Over a 3rd of video games launched on Steam this 12 months won’t have even made sufficient cash to interrupt even on Valve’s submission price, based on Steam analytics web site Gamalytic.
As reported by GamesRadar, Gamalytic estimates that just about 13,000 new entries have hit Steam because the starting of this 12 months, highlighted by Soulash developer Artur Smiarowski over on X. While it isn’t fairly as many as 2024’s complete releases but—final 12 months noticed a whopping 18,000 video games come out—it is nearly on par with 2023’s 13,179 releases with a couple of months nonetheless to go.
An unfortunate side effect of a crap ton of new videogames is that a large chunk will, inevitably, fall to the wayside. So many, in fact, that Smiarowski’s post goes on to declare that roughly 40% of 2025 Steam games didn’t even make enough money ($1,000) to recoup the $100 submission fee developers or publishers have to pay to get the game on Steam in the first place.
Smiarowski also highlights that around 8% of this year’s Steam games—roughly 1,140 of ’em—managed to gross over $100,000, a share he highlights as being fairly par for the course through the years. Considering 2025 is shaping as much as be the second-biggest 12 months of this decade by way of uncooked launch numbers, Smiarowski surmises which means “more developers found success each year thus far.”
As GamesRadar factors out, Gamalytic’s methodology is not 100% correct by the location’s personal admission, due to Steam holding a comparatively tight lid on lots of its information. The much less standard a sport is, the much less correct estimations Gamalytic has for it. It’s nonetheless an fascinating total glimpse on the state of issues although, and the considerably miserable (if not all that shocking) revelation that it is freaking exhausting to get your videogame observed in an ever-enlarging crowd.
Smiarowski additionally shared some of the lowest-selling games on Steam “with up to $10 price tag,” so naturally I went poking via a couple of totally different retailer pages to see what we’re all lacking out on. I used to be largely anticipating to see a heap of Vampire Survivors clones and deckbuilders—and belief me, they’re there—however I used to be stunned at what a wealthy selection was lurking on the backside of Valve’s pile.
Puzzlers, 2D platformers, cel-shaded cyberpunk motorcycle brawlers. Stuff that, with higher visibility, may need had a shot. Perhaps not the one titled Femdom Tower Defence, although.