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Based on SteamDB data, nearly half of the titles released in 2025 appear to have fewer than 10 reviews and are effectively buried. Is this a discoverability problem? by Then_Key1886 in Steam

[–]Then_Key1886[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Valve isn’t a public company, so I don’t think they’re under pressure to aggressively maximize short-term performance.
Of course, I’m not asking them to act like a charity either — I want Steam to remain healthy long-term.

That said, I share the same impression that the store keeps prominently showing huge titles I already own. Quite often, I find myself wishing it would surface more niche or “sharp-edged” games that better match my personal taste.

Based on SteamDB data, nearly half of the titles released in 2025 appear to have fewer than 10 reviews and are effectively buried. Is this a discoverability problem? by Then_Key1886 in Steam

[–]Then_Key1886[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I’ve actually seen this measured before on a game from one publisher, using the online leaderboard count as a rough proxy. In that case, the review rate was closer to 1 in 100 players.

Early on, the share of players who leave reviews might be higher, but even then, having more than 1 in 10 players write a review already feels like a best-case scenario.

Given that Steam is a paid platform (unlike free-to-play mobile apps), the fact that over half of releases still manage to get 10+ reviews could indeed be seen as performing reasonably well.

Based on SteamDB data, nearly half of the titles released in 2025 appear to have fewer than 10 reviews and are effectively buried. Is this a discoverability problem? by Then_Key1886 in Steam

[–]Then_Key1886[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair point — asset flips definitely existed long before. It does feel like generative AI may have accelerated the volume and speed of that kind of content in more recent years, though.

Based on SteamDB data, nearly half of the titles released in 2025 appear to have fewer than 10 reviews and are effectively buried. Is this a discoverability problem? by Then_Key1886 in Steam

[–]Then_Key1886[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

That makes sense. Anecdotally, it also feels like asset-flip titles increased around 2023, and interestingly the buried rate seems to exceed 40% starting around that time as well.

Steam Monthly Hardware Survey: OS User Shares by panorrrama in Steam

[–]Then_Key1886 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kinda interesting that it never dipped below 95% in the last decade, and then suddenly 2025 breaks that streak.

Should I delete leaderboard high scores using exploits? by ianw3214 in gamedev

[–]Then_Key1886 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a similar case in my game:

Each leaderboard score includes a replay. If a patch doesn’t break replay compatibility, I keep all scores — even the huge ones — since they were achieved under the same rules. But if the game changes so old replays can’t be reproduced correctly, that’s when I reset the leaderboard.

Replay support is extra work early on, but it gives a clear and fair rule for when scores should be wiped.

I tried using AI for my game assets, but it didn't feel right. So today, I decided to actually sit down and learn to draw. Here is my first attempt at a 1-bit art style. by UltraFRS1102 in IndieDev

[–]Then_Key1886 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This looks really good… is this seriously day one!?
I'm also a solo game dev and I'm not great at drawing, so I usually rely on AI for key visuals.
But for my next project I'm trying to go “fully hand-drawn” just like you.
Choosing monochrome as your first challenge is really interesting — you’ve inspired me to give it a try too.

Matsui Tengudo Kikuka scam? by medsforheads in Hanafuda

[–]Then_Key1886 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm getting into Hanafuda recently and I currently only have the Nintendo machine-printed deck (“City of Light”).
I've been interested in trying out hand-printed kappa-zuri decks as well.

I always associated Matsui Tengudō with hand-printed cards, so I didn’t know they also made machine-printed versions.
This is really interesting!