Learn how Steam's numbers work
These guides explain the numbers behind a Steam game: how wishlists convert, what Next Fest brings, where review labels change, how gross becomes the payout and when it arrives, what traffic, UTM and concurrent players measure, the discount rules and how store lists rank. Each guide gives a formula, a worked example and its sources.
Last reviewed · SteamStats team
Wishlists and launch
- Wishlist conversion rateHow Steam wishlist conversion is calculated, what first-week ratios looked like in 2024 and 2025, and why GameDiscoverCo and Gamalytic medians differ.
- Wishlists at launchHow many wishlists a Steam game needs at launch: what Valve says, the 7,000 rule of thumb, the June 2026 Popular Upcoming change and the Personal Calendar.
- Next Fest wishlistsHow many wishlists Steam Next Fest brings, by wishlists before the fest, with the February 2026 survey, Valve's eligibility rules and a worked example.
Reviews and players
- Review score thresholdsThe percentages and review counts behind each Steam review label, which reviews count, and how to work out the negative reviews a label can absorb.
- Language review scoresHow Steam's language-specific review scores work since August 2025: the 2,000 and 200 review thresholds, who sees which score, and what it means for a game.
- Concurrent players (CCU)What Steam concurrent players (CCU) measure, how peak, average and daily players differ, why trackers disagree and what CCU says about a game after launch.
Store, traffic and discounts
- Steam store listsHow Steam's Top Sellers, New & Trending, Popular Upcoming, weekly and monthly charts and the Personal Calendar choose games, and what Valve says counts.
- Traffic report and UTMWhat Steam's traffic breakdown and UTM analytics count: impressions, visits, tracked visits, the conversion window and why campaign numbers move for days.
- Discount rulesSteam's discount rules in one place: depth and length limits, launch discounts, the cooldown between discounts, seasonal sale exceptions and wishlist emails.
Revenue, payouts and forecasts
- Steam net revenueHow Steam gross revenue becomes net revenue and then the payout: refunds, VAT, Valve's 30.00% share and its tiers, US withholding, with a worked example.
- Steam payment scheduleWhen Valve pays Steam developers: by the 30th of the month after the sales month, the payout minimum, what the amount includes and a worked calendar.
- Forecasting Steam salesA step-by-step method to forecast a Steam game's sales by hand: units per day from launch wishlists or daily sales, then net to studio, discounts included.
How these guides are written
Every guide is written by the SteamStats team and checked against Valve's Steamworks documentation and Steam announcements on the date it shows. Figures from other studies name the study, its sample and its date, and numbers Valve does not publish, such as the review label thresholds, are marked as community-documented. Worked examples use Pebblewick, a fictional game by Hollow Fern Games, with illustrative numbers, never real sales.