Whenever you create a new store page on Steam, there are requirements that need to be filled out before it’s even ready to be considered for publication. Valve doesn’t make getting through these very easy, and I feel that their guides aren’t all too helpful, especially if you’re looking for the most effective way to do something like tagging your games.
How to Properly Tag Your Indie Game on Steam
In the Basic Info section of your game’s Admin page when you log into the Steamworks Partner website, all the way at the bottom below the supported languages, supported features, and even amount of available players, are tags.
Tags help Steam identify your game andintroduce it into the algorithm so that it presents to players who are searching for other titles similar to yours. These tags even help your chances of being one of the recommended games for a title someone is already playing. However, there are some unspoken rules about tags that can either help or harm your chances of getting the most amount of eyes on your game.
- Adding too many tags.
- Adding the wrong kinds of tags.
- Listing tags in the wrong order.
Adding Too Many Tags
How do you even add too many tags? Easily, by adding too many. It might seem tempting to add every tag under the sun because, obviously, more tags means more exposure. Well, that’s just not true. In fact, you’re hurting your chances of the algorithm presenting your games in the most optiized way.
Just becuase you encounter one puzzle in the entirety of the experience does not mean that the game should have the puzzle tag. I would argue the same for games that are expected to have a feature that simply isn’t available yet.
What do I mean? I’ve quite literally seen games with the co-op tag on their store page because it’s a planned feature during early access. Despite how true that might be, it’s not something you can do, so take out the tag.
Adding the Wrong Kinds of Tags
Adding the wrong tag is very different than adding too many. Just as it might be tempting to add too many tags, it might also be tempting to believe that some tags don’t encompass your game.
Just because
Listing Tags in the Wrong Order
I’ve seen various developers add tags in the wrong order, resulting in fewer people who would be interested in the game finding out about it. This has nothing to do with the quality of the game, but potentially with how it’s tagged.
Let’s take a game like Luma Island by Feel Free Games, for example. When you open up all of their tags, you’ll notice that the top four are the ones featured on the store page. That’s important because at first glance, it gives players a chance to categorize the game into the boxes of what they enjoy about those particular genres.
- Adventure – I’m expecting to be able to run around and talk to other people, buy things, and maybe even upgrade stuff.
- Farming Sim – I’m DEFINITELY expecting to be able to do some farming. Maybe even some ranching with a few farm animals that need buildings to live in.
- Crafting – I’m expecting to be able to find things while running around, as per the Adventure tag, and use it to make new things.
- Exploration – I’m expecting to have a lot to be able to walk to, get around, discover, explore, and the like.
All together, I would safely say that the four perfectly encompass what it’s like to play Luma Island. Make sure that the tags organized at the very top are the ones that would best describe your game. I’d recommend removing all your tags, (if you have already added some), and try to break down the most important aspects of your game.
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What are your thoughts?