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Steam Store Page Optimization Guide

Your Steam store page is often the first (and only) chance to convince someone to buy your game. This guide helps you create a compelling store presence that converts browsers into buyers — covering everything from writing descriptions to choosing the right screenshots, videos, and tags.

The Core Truth: You have about 30 seconds to grab someone's attention. Everything on your store page should answer: "Why should I care about this game?" Make it instantly clear, visually compelling, and easy to understand.

Table of Contents

  1. Capsule Images & Header
  2. Trailer & Gameplay Video
  3. Screenshots That Sell
  4. Writing Your Description
  5. Tags & Categories
  6. Pricing Strategy
  7. Wishlists & Launch Timing
  8. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Capsule Images & Header

Capsule images are the small thumbnails that appear in Steam search results, recommendations, and browsing. They're the #1 most important visual element — if your capsule doesn't catch attention, nobody clicks through to your store page.

What Makes a Good Capsule Image?

Capsule Image Sizes You Need

Quick Test

Shrink your capsule image down to 120x45px (about the size of a postage stamp). Can you still:

If not, simplify! Remove clutter, increase contrast, make text bigger.

What NOT to Do

Trailer & Gameplay Video

Your trailer is the second most important element after the capsule. Most people will watch the first 10 seconds and decide whether to keep watching or close the page.

The First 10 Seconds Rule

Show gameplay immediately. No logos, no studio intro, no slow fade-ins. Start with the most exciting, representative moment of your game. You can add credits at the end for people who are already hooked.

Trailer Structure That Works

  1. 0-10 seconds: Hook — most exciting gameplay moment, core loop visible
  2. 10-30 seconds: Core mechanics — show what you actually DO in the game
  3. 30-60 seconds: Variety — different environments, modes, features
  4. 60-90 seconds: Polish & vibe — show off visuals, audio, atmosphere
  5. Final 5 seconds: Title card, release date, platforms, wishlist CTA

Length: Aim for 60-90 seconds. Most people won't watch beyond that. If your game needs longer to explain, add a second "Gameplay Deep Dive" video as a supplement.

What to Show vs. What to Skip

Show:

Skip:

Quick GIF Alternative

Can't afford to make a fancy trailer? Use an animated GIF (under 5MB) showing 10-15 seconds of core gameplay on loop. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing. Upgrade to a proper trailer as soon as you can.

Screenshots That Sell

You can upload up to 10 screenshots. The first 5 are the most important because they appear above the fold on most screens.

What Makes a Great Screenshot?

Screenshot Lineup Strategy

Think of your first 5 screenshots as a story:

  1. Screenshot 1: The most visually impressive moment — grab attention immediately
  2. Screenshot 2: Core gameplay loop — show what you actually DO
  3. Screenshot 3: Unique feature or mechanic — what makes your game special
  4. Screenshot 4: Variety/depth — different environment or mode
  5. Screenshot 5: Another "wow" moment — end strong

Screenshots 6-10 can show more variety, edge cases, cool details, or specific features for people who are already interested.

UI in Screenshots: Yes or No?

Keep UI visible in most screenshots. It shows the game is real and functional. However, avoid screenshots that are ONLY UI (inventory screens, skill trees, settings menus). Exception: if your game's UI is a major selling point (e.g., a management sim with a complex interface).

Creating Screenshots

Writing Your Description

Your store description has two parts: the Short Description (appears in search results, ~300 characters) and the Long Description (appears on the store page, unlimited length).

Short Description (The Hook)

This is your elevator pitch. Answer these questions in 1-2 sentences:

Example (Good): "A roguelike deckbuilder where you use physical tokens instead of cards. Flip, stack, and combine tokens to create devastating combos and survive an endless dungeon."

Example (Bad): "An epic adventure awaits in a world of mystery and danger. Can you uncover the secrets and save the realm? Featuring stunning graphics and immersive gameplay!"

