Steam Short Description: A Formula That Names Your Genre
How to write a Steam short description: genre and hook in the first sentence, using most of the 300 characters. With data on what 802 pages actually do.
By StoreCheck TeamPublished November 6, 20263 min readLive data: 802 pages
- 50% of pages name the genre in their first sentence; the rest make players guess.
- The average page uses 231 characters of Steam's 300 characters.
- 19% of pages open with the game's own name, which wastes the most-read words.
- Formula: genre + hook, then the core loop, then what makes it different.
Contents
The short description sits directly under your header capsule on the store page and appears in many hover previews. It's 300 characters, and for many visitors it's the only text they read. Here's how 802 pages use it, and a formula that works.
What pages actually write
| Length | Pages | Avg page score |
|---|---|---|
| Under 120 | 37 | 72 |
| 120–200 | 174 | 77 |
| 200–260 | 287 | 77 |
| 260–300 | 292 | 78 |
The common mistake isn't length. It's a first sentence that doesn't say what the game is: 50% of pages name their genre up front, and every page that doesn't makes visitors guess. 19% open with the game's own name, which the visitor already saw on the capsule.
The formula
- Genre and hook in the first sentence: "A cozy farming sim where your crops are alive."
- What you do, as verbs: "Plant, befriend and battle your harvest through four seasons."
- What makes it different or the payoff: "Every crop remembers how you treated it."
Keep it concrete. Words like "unique", "immersive" and "epic" don't help a player picture the game.
Examples of the pattern
- "A roguelike deckbuilder where every card is a spell you write yourself. Combine runes into 400+ effects, climb a living tower, and break the game on purpose."
- "A survival horror game set in an abandoned ferry. Scavenge by day, barricade by night, and decide who you let in."
Test it before you publish
Player Jury's five-second test shows your description to players who then pick the genre. If they can't name it, the description isn't doing its job.
Free toolPlayer Jury testsReal players vote on your capsule, genre clarity, description or screenshot order.→Common problems
| Problem | Share of pages |
|---|---|
| First sentence never names the genre | 50% |
| Opens with the game's name | 19% |
| Sequel is never mentioned | 7% |
| Short description is thin | 3% |
| Short description is too short | 1% |
Get a free 0–100 score for your Steam page, measured the same way as the 802 pages behind this article, with the fixes ranked by impact.
Check my page freeLive benchmarks and real examples: see the data guide.
Questions
How long is the Steam short description?
Up to 300 characters.
Should the short description start with the game's name?
No. The name is already on the capsule above it. Lead with the genre and the hook instead.
Can the short description include links or prices?
No links to other stores, prices or discount claims.
- • Steamworks: store page
- • StoreCheck data: 802 Steam store pages, measured with methodology v1