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With thousands of new titles added to Steam every month, discovering the perfect game can be overwhelming. These are my strategies for finding the best games on Steam and avoiding those that don’t meet expectations.
1Leveraging the “More Like This” Feature
The “More Like This” section on Steam has helped me discover many great games over the years. All I have to do is navigate to a game I already enjoy or am interested in, then scroll down to the “More Like This” section. Here, Steam lists games that share similar themes, mechanics, or genres with the current title.
Steam’s recommendation algorithm also considers factors like player reviews, tags, and popularity, making this feature an excellent starting point for exploration. The “More Like This” feature helps me gradually explore related games that share elements with my favorites. This way, Ireceive better recommendations on Steamwithout being pushed into something completely unfamiliar.
2Exploring Steam’s Discovery Queue
Steam’s Discovery Queue is another valuable tool for uncovering some of the best games on the platform. In addition to showing games similar to those I already play, it also highlights new and top-selling titles.
The Discovery Queue presents a series of game recommendations, one at a time. These are generated by Steam’s algorithm, which takes into account my gaming history, wishlisted items, and reviews I’ve interacted with. Each game in the queue includes a brief description, screenshots, trailers, and user reviews, providing a quick overview to help me decide if it’s worth exploring further.
To access the Discovery Queue on Steam:
3Tapping Into the Steam Interactive Recommender
Steam’s Interactive Recommender is ideal when I want to find games tailored to my personal tastes. It leverages the habits of other users with similar gaming preferences to suggest titles I haven’t tried yet. If these like-minded players enjoy a particular game, there’s a good chance I will enjoy it too.
What sets the Interactive Recommender apart is its customization options. It provides a slider that lets me adjust the balance between popular titles and niche games. It also allows me to filter results by specific tags or release dates, making it easier to discover hidden gems or avoid older titles.
This level of control ensures that the recommendations I receive are not only relevant but also aligned with what I’m currently in the mood for. Our guide onusing the Steam Interactive Recommenderexplains how to make the most of this feature.
4Browsing Curated Lists and Recommendations
Steam has a vibrant community of gamers, reviewers, and content creators who regularly compile lists of top games, hidden gems, and genre-specific favorites. Steam Curators are individuals or groups that recommend games to the community.
By following curators whose opinions align with my gaming preferences, Steam shows me personalized recommendations directly on the homepage. Many curators also write in-depth reviews, offering insight into why a game might be worth my time.
I can find and follow Steam curators by heading over to theStoretab and selectingBy Curatorsunder theRecommendedsection on the left. Then, I can click theFind More Curatorsbutton to go through a list of curators and follow or ignore them as I like.
5Referring to External Review Sites and Aggregators
When searching for the best games to play on Steam, I don’t rely solely on Steam’s recommendations, reviews, and ratings. Instead, I turn to some of thebest game review sites, such as IGN, GameSpot, and GameRant, which offer professional reviews and provide a more comprehensive evaluation of each game.
These reviews are typically written by experienced critics who analyze various aspects of the game, including gameplay mechanics, story, graphics, and overall user experience. These perspectives often help me understand a game’s strengths and weaknesses before making a purchase.
Finding the best games to play on Steam is often easier said than done. However, with the tips above, I can cut through the overwhelming amount of content on the platform and zero in on the top games. you may also leverage these tips to discover your next big obsession or find something fun to play over the weekend.
