Valve reworks Steam demos to create 'more powerful and flexible marketing tools'

Valve is reconfiguring Steam demos to bolster their functionality as marketing tools. The changes are based on feedback from developers and players, altering how demos behave and appear on the Steam marketplace.

For starters, demos can now be added to Steam libraries without the need for an immediate install. A new 'add to library' button can be used to chuck demos into libraries from the mobile app or other places "where you may not be ready to install them immediately."

It will also be possible to install demos after purchasing the full game, making it easier for developers to test demos and help players manage their library.

Steam store pages for demos

Another notable tweak will enable developers to create a separate store page for demos without impacting visibility. "By default, your free demo appears as a button on your base game's store page. But if you want to have a separate store page for your demo, you can now enable that in the 'edit store' section for your demo," reads a post from Valve.

"Enabling a separate store page for your demo will give you space to better describe the contents of the demo, add screenshots, upload a trailer, and specify supported features. If you choose to enable a store page for your demo, you will also be enabling players of your demo to post user reviews that appear on your demo."

Valve says Steam will treat demos "mostly the same way" irrespective of whether they exist as a standalone page or not. That said, a standalone demo that garners negative reviews might be hamstrung in the same way as a full release. "Of course the flipside can be true too; if players are loving your demo, the positive review signal to other players may boost interest," adds Valve.

Sticking with visibility, Valve says demos will now behave more like free games and can appear in all the same sections and lists. "For example, demos can now appear on the Steam homepage in charts such as the 'New & Trending,' on the 'New on Steam' page, and on relevant tag and category pages,' notes Valve. "This means that launching a new free demo for your game will behave similarly as launching a free stand-alone game on Steam."

Developers will also be able to notify wishlisters when they launch a playable demo, potentially helping them bolster their marketing campaign.

You can find out more about the latest changes on the Steamworks blog.