as you plan to give a comparable offer to Steam customers within a reasonable amount of time. [*]If you request an extreme number of keys and you are not offering Steam customers a comparable deal, or if your sole business is selling Steam Keys and not offering value to Steam customers, your request may be denied and you may lose the privilege to request keys.…

[b][u]Please be very careful when banning product keys, as you could be removing access from legitimate customers.[/u][/b] [callout]It's your responsibility as a developer to manage your Steam keys. You should never ban or disable Steam keys that have been legitimately sold to customers.…

[subsection]Steam Store On Deck and Machine[/subsection] The Steam Store is easily accessible on Steam Deck and Steam Machine and includes all Steam store functionality and products available in the customer's region. Customers browsing the Steam store on these devices aren't prevented from viewing or purchasing content that may not work well on their device (examples: VR titles on Deck, keyboard-centric games). …

We don't support delaying the publishing of compatibility test results for future work. The compatibility review program is a service to help customers understand the type of experience they can expect to have with a game before launching it on Deck or Machine. To that end, we think it's critical that customers see, as quickly as possible, the data that reflects the current state of any game. …

This gives customers fair warning to acquire the free license and/or use up any remaining in-game currency or items before your business model changes. …

[b]Q: Do Steam's provided conversion methods for pricing include taxes?[/b] A: Customers in some countries are use to seeing taxes included in the price of goods they are purchasing while customers in other countries are used to seeing taxes applied on top of the displayed price. …

Along the way, this gives you a sense of the level of interest by potential customers and a way of notifying interested customers when your game releases or goes on discount. https://youtu.be/AVo9fVPcls0 [section]Wishlist Notifications[/section] Email notifications may be sent to customers based on a variety of trigger actions related to your game, dlc, or software on Steam. …

This period may be extended in periods of high notification traffic (such as Steam seasonal sales). [b]Customer permissions impact their receipt of emails[/b] Customers must have verified their e-mail account to receive messages, and that some customers may have configured their e-mail preferences to not receive some or all of these kinds of e-mails. …

All recommendations here are targeted at meeting customer expectations around input and display, improving performance, and taking full advantage of the new opportunities provided by the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. …

Typically, a customer will have to tune this value to get this ratio correct, but it's quite possible to "pre-calibrate" this value so that the tuning step can be skipped. …

[section]Parts of a Deluxe Edition[/section] A Deluxe Edition is typically comprised of the base game plus some additional content. In most cases you will also want to provide a path for customers to upgrade from your base game to add on the Deluxe Edition content. This section describes common components of Deluxe Editions. …

This configuration is most commonly used in multiplayer games where everyone in the game or on the server needs access to all assets in order for them to be rendered. [*] [b]DLC contains deluxe content[/b] - In this configuration, the deluxe content files will be included in a separate depot that is granted to customers that have bought or activated the deluxe edition. This is the easiest to configure, and is great for cases where you want to distribute an art book or soundtrack, or any content that consists mainly of content delivered to the customer's hard drive. …

An App generally has its own store page, it's own Community Hub, and is what appears in customers' libraries.[/td][/tr] [tr][td][doclink=store/creator_homepage][/doclink][/td][td]Tools for developers and publishers to create a customized homepage page for their organization and to display all the games made or published by that organization. …

These are displayed in different places on the Steam store and in customer's libraries. [/td][/tr] [tr][td][doclink=store/broadcast][/doclink][/td][td]Learn more about streaming your game to your product page or Developer homepage on Steam.…

Click "Post As Coming Soon" to view options and to make your page live for customers. There is no option on your store page for customers to purchase or play your game at this stage. This will make your store page and community hub visible to customers and listed as upcoming, with whatever release date you set. This is a great way to start building an audience and providing customers the ability to add your game to their wishlist in anticipation of your launch. You must have a Coming Soon page up on Steam for at least two weeks before you can release your product. …

[callout]A roadmap is separate from a Season Pass, which is a pack of current and future content (DLC) that customers can buy with a single purchase. If you want to sell a DLC that has the promise of future content, [url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/seasonpass]please read this to learn more[/url].…

When it comes to discussing your plans for future updates, it's better to err on the side of making less concrete promises instead of making promises that you have to go back and change (perhaps several times). [*]Roadmaps are useful to customers regardless of where you are in the development cycle (Early Access, fully released, older catalog). As long as you are still working on improving your game, customers find this level of information valuable. [*]While it's suggested that you use an image to convey your roadmap to your customers, it's not strictly required. …

[/list] [section]Benefits[/section] Once your store page is visible to customers, it can help you build awareness for your product and generate excitement among potential customers. As soon as you have product branding, screenshots, and a description of your game, you can put up a 'Coming Soon' page to start utilizing the tools available on Steam. …

[b]Activates Community Hub:[/b] Once your store page is visible to customers, it will also enable the Community Hub. This gives you a place to post announcements, share artwork, and gives your audience a place to share their enthusiasm and discuss your upcoming release. …

By selecting the packages that are editions of your game using Manage Editions, you can ensure they will appear above any other purchase options on your store page. At the bottom, you can upload an image to help customers compare editions. Simply drag an image (748px x 896px) that compares the various editions of your game. These images help customers understand what content is included in each edition and which purchase option is right for them. …

A new "Compare Editions" option will appear on your store page that customers can use to quickly and easily see the differences between the various editions of your game. The Compare Editions asset is much easier for customers to find than having to scroll down and search through the store page for this information. …

If a password is specified they will be required to put in the password before they have access to the branch, including its name. To switch to a custom branch in the Steam client, right-click on the game from the library page and select "Properties". In the properties window select the [b]Game Versions & Betas[/b] tab on the left. …

[docimg=CurrentBetaExample.jpg]CurrentBetaExample.jpg[/docimg] [section]Default Branch[/section] The default branch is the version of your game delivered to your customers on Steam. Prior to release, this is the version that your testers will download by default. Once your game is live, there is nothing special you need to do to deliver your default build to your customers. …

Do not offer it for sale on Steam any later than you offer it anywhere else. 4.[b] [i]Don't overcharge Steam customers.[/i][/b] The Early Access price of your game should be no higher than that offered on any other service or website. Please take care of your customers on Steam. 5.…

Treating customers fairly is the most important thing to us. [/list] …

Once you've figured that out, then you'll need to think about how your client will load the content and what kind of tools are necessary for customers to create that content. If you've got a game that customers are excited about, then they'll figure out ways of making the content for your game. …

With a broad announcement of Workshop as a marketing tool, we find it helpful for potential customers if there is some amount of content already available in the Workshop for your game. It gives new customers a deeper sense of what your game is, and also shows an active and engaged user base. …