24,000 Games in 2024: A Record-Breaking Year for Steam Releases

According to the trusted data source SteamDB, 2024 has shattered records with an astonishing number of game releases, surpassing 2023 by an impressive 5,600 titles. This marks the largest annual jump ever recorded on Steam, continuing a relentless trend of growth in game publishing. Despite the surge, only a slight increase was seen in the number of games gaining community attention and popularity.

In total, nearly 24,000 games were released on Steam in 2024, an unprecedented figure highlighting the sheer scale of content being added to the platform. This staggering volume reflects not only the accessibility of game development tools but also the fierce competition for visibility in the ever-expanding digital marketplace.

Out of the massive wave of new games, just 3,964 titles in 2024 reached Valve’s threshold for enabling community profile features like trading cards, badges, and emoticons—up from 3,874 in 2023 and 3,491 in 2021. These features are key indicators of a game's traction among players, emphasizing the challenge for new games to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

SteamDB’s filtered list of the best-rated games for 2024 showcases fan favorites like Balatro, MiSide, WEBFISHING, and The WereCleaner. Notable mentions include Sheepy, Satisfactory, Black Myth: Wukong, and Fields of Mistria. While the quantity of games continues to rise, only a select few are capturing the community’s imagination and engagement.