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Steam recommends games based on your play history, purchase patterns, in-game activity, wishlist, and other factors. While it generally provides good suggestions, you’re able to take a few steps to refine the recommendations further. If you want more personalized and accurate game recommendations, here are a few things you can do.
1Rate and Review Games
When you rate a game positively, Steam’s algorithm better understands your preferences and recommends similar games in the same genre you might enjoy. Conversely, if you rate a game negatively and provide a detailed review explaining why you didn’t like it, Steam won’t recommend similar titles.
Steam avoids recommending games that receive negative ratings and prioritizes suggesting games with positive ratings. This means that ratings and reviews from other players help you avoid games that others didn’t enjoy, while your own ratings contribute to better recommendations for others.
Torate and review a game on Steam, follow these steps:
2Review Suggestions in the Discovery Queue
In your Discovery Queue, you’ll find a curated list of games based on your play history, preferences, and other factors. By reviewing these suggestions and taking different actions, such as adding games to your wishlist, following or ignoring games, or making purchases, you can help Steam better understand and cater to your preferences for future recommendations.
To review suggestions in the Discovery Queue, follow these steps:
Regularly reviewing suggestions in the Discovery Queue helps tailor Steam’s recommendations to your preferences.
3Keep Your Wishlist Updated
Your wishlist indicates your interests, and updating it regularly can help Steam fine-tune the recommendations you receive. By consistently adding games that catch your interest, removing ones you’re no longer interested in, and prioritizing your favorite games at the top, Steam gets an idea of your evolving preferences.
To add new games to your wishlist, click on a game you like to open the store page, then clickAdd to your wishlist.
To remove an existing game, click on theStoretab, selectWishlist, find the game you want to remove, and then clickRemovein the lower-left corner.
To prioritize games you’re more interested in, you can easily rearrange your wishlist by dragging games up or down to your desired position.
4Customize Store Preferences
By customizing Steam Store preferences, you can remove unwanted content from recommendations, increasing the relevance of the suggested content. To tailor your store preferences, open the Steam client, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, and selectStore preferences.
If you prefer not to see mature content or games featuring extreme violence or gore, you can uncheck the boxes next to them in theMature Content Filteringsection. Then, uncheck the boxes beside the types of products you don’t want to see in the store in theProduct Typessection.
Similarly, you can add excluded tags for genres and games you don’t want to see in recommendations. Simply type the keyword, select the relevant options from the search results, and a tag to exclude that type or genre of game will be automatically added.
Likewise, explore other settings and adjust them according to your preferences.
5Follow/Unfollow Curators
Steam curators are individual users or groups who offer game recommendations and reviews. Following curators who match your interests and unfollowing those whose recommendations no longer align with your taste can improve your Steam recommendations.
To explore curators, go to theStoretab and selectBy Curatorsunder theRecommendedsection from the left sidebar.
Then, click theFind More Curatorsbox on theSteam Curatorspage.
Browse theRecommendedandMost Populartabs, and click on a curator’s profile to view their recommendations. If their suggestions align with your interests, click theFollowbutton. For example, if you likecozy gamesyou can follow a curator like Wholesome Games.
To unfollow a curator, navigate to theFollowedtab to see the curators you’ve been following, and clickUnfollownext to the ones you’re no longer interested in.
6Remove Old Games From Your Library
Removing old games from Steamthat you no longer play from your library can signal to Steam to not recommend similar games. To remove any game from your library, follow these steps:
Clearing up your library can help if your tastes have changed over the years, especially if you used to be into certain competitive games but now prefer solo games instead.
7Finish Games and Try More Demos
Finishing games demonstrates your commitment and interest, which the Steam algorithm considers when tailoring recommendations. Therefore, aim to finish the games you enjoy the most.
Similarly, since you can’t buy every game that piques your interest, playing free demos of games you enjoy can also help tailor Steam’s recommendations. Also,explore ways to find better deals on gamesyou want to purchase orfind free games to play.
8Use the “More Like This” Feature
Steam displays related games on the store page of a game. If you enjoy that particular game, you’ll likely find similar games in theMore Like Thissection. By exploring these suggestions and adding them to your wishlist, you may effectively communicate your preferences to Steam.
Navigate to the store page of the game you enjoy the most, scroll down to theMore Like Thissection, and click on any game that interests you. If you like it, add it to your wishlist.
The above methods are among the most effective ways to refine your Steam recommendations. Every action you take contributes to how Steam tailors its game suggestions for you. By consistently applying the above tips, you can assist Steam in understanding your interests and improving the quality of its recommendations.
