[section]Best Practices[/section] DLC can be a great way to offer value to the customers that are interested in investing deeper in the product, it can also have non-monetary costs of customer perception that are harder to measure. …

If you need to add additional DLC depots to support alternate languages, OS's, or architectures, follow the steps below: [olist] [*] Open the Steamworks [url=https://partner.steamgames.com/apps]App Admin[/url] for the base App (All depots are managed in the base App, not in the DLC). [*] Navigate into Steamworks Settings, SteamPipe, Depots. [*] Click the Add New Depot button, set the name, and click OK. Give it a name similar to the existing DLC depot so you can easily identify it. [*] Set the correct language, OS or architecture. [*] Choose the correct DLC from the dropdown box to associate this depot with the DLC. [*] Click Save Changes. …

Action set layers retain any settings of the parent action set and can make understanding and editing configurations more manageable for both your development team and your users. …

[section]Tips[/section] [subsection]Dedicated Menu Actions[/subsection] We recommend creating a separate in-game action set for your menu controls, instead of just re-using actions in your main game set. Most customers won't need to modify this menu controls set, but it's an easy way to provide the capability to players who actually need it (as can be the case for some disabled gamers, for example). …

[/olist] [section=Permissions]Required Permissions For Editing Anti-Cheat Policies[/section] [b]Who can set or edit Anti-Cheat policies for my product?[/b] Only certain publisher accounts have the necessary permissions to enable or adjust anti-cheat policies for your products on Steam. …

The following permissions are required for a specific account in order to set or adjust anti-cheat policies for a product: [list] [*] Your account must have the specific permission: "Manage Signing" for the product in question. …

[docimg=daily_deal_updated.jpg]daily_deal_updated.jpg[/docimg] [section]Daily Deal Eligibility[/section] Since Daily Deals appear prominently in the Steam Store and are visible to broad swaths of customers, we need to have confidence that these offers will be interesting to a broad set of customers. Therefore, we judge eligibility for daily deals based on demonstrated customer interest or trending momentum in revenue over the past few months. …

[/list] [subsection]Visibility & Duration[/subsection] Two or more Daily Deals are displayed on the front page of Steam and may also be featured on appropriate tag pages (RPG, Simulation, VR, etc). From the set of active Daily Deals, Steam will prioritize which ones are surfaced first to each user depending on each players' play history and selected language. …

By default, all tags submitted by the game to Steam will show up listed for customers to see in the right-hand column of your application's Workshop home page. These tags are defined with [doclink=api/ISteamUGC#SetItemTags]ISteamUGC::SetItemTags[/doclink] when an item is uploaded from your game or submission tool. …

[section]Steam Tags[/section] In addition to helping Steam users quickly learn about your game, tags help Steam determine where your game should be displayed to customers. We began requiring at least 5 tags be applied to a title before its launch on Steam, but we recommend you add up to 20. In addition to displaying tag data on store pages, a robust set of tags helps Steam serve better results when users: [list] [*]Browse genres & categories [*] Search with tags [*]Explore tag-driven recommendations [*]Utilize tag-driven dynamic Collections in the Library and more [/list] Below is some information on how tags work and some tools you can use to manage them. …

Note that this is not a direct reflection of the [i]More Like This[/i] algorithm's results, but rather, a strictly tag-driven comparison of title similarity. So, as a recap, start setting tags and their weight by using the Tag Wizard. Customers will also tag your game and those tags will be mixed in with the tags you had set with the Tag Wizard. …

For unreleased games, setting a build live should have no impact on customers, since the game is only owned by the Steam accounts in the Steamworks partner account (or by anyone who has redeemed a Steam key for your game). [docimg=setBuildPublic_2.png]setBuildPublic.png[/docimg] [section=Authorizing_Default_Build_Updates]Authorizing Default Build Updates[/section] If your game is released, then any builds set live on your default branch will require an additional authorization step. …

[/olist] [/olist] [section]Library Graphical Asset Rules[/section] Library graphical assets are the set of images that represent your game within the Steam library. These are comprised of a vertical capsule, a hero image and a logo. You can find detailed specifications and templates in our [doclink=store/assets/libraryassets]Library Assets documentation[/doclink]. …

