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Short on Steam: success rate & trends

Short is above the Steam average for Steam developers: 7.0% of releases reach a meaningful audience (about 1.2× the 6.0% Steam-wide average), across 215 games tracked since 2024.

7.0%
Success rate
215
Releases tracked
15
Reached an audience
1.2×
vs Steam avg (6.0%)

Short success rate by year

Steam avg 6.0%9.8%9.3%0.0%*202420252026** 2026 in progress — partial year, still maturing
YearReleasesReached audienceSuccess rate
20246169.8%
20259799.3%
2026 · in progress5700.0%

2026 is still in progress — it covers only part of the year, and recent releases haven't had time to reach the review threshold yet, so its release count and success rate both read artificially low. Across complete years (2024–2025) the settled rate is 9.5%.

What the data says

Out of every 100 Short games released on Steam, roughly 7 break out to a meaningful audience — compared with about 6 in 100 across Steam as a whole. Short ranks #223 of 466 tags by release volume, and #101 by success rate among well-populated genres, which makes it relatively underserved. Across complete years (2024–2025), Short's success rate settles at 9.5% — the in-progress 2026 reads lower only because its games are still new.

Unlike "top sellers" lists that only count winners, this is an honest base rate — every tracked Short release is in the denominator, including the many that never found an audience. That's the number that actually tells you your odds going in.

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Short on Steam — FAQ

What percentage of Short games succeed on Steam?
About 7.0% of Short releases reach a meaningful audience — about 1.2× the 6.0% Steam-wide average — measured across 215 games released between 2024 and 2026.
Is Short saturated on Steam?
Short is relatively underserved, with 215 releases tracked (rank #223 by volume). Volume and success rate are both near the middle of the pack.
How many Short games release on Steam each year?
In 2025 (the last complete year) about 97 Short games released on Steam; 2026 is still in progress.
Is Short a good genre to release on Steam?
By the numbers, Short looks like above the Steam average — a 7.0% base-rate success vs 6.0% Steam-wide. Pair that with your scope, budget and marketing plan before committing.

Compare other Steam genres