Common workflows
- Indie dev launch retrospective — pivot reviews by
languageandrecommendedto see which markets are most positive; informs localisation roadmap. - Playtime-correlated sentiment — bucket
playtime_at_review_minutes(0-2h refundable / 2-10h / 10h+) and chart % positive per bucket. - Filter out review bombing — exclude
received_for_free=trueand reviews from accounts with non-Steam purchase, then compare to the official rating. - Patch-impact tracking — bucket reviews by
created_atweek, chart % positive over time, overlay your patch dates. - Competitor benchmarking — bulk-export the top 5 same-genre games; chart "playtime to first negative review" per title.
About Steam's review system
Steam doesn't expose star ratings — only thumbs-up/thumbs-down (the recommended column). Helpful and funny votes are separate community signals. Steam also marks early-access reviews and free-key reviews with flags so you can isolate organic sentiment.
Plan limits
Per-game size scales with your plan. Free (no signup): up to 100 reviews per game. Personal: 5,000. Premium: 50,000. Business: 250,000 — see pricing for the full feature comparison and API tiers for the API-specific limits.