"Gabe cannot buy yachts with wishlists": Steam expert begs devs to make the most of their hit games, because to Valve "you're like a little goblin that has a magical power to turn straw into gold"

Gabe Newell in a white shirt.

Steam expert and indie game advisor Chris Zukowski returned to GDC this month to pry open the wall of Valve's PC gaming empire and peer into its machinations. His panel, attended by GamesRadar+, focused on "golden goose games" which clear, in his estimation, $150,000 in sales within six months of release, and "generally" have around 500 user reviews. This would also push a game into what he's previously called "real Steam," or the point where Valve's many feeds, tools, and promotions truly start to push a game to players.

In his advice to game devs who find themselves with a golden goose, Zukowski also offers some interesting insights into what moves the needle on Steam and how Valve interfaces with developers. Valve wants games to sell well so that it can take its cut (30% at base) and ultimately reach more Steam users who'll spend more money in the future, but 20,000 games a year can't all get special treatment, so Valve also follows momentum and employs algorithms.