Steam short description examples that work
The short description is the text shoppers read on hover and next to your trailer. We read the short descriptions of 574 Steam pages to see how the best ones open.
Data from 574 Steam pages in the StoreCheck index · updated every few hours
Short description length vs overall page score
Characters used, out of Steam's 300. Bars show the average overall page score in each group.
A correlation across real pages, not proof of cause: better-made pages tend to get many things right at once.
How to do it
- 1. Name the genre in the first sentence
Shoppers sort games by genre in seconds. Saying "a co-op survival game" up front tells the right players they're in the right place.
- 2. Say what the player does
Use a verb: build, survive, duel, explore. A sentence about what you do beats one about the world.
- 3. Use most of the 300 characters
Very short descriptions leave out the hook. Aim for two or three sentences.
- 4. Don't open with the game's name
The name is already above the text. Spend the first words on what the game is.
- 5. End on the one thing only your game has
The mechanic, setting or twist that makes someone wishlist this game instead of the one next to it.
The most common mistakes
Examples from the highest-scoring pages
“Reach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. Climb anywhere and plan your route carefully, managing pitons and resources to survive unforgiving Mount Kami. Discover what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the ascent of a lifetime.”
288/300 characters“Brave magical storms where tornadoes hunt you in this open-world survival crafting game for 1 to 8 players. Outrun the tornadoes or ride their winds, sail to new islands, defeat bosses to unlock classes, and build a home that can weather the next chaos storm.”
259/300 characters“Shoot, hack and grind your way through waves of sentient office appliances in Megabonk-like roguelite action. Level up, unlock upgrades and play in singleplayer or up to 4-player coop while 360 no-scoping on an office chair!”
224/300 characters“The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.”
187/300 charactersThe number is each page's short description score out of 100. Open any example for its full analysis.
How does your page compare?
Free, no login. You get the same measurements for your own page, plus the short description grader details.
Questions
How long is a Steam short description?
Up to 300 characters. Most strong pages in our index use well over half of that.
What should a Steam short description say?
What the game is (its genre), what the player does, and one hook that sets it apart, in that order.
Can I check my short description?
Yes. StoreCheck grades it for length, whether the first sentence names the genre, and whether it opens with the game's name, and the full report drafts rewrites.