Steam launch checklist: the weeks before release

A good Steam launch is mostly a lot of small things done in the right order. This checklist walks through them, from the day your store page goes up to the weeks after release, so nothing important lands on your desk the night before launch.

Every game and team is different, so treat the timings as a rough guide rather than a schedule. What matters is the order, and leaving yourself room.

As early as you can: your coming-soon page

Your coming-soon page is where players first meet your game on Steam, and the place where they can wishlist it. Valve's advice is to publish it as soon as you're ready to start talking about your game in public, ideally once you're confident in your art direction and core features.

• Set up your store page in Steamworks: name, short description, longer description, developer and publisher.
• Add your capsule art. It's the image players see in lists, search and recommendations, so it needs to read well at small sizes.
• Add screenshots that show actual play, with the most telling ones first.
• Add a trailer, even a short one. Open with gameplay rather than logos.
• Choose your tags (see below).
• Submit the page for review. Valve reviews every store page before it goes live; the review typically takes a few business days, and Valve suggests submitting it at least seven business days before you want the page public.

Only list features that will be in the game at launch. Valve checks for this during the review, and players will hold you to it.

Early on: your tags

Tags help decide where your game appears on Steam and who sees it in recommendations. Valve requires at least five before launch and recommends using up to twenty, with the most accurate ones first.

• Put the tags that describe your core experience at the top.
• Look at the tags of games genuinely like yours.
• Only use tags that truly describe your game.

Our guide to Steam tags goes deeper, and Store Page Check shows the tags games like yours share.

Months out: a demo and a plan for Next Fest

A demo lets players try before they wishlist, and it's your ticket into Steam Next Fest, the week-long festival of upcoming games that Valve runs three times a year. Each game can take part only once, so pick your edition with care.

• Decide whether you'll make a demo, and what slice of the game it shows.
• Choose which Next Fest you're aiming for, and note its sign-up deadline and review dates from Steamworks.
• Register from your base game (not the demo) before the deadline.
• Submit the demo for review well ahead of the festival.
• Plan how you'll gather feedback, and leave time to act on it.

Everything you need to know is in our Steam Next Fest guide.

Months out: press and creators

Press, streamers and video creators plan their coverage ahead, and many receive far more pitches than they can play. Make it easy to say yes.

• Put together a press kit: a short description, a fact sheet, logos, screenshots, your trailer and a way to reach you.
• Make a list of outlets and creators who already cover games like yours.
• Write short, personal emails that say what your game is and why it fits their audience.
• Plan when keys go out, so people have time to play before launch.

Well ahead: pick your date and lock it in

Once you know when the game will truly be ready, choose your week. Look at what else is launching for the same players, Steam's seasonal sales and festivals, and your own team's availability. Then make the date firm and public, so players and press can plan around it.

• Check how crowded your candidate weeks are with games like yours.
• Avoid launching inside a major seasonal sale or a Next Fest you're not part of.
• Leave room after your last big marketing moment.
• Set the exact date on your store page and announce it.

Our guide to choosing your Steam release date walks through each of these, and the free Launch Week Checker shows how busy the coming weeks look.

Weeks before: the release build

Your game's build is reviewed by Valve before release, just like your store page. The review checks that the game starts properly and matches what your store page promises. It typically takes a few business days, and Valve asks you to allow at least seven business days so everything is approved in time.

• Complete the store presence and game build checklists in Steamworks.
• Submit your release build for review with plenty of time to spare.
• Set your price.
• Make sure your coming-soon page has been public for at least two weeks. Valve requires this for new games.
• Test the final build on as many different machines as you can.

The last two weeks: get ready for launch day

• Write your launch announcement for Steam, your social channels, your newsletter and your community.
• Prepare answers to the questions you expect: system requirements, controller support, languages, the roadmap.
• Decide who watches reviews, forums and bug reports, and when.
• Have a plan for a quick fix if something breaks.
• Clear your team's calendars for launch week.

Launch day

On Steam, an approved game doesn't release by itself: you press the release button in Steamworks when you're ready. That means you can line up the moment with your announcements.

• Release the game, then check the store page and a fresh download yourself.
• Publish your announcements. Steam lets everyone who wishlisted your game know it's out.
• Be present: answer questions, thank players and keep an eye on bug reports.

The first weeks after launch

Launch isn't the finish line. The first weeks shape how players talk about your game for a long time.

• Watch your reviews. Read them all, especially the critical ones. They're the clearest picture of what players actually experienced.
• Respond with care. A kind, helpful reply to a problem shows every future visitor that you listen.
• Fix the biggest problems first and tell players what you fixed.
• Plan your first update and let players know it's coming.
• Keep an eye on the games around you. Rivals' price changes, updates and sales all shape what players compare you with.
• Write down what you learned while it's fresh. Your next launch will thank you.

Want help keeping track?

LaunchRivals keeps an eye on the weeks around your release date and the games players will compare you with, and lets you know when a rival changes their date, price or store page. Start free and add your game today.

Free tools for this step

• Launch Week Checker: Drop in your Steam page and see how crowded the coming weeks are with games like yours, and who you would be up against.
• Store Page Check: See the tags games like yours share, the ones you might be missing, and how your price compares.
• Games Like Yours: Meet the games players will compare yours with, and what they have in common.
• Key Request Checker: Check a curator or creator's Steam account before you send them a free key.