[section]Features[/section] SteamVR lets users manage several areas of their VR experience, including: [list] [*]Room Setup - Define your play area [*]Device Status and Management - Update Firmware, Pair new devices, change audio settings, mirroring, and customize features like [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/250820/announcements/detail/1705071932992003492]Motion Smoothing[/url] [/list] [subsection]System Report[/subsection] System Reports are a useful tool when troubleshooting your hardware, and you may need to generate one for customer support. …

Developers can create custom items that will drop to players to be used as decoration in SteamVR Home environments. Currently SteamVR Collectibles need to be manually imported by Valve. …

Your upcoming game's release date in Steamworks serves two purposes: to tell players when they might expect your game, and to list your game on upcoming releases lists. How these dates appear can be customized within a set of options built into Steam. [docimg=release_dates_example1]release_dates_example1[/docimg] [section]Setting Your Game's Release Date[/section] The release date can be set from your game's landing page in Steamworks. …

[section]Frequently Asked Questions[/section] [b]Q: Do I need to set a specific release date?[/b] A: Yes, you will specify a specific intended release date, which is helpful for us to understand roughly when games intend to release even if you choose not to share that exact date with customers. …

Make sure you save your custom title separately, by clicking "Save Title" next to it. [*][b]Section Subtitle[/b] - Most sections also support a subtitle too if you need to explain anything more about a given section. [*][b]Background Settings[/b] - You can customize the background color of each section, and even provide an image if you wish. This can help set each section apart from the others. [*][b]Tab Settings[/b] - If you have tabs turned on for your page, you can specify which tabs each section should appear under. …

[/introblock] [section]Overview[/section] Steam has the ability to provide free demos for your customers so that they can try before they buy. It's up to you whether or not a demo will be beneficial for your title, but there are a couple of useful things to consider: [olist] [*] Quality – Customers are generally using the demo to make a purchase decision on your game. …

A review by Valve is not required at this stage, but it is in your own best interest to provide all necessary information to make your demo store page complete and in alignment with player expectations. [section]Testing your demo[/section] To work properly for customers, your application type must be set as 'Demo' and the App ID of your base game must be entered in the General Application Settings section of the Steamworks website for your demo. …

Remember, as a "Sale" event, you'll want to make sure that the discounts are front and center; it should be the first thing that customers see when they land on the page. [subsection]4. Submit Your Page For Review[/subsection] Once you've got everything set up, you'll need to submit your sale page for review. …

A Publisher Sale that was eligible for a Spotlight last year may drop into a Daily Deal (or into no featuring at all) depending on how customer interest has changed over time. [subsection]Additional Requirements[/subsection] Curated sale pages have additional asset requirements, and take extra time to set up due to localization requirements. …

[/section] UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) is an industry standard approach to measuring whether specific links in your marketing campaigns are being clicked by customers. A link using UTM has specifically named parameters following the link's destination address. These parameters make it clear which link was clicked when a customer visits the destination address. …

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. …

[section=types_of_applications]Types of Applications[/section] The following are the different types of applications that you can create on Steam. You can set the type of your app on the [url=https://partner.steamgames.com/apps/view]General Application Settings[/url] section of the App Admin panel. …

Once your title is live, the "Default" branch is the build that is delivered to customers. Additional builds can be listed under the beta tab or hidden using a password. Password-protected branches are not visible to any account without the password.…

Why aren't my files downloading?[/b] A: After you upload contents into your depot, you need to set a build live that references those new contents. You can manage builds and set them live from the [b]Builds[/b] page, under the [b]SteamPipe[/b] tab, on the partner site. …

This may take a few seconds. [*]Once the depot is built, click the new button on that page to [b]Commit[/b] the new depot contents. [*]Under the [b]SteamPipe[/b] tab, click [b]Builds[/b]. [*]Under the [b]Set build live on branch[/b] heading, select [b]default[/b] and click [b]Preview Change[/b]. [*]From the preview page, you can set the new depot content you just uploaded to be live for all customers. …

Per-item tags can also be set other ways, including by item generators - see [doclink=features/inventory/itemtags]the Item Tag page[/doclink]. [subsection]Localization and appearance[/subsection] Accessories are automatically rendered in the web view including the users' backpack and the Community Market. …

[code] Stickers applied 123 times [/code] [subsection]Removing or replacing accessories[/subsection] Once consumed, an accessory item can't be restored by removing it from the customized item. Accessories can of course be removed - see the per-item tags documentation for methods to remove tags from an item. For user customization, you may choose to offer a tag_tool whose only purpose is to remove existing accessories. …

[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][doclink=marketing/tradingcards]Steam Community Items[/doclink][/td] [td]Steam Trading Cards are collectible cards users get by playing games on Steam. By collecting the entire set of cards, users earn items that help them customize their profile and show off gameplay.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][doclink=marketing/widget]Store Widget[/doclink][/td] [td]For any game with a visible purchase option in the Steam store, you can create a widget with information about your product, current price, any discounts, and a purchase button to help you promote and display your title anywhere.…

