Quick answer: a wishlist is a player saying “tell me when this is out”. Steam emails wishlisters when your game launches and when it goes on sale, so wishlists are your launch-day audience.
To get more:
- Put up your Coming Soon page early, months before launch.
- Make the capsule art, trailer and first screenshots show what the game is in seconds.
- Join a Steam Next Fest with a demo.
- Post regularly where your players are, and link to the Steam page every time.
What Steam does with wishlists
- When your game releases, Steam notifies everyone who wishlisted it.
- When your game goes on discount, Steam notifies them again.
- Wishlisted games also show up in players’ wishlist page and sale reminders.
Steam limits how often the same player is emailed about the same game, so you can’t spam your wishlisters with back-to-back discounts.
Why they matter beyond emails
Steam doesn’t publish how its store algorithm works. But a strong launch (lots of sales in the first days) is widely seen as helping a game get shown to more players, and wishlists are where those first sales come from.
Be realistic: only a fraction of wishlists turn into sales at launch. Many people wishlist and buy later, in a sale, or never.
Ways to get more wishlists
Start your Steam page early
You can’t collect wishlists without a Coming Soon page. Every month it’s live is a month of wishlists. You pay the $100 Steam Direct fee per game to get there.
Make the page work in seconds
Most visitors decide fast. Focus on:
- Capsule art that’s readable at small sizes.
- A trailer that shows gameplay in the first few seconds.
- Screenshots of real gameplay, not logos or menus.
- A short description that says what the player does.
Release a demo and join Next Fest
Steam Next Fest runs several times a year and features playable demos. A good demo during Next Fest is one of the most reliable wishlist boosts for small games.
Show your work regularly
Short gameplay clips on social media, devlogs, Discord, Reddit communities that allow it, and gaming forums. Always include the Steam link.
Contact streamers and press
Small streamers and YouTubers who play your genre are often easier to reach than big names. Send a short email with a key or demo, a trailer link and the Steam page.
Steam fees in brief
| Item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Steam Direct fee | $100 per game, paid back to you once the game earns $1,000 adjusted gross revenue |
| Valve’s revenue share | 30% by default, dropping to 25% after $10 million and 20% after $50 million per game |
If you use Unreal Engine, Epic’s royalty is separate and based on gross revenue. See our royalties guide below.
FAQ
How many wishlists do I need before launch?
There’s no magic number. More is always better, and the trend (steady growth) matters too. Treat any figure you see online as a rough guide, not a rule.
Do wishlists expire?
No. They stay until the player removes the game or buys it.
Can I buy wishlists?
Don’t. Fake wishlists don’t buy games and can break Steam’s rules.
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