Steam ended 2024 with a record: nearly 19,000 games were released, 4,000 more than the previous year. However, 80% of these titles attracted few players and even fewer sales. Steam, once a haven for digital gaming, has become a crowded platform where breaking through is increasingly difficult.
The magic of “limited.” There’s an explanation for this trend, tied to the lure of easy money. A few years ago, Steam allowed games to include player incentives like stickers, achievements, and badges. These rewards gave games a collectible appeal, encouraging users to explore various titles to earn them.
The trash pile. This shift led many developers to release basic, low-cost games designed to let players quickly earn achievements and badges, boosting their stats. In response, Valve introduced a “limited” format for games in its store, restricting features like achievements.
The best games leave. To exit the “limited” category, games must meet certain sales and player engagement thresholds, though Valve hasn’t disclosed the exact criteria. According to Bill Young, Twitch’s games division director, the percentage of games in this limited category has steadily risen—from 33% in 2018 to 66%, and now 79% in 2024.
Many games, little impact. Data from SteamDB shows that 18,992 games were released on Steam in 2024. Of those, 14,951 remained in the “limited” category, indicating they failed to achieve significant sales or player engagement by Valve’s standards. While these standards may be strict, they also reflect an industry overwhelmed by excessive game production.
Too many games, too little time. This is a long-standing issue for gamers and the industry alike. With 50 to 60 new games arriving on Steam daily, players struggle to keep up. The problem is compounded by overly long games filled with unnecessary content. While Steam’s gatekeeping may seem stringent, the underlying issue remains: There may simply be too many games to accommodate.
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