[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][doclink=marketing/wishlist]Wishlists[/doclink][/td] [td]Email notifications may be sent to customers based on a variety of trigger actions related to your game, software, or video on Steam. These triggers may change in the future, but this is a description of current set of features.…

This will allow customers to click the asset to view the full-size image with greater detail. [*]Try to avoid making specific promises unless you are confident that you can deliver, regardless of sales performance or player feedback. 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. …

[/td][/tr] [tr][td][doclink=features/inventory][/doclink][/td][td]The Steam Inventory Service is a set of features that allow a game to enable persistent player inventories without having to run special servers to manage users or items.…

[/td][/tr] [tr][td][doclink=features/voice][/doclink][/td][td]The Steam Voice API is a set of functions that allow you record audio from the user's microphone in either compressed or uncompressed format. This can be used to implement voice chat or a voice command system.…

Set the install directory on the [b]General[/b] section under the [b]Installation[/b] drop-down for your application's Steamworks Settings. [docimg=set_install_dir.png]set_install_dir.png[/docimg] [section=os_depots]Operating System Depots[/section] If your app supports multiple platforms, you should use separate depots to store the platform specific content. …

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. …

These are the standard store graphical assets. Most of these are required as part of setting up your game on Steam. [section]Store Capsule Rules[/section] [b][color=#ca5029]IMPORTANT NOTE:[/color][/b] Please see [doclink=store/assets/rules]Graphical Asset Rules[/doclink] for important rules on what can and cannot be included in your graphical asset capsules. …

[b]Size: [/b] 1438px x 810px [section=bundle]Bundle Assets[/section] Bundles use the same set of assets as other products on Steam, with one addition: [subsection]Bundle Header[/subsection] [docimg=civ6.jpg]civ6.jpg[/docimg] [b]Usage:[/b] This image appears at the top of the bundle detail page on Steam. …

The best communication is to change your product, as it reaches all your customers and generates the best feedback. [*] Don't argue with your fans. Some customers will try to engage developers in arguments. There's no way you can win. [*] Let customers express their unhappiness. Don't censor; customers know when that's happening. Focus on your product rather than getting worked up over negative comments. …

Be prepared to fail a lot—practice in small increments. [*][b]Publish Your [doclink=store/coming_soon]Coming Soon Page[/doclink] as soon as possible[/b] - As soon as you begin talking about your game publicly, you should launch your Coming Soon page to start collecting feedback and let customers [doclink=marketing/wishlist]Wishlist[/doclink] your game. [*][b]Add features and tools that make sense for your game and your customers[/b] – There are many features that are available for you to use on Steamworks, but it may not be valuable for you to implement all of them to your game. Figure out what features are valuable for your goals and your customers. [*][b]Launch day is the starting line not the finish line[/b] – It's very likely that the game you launch on launch day is not the best it can be. …

[docimg=short_description_example2.jpg]short_description_example2.jpg[/docimg] [subsection]Short Description Best Practices[/subsection] [list] [*][b]Focus on Your Product's Unique Value Proposition[/b] - There are a million things to say about any game, but the short description will need to quickly convey why a customer would want to learn more about [i]this[/i] game in particular. What sets it apart from other games? It's often a good idea to mention the game genre. [*] [b]Save the Details for Later[/b] - The short description is generally not the best place to describe your game's full feature list or its narrative story arc. …

[/callout] [section]Rules for Store Page Descriptions[/section] Your Store Page descriptions should stay focused on your product and why a potential customer should consider it as their next game purchase. To help maintain this focus, and to minimize clutter across the Store, we maintain the following set of rules for Store Page descriptions: [list] [*][b]No links [/b] - You cannot use your store page descriptions or graphical assets to promote or link to other websites. …

The front page will refresh the options regularly throughout the sale to display fresh games for customers who are browsing often. The goal is to get every featured title a chance to maximize their visibility for the entirety of the sale, and not just a 24-hour period (which is what the featuring used to be) and to make it easy for customers to find the great games and great deals. …

However, if your 30-day Price Introduction Cooldown ends during a seasonal sale, you could choose to join the sale already in progress by manually entering a custom discount once your cooldown ends (i.e., 30 days or more from your release date or price increase). In any case, there are always future opportunities to put your game on discount, so you shouldn't feel pressured to change your release date or pricing updates for the sake of a seasonal sale event. …

[subsection]3. Design & Build Your Custom Event[/subsection] If your proposal is approved, the Events Team will enable the event tools so you can stage a Sale Page and start inviting participants. …

Vague or subjective topics—like 'Beautiful Games,' 'Indie Games,' 'Classic Games,' etc.—can be interpreted in different ways by different customers, which makes broad representation harder to achieve. [subsection]3. Games with High Customer Interest[/subsection] While there's no penalty for including smaller or up & coming titles, featuring games with strong customer interest (as outlined in [doclink=/marketing/visibility#7]Visibility on Steam: Key Visibility Elements[/doclink]) increases the likelihood of curated featuring. …