How Steam wishlists help indie games, and what they do for you

A Steam wishlist is a free list of games that you want to follow. For you, it means a message from Steam when a game releases or gets a large discount. For a small studio, each wishlist shows real interest and gives Steam a way to tell you on launch day. All the Steam facts in this guide come from Valve's own documentation.

How to add a game to your wishlist

1. Open the store page of the game on Steam.
2. Click the "Add to your Wishlist" button.
3. To see your list, hover over "Store" at the top of Steam and select "Wishlist".

You can add a game as soon as its store page is public, so you do not have to wait for the release. For this reason, Valve tells studios to publish a "Coming Soon" page early. A wishlist is not a pre-order, and it costs nothing.

What a wishlist does for you

Valve explains the player side in its Steamworks documentation on wishlists. Here are the main points:

• A launch message. When a game releases, Steam sends an email, a mobile push notification, or both to each player with the game on their wishlist. This is true for an Early Access release and for a full release.
• A second launch message. If a game releases in Early Access, Steam sends another message when it changes to a full release.
• A discount message. Steam tells you when a game on your wishlist gets a discount of 20% or more. The discount must be on the lowest-priced version of the game, and it must last more than 8 hours.
• A demo message. A developer can send one message to wishlist players when a free demo becomes available.
• Reminders in the store. A game from your wishlist can appear in featured sections, with a mark that tells you that it is on your wishlist.

Steam also limits how often it sends these emails. Each game has a wait time of about two weeks between emails. You get the emails only if your email address is verified with Steam and you did not turn them off. You can change your email settings in Account Details.

What a wishlist does for the developer

For a developer, a wishlist is more than a bookmark. Here is what Valve's documentation says:

• A place to send fans. Before launch, a studio can ask interested players to add the game to their wishlist.
• A measure of interest. The wishlist count shows how many players want to follow the game.
• A direct message at launch. Steam tells all wishlist players when the game releases and when it gets a qualified discount.
• Store visibility. Valve says that wishlists "can be an important factor" in where a game appears on Steam.
• Daily reports. Developers see the wishlist additions, purchases, and deletions each day, by country and region.

Why wishlists matter more for indie games

A large publisher can pay for big ad campaigns. A small independent studio usually cannot. For a small team, the launch email from Steam can be the most direct way to reach the players who showed interest.

The Steam store is also personal. Valve says that each player sees a different store, based on the games they like and play, their location, their language, and other factors.

Wishlists also continue to matter after launch. Valve notes that many players wait for a reason to buy. That reason can be an exit from Early Access, an update, a discount, or friends who play the game.

Three myths about wishlists

Myth: a game needs a minimum number of wishlists before Steam shows it. Valve answers this question directly, and the answer is "No."

Myth: wishlists tell a studio exactly how many copies it will sell. Valve says that there is no formula to accurately predict sales from wishlists. A wishlist shows interest, not a sale.

Myth: a wishlist commits you to buy the game. It does not. A wishlist is free, and you can remove a game from it at any time.

How you can help an indie game that you like

These steps cost you nothing, and each step helps a small studio:

1. Add the game to your wishlist.
2. Verify your email address in Steam, so the launch message reaches you.
3. Tell a friend who likes the same kind of games.
4. Play the game after launch, and write a review.
5. Report bugs in the Steam discussions for that game.

After launch, a review also helps other players decide. Our guide on how to write a helpful Steam review gives you the steps. If the game is in Early Access, also read our guide to what Steam Early Access is.

An example: Route 48

Route 48 is our first-person driving survival game. HOLY STUDIOS, an independent game studio, is the developer and the publisher. The game launched in Early Access on Steam on October 12, 2026. Early Access is planned for approximately one year.

The Steam rule above applies here too. When Route 48 leaves Early Access, Steam will send a second launch message to all players who have it on their wishlist at that time. If you want to wait for the full version, a wishlist is the simplest way to get the news. If you want to play now, read what is in Route 48 today.