How to Write a Steam Short Description That Makes Players Scroll

Your Steam short description sits at the very top of your store page, right next to your header capsule and trailer. It's often the only text a visitor reads before deciding whether to scroll down or leave. Yet many indie games spend those few lines on vague story setup and stacks of adjectives.

This guide covers what Valve says about the short description, a simple formula for writing one, before-and-after examples, and how to test yours before it goes live.

What the Steam short description is

Valve's store page description documentation calls it "a brief synopsis, used in locations on Steam where real estate is limited, most notably at the very top of your game's store page." The key facts:

• It's short. Valve describes it as "limited to a few hundred characters". In practice, the Steamworks field allows up to 300 characters.
• It's plain text only. Line breaks and bullet points won't display properly, so write it as one or two clean sentences.
• It should say why this game is worth a closer look. Valve asks you to focus on what makes the game unique, mention the genre and convey "why a customer would want to learn more about this game in particular."
• It isn't the place for your full pitch. Feature lists and story details belong in the longer "About This Game" section further down the page.

You'll find it in Steamworks under Store Presence → Edit Store Page → Description.

A simple formula for your short description

Most strong short descriptions answer three questions, in roughly this order:

1. What do I do? Start with the player's action, using concrete verbs: build, fish, fight, explore, manage.
2. What kind of game is it? Name the genre in words players use, ideally matching your top Steam tags.
3. What makes it different? One specific hook: a mechanic, a setting, a constraint or a number that shows scope.

As a template: [Player action in a specific setting]. A [genre] where [the hook that sets it apart]. You don't have to follow it word for word, but if any of the three answers is missing, players have to guess.

Before and after: three short description examples

All the games below are hypothetical. The character counts show that a clear description doesn't need the full 300 characters.

Weak version	Stronger version
In a world torn apart by an ancient war, one forgotten hero must rise. Discover a breathtaking, epic, unforgettable adventure full of mystery, danger and wonder. Coming soon!	Lead a small rebel cell through a city under curfew. A turn-based tactics game where every mission costs supplies, and the people you save decide which districts rise with you. (176 characters)
A relaxing and charming game about nature, friendship and finding yourself on a beautiful island.	Fish across a tiny island, sell your catch and slowly turn a ruined harbor into a cozy home. A relaxed fishing life sim with 120 fish, seasonal festivals and no time limits. (173 characters)
The ultimate space experience. Innovative gameplay meets stunning visuals in this unique roguelite.	Build a cargo spaceship deck by deck, then survive the routes you chart. A roguelite builder where every module you add changes how your crew fights, trades and breaks down. (173 characters)

What the stronger versions have in common:

• They open with what the player does, not with the world's backstory.
• They name the genre in plain words ("turn-based tactics", "fishing life sim", "roguelite builder").
• They replace adjectives with specifics. "Breathtaking" and "unique" are claims; "120 fish" and "every module changes how your crew fights" are evidence.
• They drop time-based text like "Coming soon!", which Valve advises against.

Common short description mistakes

Starting with lore

"In a world where..." uses your most valuable words on setting. Story can be a hook, but tie it to what the player does: "Smuggle refugees past a border that redraws itself every night" says more than "In a fractured world, borders shift."

Stacking adjectives

"Beautiful, immersive, unforgettable" tells players how you'd like them to feel, not what the game is. Swap each adjective for a fact or a mechanic.

Using insider jargon

Valve advises keeping newcomers in mind and minimizing "insider" jargon and acronyms. Terms you use in your team's design docs often mean nothing to a new visitor.

Hiding the genre

If a player can't tell whether your game is a strategy game or a platformer after reading the short description, it isn't doing its job. Make sure the genre words match your top Steam tags, so the page tells one consistent story.

Repeating the capsule

The visitor has already seen your capsule art and title. Use the description to add what the image can't show: the core loop, the goal and the hook.

How the short and long descriptions work together

Think of the short description as the reason to scroll, and "About This Game" as the reward for scrolling. Valve notes that players who reach the long description have probably already seen your screenshots and trailer, and "are interested and want to know more." Valve's tips for that section:

• Less can be more: avoid walls of text and long paragraphs.
• Make it skimmable: bold your key features and section headers.
• Include visual aids: pair each headline with a relevant image or looping GIF.
• Watch file sizes: keep each image under 5 MB and the total of all images and GIFs below 15 MB so the page loads quickly.
• Prefer textless images: text inside images has to be translated and re-uploaded for every language you localize into.

How to test your short description

1. The stranger test. Show only your capsule and short description to someone who has never seen the game. Ask what the player does and what genre it is. If they can't answer both, revise.
2. The swap test. Replace your game's name with a competitor's. If the description still fits, it isn't specific enough.
3. The length and clarity check. Paste your draft into the free Steam short description checker to check length and whether it describes player actions.
4. The full-page check. Once it's live, run your store page through the free Steam Page Analyzer to see how the description works alongside your capsule and screenshots.

After launch, the visit-to-wishlist ratio in your Steamworks traffic report shows whether visitors are convinced once they arrive. If visits rise but wishlists don't, the top of your page, including the short description, is a good place to start.

Short description checklist

• It starts with what the player does, using concrete verbs.
• It names the genre in words players use, consistent with your top tags.
• It includes one specific hook or number, not just adjectives.
• It's plain text, one or two sentences, within 300 characters.
• It has no time-based text ("Coming soon", dates) and no links.
• A stranger can tell you the genre and core activity after reading it.

Steam short description FAQ

How long can a Steam short description be?

Valve describes it as limited to a few hundred characters, and the Steamworks field allows up to 300. Many clear descriptions use well under that, around 150 to 250 characters.

Can I use bullet points or line breaks in the short description?

No. Valve says the short description only allows plain text, and line breaks or bullet points won't display properly. Save formatting for "About This Game".

Should I mention my release date in the short description?

No. Valve advises against time-based text such as "Now Available" or specific dates, because it quickly goes out of date. Steam shows your release date separately.

What's the difference between the short description and "About This Game"?

The short description is a brief synopsis at the top of the page that should make players want to learn more. "About This Game" sits lower, supports formatting and images, and is where your features, story and editions go.

Sources

• Valve: Store page description guidance

• Steam Short Description
• Steam Store Page
• Copywriting
• Steamworks
• Wishlists