Valve updates pre-release review process for Steam store applicants

Valve is working to help more developers get their games approved for Steam.

Valve says that it has been inundated with new applications for new games to receive a store page on Steam, so it is updating the application process to help more devs get their games approved. This includes new items in the release checklist for devs to run through before submitting their game.

The new updates were shared in a Steamworks post. In it, Valve urges devs to run their game through Steam for at least five minutes before submission. 

Believe it or not, sometimes we review builds that have not ever been played through Steam. This means that even if a game runs smoothly when a dev launches their executable directly, they might have missed basic steps that would impact a user installing and playing via Steam.

New additions to the checklist also include the following: 

• Confirm any required common redistributables
• Confirm your achievements are ready
• Steam Cloud save detection

Valve is also requiring developers to upload at least five screenshots of their games that would be categorized as gameplay. Developers who follow all of these steps prior to submitting their game can avoid their chances of being rejected, simplifying the process of getting their game on Steam. Valve says that it’s working on more ways to smoothen the process for both itself and developers.

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