Long Description Structure

  1. Opening paragraph: Expand on your short description — what is this game, who is it for?
  2. Core features (bullet points): 5-8 key features that define your game
  3. Gameplay details: Explain mechanics, progression, what players experience
  4. Content overview: How much content? (levels, playtime, replayability)
  5. Who will enjoy this?: "If you liked [similar games], you'll love this"
  6. Development status (if Early Access): What's done, what's coming, timeline

Writing Tips

Using Steam's Rich Text Formatting

Steam supports basic formatting in descriptions:

Use formatting sparingly — don't make your description look like a ransom note with bold, italics, and headings everywhere.

Tags & Categories

Tags help people find your game through Steam's search and recommendation systems. Choose them carefully.

How to Choose Tags

Research Your Tags

Look at 5-10 successful games similar to yours. What tags do they use? Which tags appear most often? Use those as a starting point, then customize to your specific game.

Primary Category

Steam lets you choose one primary category (formerly "genre"). This affects where your game appears in browse lists. Choose the category that best represents your game's core identity, not aspirational categories that might get more visibility but don't fit.

Pricing Strategy

Pricing is part psychology, part market research, part gut feeling. Here's a practical approach:

Research Comparable Games

  1. Find 5-10 games similar to yours in genre, scope, and quality
  2. Note their prices (ignore big AAA titles — focus on indie games)
  3. Check their review counts and scores
  4. See what DLC or expansions they offer and at what price

Pricing Tiers for Indie Games

The "Launch Discount" Strategy

Many indie devs launch at 10-20% off for the first week. This rewards early supporters, creates urgency, and helps build initial momentum. However, this also trains customers to wait for sales. Consider your goals carefully.

Regional Pricing

Steam auto-suggests prices for different regions based on your base USD price. Review these suggestions — in many regions, games are cheaper to account for purchasing power differences. Don't just accept defaults; research what competitors charge in those regions.

Wishlists & Launch Timing

Wishlists are Steam's most powerful marketing tool for indie devs. When someone wishlists your game, Steam notifies them when it launches or goes on sale.

Why Wishlists Matter

Building Wishlists Before Launch

Launch Timing Considerations

Launch Day Checklist

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating Your Store Page Like a Resume

Bad: "I spent 3 years building this game solo using Unity and C#. I learned so much and overcame many challenges..."

Why it fails: Customers don't care about your journey — they care if the game is fun. Save the dev story for blog posts and interviews.

Fix: Focus on what the player experiences, not what you experienced making it.

Mistake 2: Vague, Generic Descriptions

Bad: "An epic adventure with stunning visuals, immersive gameplay, and endless possibilities!"

Why it fails: Says nothing specific. Could describe 10,000 different games.

Fix: Be concrete. "A turn-based tactics game where you command a squad of 4 mechs through 30 story missions."

Mistake 3: Too Many Screenshots of the Same Thing

Bad: 10 screenshots of the first level from slightly different angles

Why it fails: Looks like your game has no variety or content

Fix: Show different levels, mechanics, situations, and moments

Mistake 4: Ignoring Mobile/Small Screen Preview

Bad: Designing everything to look perfect on your 4K monitor

Why it fails: Many people browse Steam on phones or laptops with small screens

Fix: Preview your capsule images and screenshots at small sizes before uploading

Mistake 5: Overpricing Based on Effort, Not Value

Bad: "I worked on this for 5 years, so it should cost $40!"

Why it fails: Price reflects market value and player experience, not your time investment

Fix: Research what similar games charge and price competitively

Mistake 6: Launching With No Wishlist Base

Bad: Creating "Coming Soon" page and launching 2 weeks later with 50 wishlists

Why it fails: Zero launch momentum, no algorithm boost, invisible to most players

Fix: Build wishlists for 3-6 months minimum before launch. Delay if needed.

Final Thoughts

Remember

Your Steam store page is never "finished." Treat it as a living document that evolves as your game develops. Update screenshots as visuals improve, refine your description based on player feedback, and test different capsule images to see what performs better.

The goal isn't perfection — it's clarity. Players should understand what your game is, what makes it interesting, and whether it's for them within 30 seconds. Everything else is details.

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