Steam Greenlight: Rise & Fall of Steam’s Controversial Game Platform

Fourteen years ago, in 2012, Valve launched Steam Greenlight, a platform that would grow one of the most debated initiatives in the history of the digital game distribution service, Steam.

The program was initially designed to offer independent developers a pathway to get their games onto the Steam Store through a community-based voting system.

At its inception, Greenlight represented a potentially revolutionary idea. Valve shifted a portion of the curation process directly to players, allowing the Steam community to vote on which titles deserved a place on the digital storefront. This aimed to open doors for smaller developers who lacked access to major publishers or traditional distribution channels.

The concept, on paper, was promising. Greenlight was intended to be an entry point for indie games that might otherwise struggle to gain visibility. The system was as well viewed as a form of democratization within the gaming industry, with the community playing a direct role in shaping the content available on Steam.

However, in practice, Greenlight quickly encountered a number of challenges.

Over time, the platform became inundated with problematic content. Developers engaged in vote-begging campaigns, submitted unfinished or low-effort projects, and exploited loopholes within the system. Some developers took shortcuts, purchasing pre-made assets from marketplaces like the Unity Asset Store to quickly assemble simple games with minimal effort – a practice known as “asset flipping.”

Since the system relied heavily on votes, game quality wasn’t always the primary factor. Titles with viral Steam Greenlight trailers or unique concepts often garnered more attention and votes, even if their overall quality was lacking. Conversely, genuinely well-made games with limited marketing budgets could struggle to gain traction.

Security vulnerabilities within the platform also raised concerns, with some games containing malware managing to slip through the vetting process. This led to criticism from gamers who argued that Greenlight wasn’t adequately prepared for the influx of submissions.

Many observers now believe Greenlight contributed to the overcrowding of the Steam store, including a proliferation of low-quality titles.

In response, Valve eventually implemented a $100 registration fee and replaced Greenlight with a new system called Steam Direct. This new system restored greater control over the selection process to Valve, with stricter verification procedures and fees. The shift signaled a move away from open community curation towards a more controlled approach to content on Steam.

Despite its controversies, Greenlight also played a role in the success of several notable games. Popular titles such as Stardew Valley, Undertale, A Hat in Time, and Project Zomboid first gained attention through the platform before achieving widespread success. Steam Greenlight was officially discontinued in 2017.

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