How to Ship Your Indie Game on Steam
The complete, opinionated playbook for solo devs and small studios shipping on Steam — from first concept to your first patch.
205+ prescriptive steps across 8 phases, in the exact order you should do them, with curated links to the best existing resources at every turn. Free, no signup required.
Tells you what to do next, in what order, and why — instead of dumping every option on you.
Links you to the best existing resources — Steamworks docs, How To Market A Game, GDC talks — at the moment you need them.
Concept validation, business setup, store page, marketing, launch, post-launch — the parts most guides skip.
Want progress tracking? — create an account to check off steps, see what to do next, and pick up where you left off.
Get startedThe 8 phases
Work through these in order. Each phase builds on the last — validate your concept before sinking months into business setup, sort the business out before designing your store page, build an audience before launch.
Concept & Validation
Validate that your game idea has market potential and define a realistic scope before investing months or years of development time.
Business & Legal Setup
Establish the legal and financial infrastructure to receive revenue, protect your assets, and comply with regulations.
Steam Account & Configuration
Complete Steamworks partner onboarding and configure your app's technical foundation — depots, builds, and features.
Store Page & Branding
Create a professional, optimized Steam store page and establish your game's visual brand identity. Your store page is your most important marketing asset — it converts browsers into wishlisters and wishlisters into buyers.
Marketing Foundation
Build your audience, establish your social media presence, and create the community infrastructure that will support your launch.
Pre-Launch Marketing Ramp
Maximize wishlist velocity, execute Steam Next Fest, conduct press/influencer outreach, and prepare all launch-day assets.
Launch
Execute a coordinated launch across all channels, reach the 10-review discovery threshold, and maximize first-week sales velocity.
Post-Launch & Sustainability
Sustain momentum through regular updates, strategic discounting, community nurturing, and long-term content planning. Launch is not the end — it's the midpoint.