A 6-month campaign across 12 markets. Influencer seeding, launch trailers, community hype — all timed to the minute.
December 25, 2025
Chandler Wood
Knowledge
Thinking Steam Next Fest will magically “discover” your game?
Think again.
If your game enters Next Fest with no momentum, it won’t get the spotlight, it’ll get buried. The median lift for underprepared games is just ~460 wishlists. That’s the cold truth, according to the February 2025 benchmarks.
But there’s good news: studios that enter the festival with 2,000+ wishlists before Day 1 are positioned to actually benefit from Steam’s discovery algorithms. And those with 10,000+? They’re playing to win.
Let’s break down the data, the strategy, and the hard numbers you need to know.
8 Things That Actually Move the Needle
1. Nail your store page.
- Hook with a micro-trailer in the first 6 seconds.
- Use sharp capsule art.
- Screenshots should show the gameplay loop.
- Tag your game accurately. Discovery depends on it.
2. Your demo is a marketing tool.
- Build a polished vertical slice.
- Include clear wishlist/Discord CTAs.
- Soft-launch the demo weeks before the fest and iterate.
3. Start creator & press outreach 4–6 months ahead.
- Personalized emails and keys > mass blasts.
- Micro-influencers > ignored mega-channels.
