Steam Next Fest Reality Check: Why You Need 2,000 Wishlists Before the Fest Even Starts

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.

 
Next Fest Performance by Pre-Fest Wishlist Count
Pre-Fest Wishlists
Median Wishlist Lift During Fest
0–1,999
~300–720 wishlists (validation tier)
2,000–9,999
~1,500 wishlists (Trending potential)
10,000+
~6,300 wishlists (competitive tier)
These numbers aren’t theory, they’re from real games that participated in recent festivals. Steam’s algorithms reward traction, not optimism.

 
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.

4. Use “The Double Jump.”
- Time a trailer or showcase drop 24–48 hours before Next Fest.
- Done right, it creates major momentum heading into Day 1.

5. Be present and stream.
- Use both featured slots.
- Loop a high-quality stream.
- Be active in your chat and forums.

6. Tag strategically.
- Steam’s recommendations engine runs on tags.
- Bad tags = no visibility.

7. Collect and act on feedback.
- Use Discord, surveys, and demo telemetry.
- Ship hotfixes before the fest ends.
(Example: RailGods did this and hit 100k wishlists.)

8. Don’t ghost post-fest.
-Share your results.
-Funnel new players into owned channels.
-Stay in touch with creators for launch.
 

Stop Hoping, Start Earning Your Festival Results
If you're advising a studio or running your own, the key takeaway is simple:

Don’t hope Next Fest will fix your visibility problem. Build momentum first.
Aim for 2,000+ wishlists before Day 1.
Treat your demo like a product, not an afterthought.
Use creators as your engine—not your afterthought.
Next Fest isn’t a silver bullet. It’s an amplifier. Make sure you’ve got something worth amplifying.