How a Steam Awards Nomination Can Boost a Game’s Popularity on Steam

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Many developers noticed an increase in positive reviews for their games during the most recent Steam Sale, which ended last week. This is the result of a special feature players could earn after completing certain tasks for the annual awards show, specifically by voting for categories in the Steam Awards.

The trend was spotted by Mikhail Chuprakov, the founder and CEO of niceplay games. In a social media post, he shared data about the large surge in positive user reviews for Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, labeling it the “Steam Awards nomination effect.”

The Steam Autumn Sale 2023 began on November 21st, and users had the opportunity to nominate their favorite games in various categories such as Game of the Year, Labor of Love, Better with Friends, etc. In addition, players had the chance to earn the Steam Awards Nomination Committee Badge by completing four tasks, one of which included reviewing a game they nominated.

According to Chuprakov, before the start of the Autumn Sale and the 2023 Steam Awards, 82% of approximately 300 recent reviews (posted in the last 30 days) for Potion Craft were positive. As of November 21st, the rating has jumped to 97% (Overwhelmingly Positive), based on more than 3,600 reviews.

The developer noted that although the 82% rating wasn’t reliable given the small number of reviews, most of them came from players who were “waiting for new updates and expressing dissatisfaction with the slow development.” However, the recent increase in the rating indicates that the majority of users don’t care about writing reviews at all, or rather, they just need a good incentive to do so, such as the Steam Awards:

“Maybe Valve should look deeper into this trend and reward game reviews more often, because I’m often too lazy to write reviews, but sometimes I force myself to do it, and these kinds of cases benefit everyone: developers, Steam, and players,” Chuprakov said.

Indeed, Potion Craft is not the only game that experienced the so-called Steam Awards nomination effect. The reverse city builder Terra Nil received hundreds of new positive reviews since November 21st, and its recent rating reached 95%. Other examples include Remnant II (from 83% positive reviews in the last 30 days before the Autumn Sale to 91%), Sons of the Forest (from 90% to 96%), Hogwarts Legacy (from 87% to 95%), Viewfinder (86% to 97%), Sea of Stars (from 89% to 95%), etc.