Press review quotes, press review scores, and special awards each have dedicated spaces on Steam store pages where it can be presented consistently and where customers can expect to find that information. You can check out our [doclink=store/accolades]Store Page Accolades documentation[/doclink] for details. …

Artwork Overrides allow you to upload bespoke capsule images to market something specific in your game, and then have those special images automatically expire after a set timespan. Artwork Overrides are the only way to include text about major game updates, tournaments, or other time-sensitive events on your capsules. …

[docimg=ArtworkOverride_Config.jpg]ArtworkOverride_Config.jpg[/docimg] [*]With your new temporary artwork override selected from the drop-down, you can drag and drop your images into the blue upload box and click Upload. You’ll see your new custom images in the page below. Then, publish your changes and your capsule art will automatically override during your selected timespan. …

In this section, you'll find information about becoming a Steamworks partner. Steamworks is a set of tools that enable you to distribute your product to Steam customers and a set of features you can use in your product, such as matchmaking, leaderboards, Steam Workshop, etc. …

If you're trying to just get up to speed on Steam, check out our [doclink=quickstart]quick-start guide here.[/doclink] [olist] [*] [h4]Set Up Steamworks Account[/h4] The first step in getting started is to sign up to become a Steamworks partner. Once you have set up your account and your bank, tax and company information has been verified, you can add more users and start to set up your first product, or "[doclink=store/application]Application[/doclink]". [*] [h4]Download the Steamworks SDK[/h4] Once you have completed the onboarding process, you'll need to download the Steamworks SDK, which contains all the scripts and templates for building and uploading your product to Steam. …

[/callout] Users can press a hotkey controlled by Steam (F12 by default), to trigger a screenshot. The user can change the hotkey and other screenshot settings that will take effect in any game they play in Steam by going to Settings -> In-Game. [docimg=screenshot_hotkey.png]screenshot_hotkey.png[/docimg] [subsection]Screenshot Uploader[/subsection] Upon quitting a game the Screenshot Uploader will automatically open with all of the screenshots that were taken during the previous session. …

After receiving this callback you should then check the result, and if it was successful, you can then use the [apitype]ISteamScreenshots::ScreenshotHandle[/apitype] provided to set tags with: [list] [*] [api]ISteamScreenshots::SetLocation[/api] [*] [api]ISteamScreenshots::TagUser[/api] [*] [api]ISteamScreenshots::TagPublishedFile[/api] [/list] If you want to take a screenshot either with your own button, or automatically at some point, such as the end of a round, you can do that programmatically with [api]ISteamScreenshots::TriggerScreenshot[/api] or by writing the RGB bytes out with [api]ISteamScreenshots::WriteScreenshot[/api], or by adding a file from the disk with [api]ISteamScreenshots::AddScreenshotToLibrary[/api]/[api]ISteamScreenshots::AddVRScreenshotToLibrary[/api].…

This name is used within the Steam store, including search results. [*][b]Steamworks Info[/b] - On the "General Application Settings" tab under Steamworks Settings. This name is used within the Steam library and the Steam Community. [*][b]Package Info[/b] - Each store package that sells your game. …

[*]Is there anything about the existing game name that you need to change for legal reasons? [*]Is the product that was advertised to customers changing along with the name? …

It will default to show the small capsule for the game being broadcasted and then show a screenshot from the live broadcast when the user hovers over it. This allows Steam customers to quickly browse through available live broadcasts. [docimg=live_stream_widget.png]live_stream_widget.png[/docimg] [subsection]Prioritization order[/subsection] When a person visits your sale page, the Broadcast player will choose a livestream to show based on the following logic: [olist] [*] Broadcasts from Steam accounts explicitly added on the "Broadcast" tab and set to priority "Primary" [*] Broadcasts from either of these sources: [list] [*] Steam accounts explicitly added on the "Broadcast" tab and set to priority "Featured" [*] Broadcasts who have a current live slot in the Event Schedule widget (if a schedule widget is included in the sales events) are treated as equal to "Featured" above [doclink=marketing/event_tools/sales/sections#schedule]Learn more about the event schedule sale section.[/doclink] [/list] [*] Broadcasts from Steam accounts explicitly added on the "Broadcast" tab and set to priority "Default" [*] Broadcasts from either of these sources: [list] [*] Broadcasts from Steam accounts explicitly added on the "Broadcast" tab and set to priority "General" [*] Any Official Broadcast associated with a game featured on the Sale page. …

The visibility of your event here will vary slightly from player to player depending on which games they play, how recently, how much they play, and personalization settings they have set. [docimg=doc_event_library_whatsNew.jpg]doc_event_library_whatsNew.jpg[/docimg] [*][b]Your game's library page[/b] - Major Updates will show up in the list of all events on your game's library page. …

Patch notes following your build updates is helpful for your customers to realize you are continuing work on and improve your game. [docimg=41b67b4a94e6487c5e07c6085dbb9d63d8d9e166.jpg]41b67b4a94e6487c5e07c6085dbb9d63d8d9e166.jpg[/docimg] You can always use the regular event editor to post the patch notes at a later time. …

[subsection]Steam Trading Cards[/subsection] 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. [list][*][b]Collect cards[/b] - Users can play a participating game to get trading cards. …

You must set the minimum playtime required to earn a card under the badge's card drop settings. Images Required: [list][*][b]Type:[/b] Large Card Images [b]Format:[/b] 1920px x 1080px JPG, smaller than 350KB. …

For sale landing pages, there is a robust set of tools that provide a lot of power and customization. Described here are the minimum set of requirements for a basic page. << [doclink=marketing/event_tools/sales/tools]Back to full sale page tools[/doclink] >> [doclink=store/assets]Go to full graphical asset list [/doclink] Sales page Events are made up of two parts: [olist] [*][b]The announcement[/b] - This is the part of the event that shows up as 'news' on your group's page and in the News Hub for any users that follow your group or developer homepage. [*][b]The landing page[/b] - The sale event page itself that features the games, broadcasts, and/or events that you configure. …

This will be posted within your publisher/developer homepage when you hit 'publish' [/list] [section]Required Artwork and Banners[/section] Download the full set of Photoshop templates here: [url=https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mhf604o6bdbcfr1scq7bx/h?rlkey=9bk0ggiwuvs4o1jdnej4xsy0c&st=sb1voje6&dl=0] CURRENT TEMPLATES[/url] The minimum required banners and artwork are these two: [list] [*][b]Event Cover Image[/b] - This is the image that appears when your page is shared on social media and in lists on Steam [*][b]Store Sale Page Background[/b] - The image that appears at the top and background of your sale page. …

For this reason, Free Weekends are typically combined with other kinds of curated discounts, which are promoted to customers on Steam, for example a [b]Daily Deal[/b] or [b]Weekend Deal[/b]. While there aren't exact rules, as a base guideline we tend to focus on the most-played or best-selling games on Steam for these kinds of promotions. …

[section]Setup[/section] To run a Free Weekend, you'll first need approval from the Steam Team as described in the [doclink=marketing/discounts/freeweekends#1]Overview[/doclink] above. If approved, here are few set up steps and best practices: [subsection]Steam Team Setup:[/subsection] [list] [*] The Steam Team will create a special Free Weekend package that grants players access to your game during the event. …

[/callout] [b]Configuration[/b] To enable the content cache or make any changes, go to "Settings" and select "Content Cache" from the drop down menu. [docimg=settings.png]settings.png[/docimg] When a game is launched for the first time in your network, the download request will be sent to the server machine. …

We strongly recommend that you do not turn off this feature, as it is very valuable for customers that have left the PC without logging out of their Steam account. If you do choose to deactivate this feature, we recommend that you let your customers know. …

The [b]Steam PC Café Program[/b] enables PC Cafés, Schools, Libraries, and other organizations to let customers and students use their own Steam accounts onsite while also giving them access to any games or software purchased by the organization for use by end users. …

For some locations, such as VR Arcades, they typically use their own set of accounts to provide access to games. In those situations, there is no exchange or connection made between the organization's system and your Steam account.…

[section]How the Payment System Works[/section] The payment system is a combination of whatever purchase process you have in-game, the Steam billing web service, and a customer approval process. The purchase process occurs in the following sequence. Your user always starts and completes their order in your game. …

Steam will present the converted price to the user, in their local currency for approval. For the best customer experience it is recommended that you provide specific pricing in each currency you expect your customers to use. [*] A list of one or more items that the user wishes to purchase. …