Glossary
What is a Steam wishlist and what is it for?
A click from someone who hasn't even bought the game yet. For game makers, it is the number they watch most before launch, and Valve itself says it doesn't predict sales.
SUMMARY FOR WHEN YOU'RE SHORT ON TIME · 2 min
A wishlist is the list where players save, on Steam, the games they want to follow. When the game comes out or goes on sale for at least 20% off, Steam notifies those people by email or on their phone. That is why game makers track this number before launch, but Valve itself says there is no formula to predict sales from it.
- On Steam, the biggest store for PC games, any game with a public page can be added to a wishlist, even before it comes out.
- When the game launches, people who have it on their wishlist get an email or a phone notification, according to Valve.
- A discount of at least 20%, lasting more than 8 hours, also triggers a notification for people who have the game wishlisted.
- Valve says wishlists can affect where the game shows up inside the store.
- Valve also says there is no minimum number of wishlists for the store to show a game.
- According to Valve, there is no formula to predict sales from wishlists.
Your first step: Go to the Steam page of an indie game you like and look for the add to wishlist button. That click is what game makers keep track of.
What is a wishlist on Steam?
A wishlist is the list where players save, on Steam, the games they want to follow. Steam is the biggest store for PC games. Any game with a public page can be added to a wishlist, even before it launches1.
For players, it is a reminder. For whoever makes the game, it is the first sign that someone is interested, before any sale exists.
What notifications does a wishlist send?
Steam notifies people who have the game on their wishlist at certain moments, by email or by phone notification, according to Valve, the company that owns the store1.
| When | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | People who have the game wishlisted get a notification, including in early access (the game sold before it is finished) | Steamworks1 |
| Sale | A discount of at least 20%, on the cheapest package, lasting more than 8 hours, triggers a notification | Steamworks1 |
| Demo | One notification per demo, within two weeks of its release | Steamworks1 |
| Limit | At most one notification for the same game every two weeks for each person | Steamworks1 |
One detail: only people who have confirmed their email address get the email, and some people turn these notifications off1.
Why do game makers talk so much about wishlists?
Because it is the number available before launch. According to Valve, wishlists can affect where the game shows up inside Steam, such as in the featured and upcoming releases showcases1. That is why Valve recommends publishing the game's page as "coming soon" as early as possible1.
How many is enough, Valve doesn't say. It states there is no minimum number for the store to show a game1. Chris Zukowski, who writes about marketing indie games, estimates, as of June 2026, that games appearing in Steam's popular upcoming releases showcase usually have 7,000 to 20,000 wishlists (the more wishlists, the longer they stay in the showcase), and that below 6,000 this is rare. He warns that the estimate comes from a small number of cases and changes whenever Valve changes the store2.
The other side
A wishlist is not a sale. Valve itself says each person adds a game for a different reason and that there is no formula to predict sales from wishlists1. Lots of people add a game and never buy it. Wishlists measure interest, and nothing guarantees that a game with many of them will sell well.
Where does this come up when you make a game?
When you start thinking about the store. If your game is going to Steam, its page can collect wishlists while the game is still being made. To see how famous games got started, read games that started small; for the mobile store, see how to publish a game on Google Play.
Related questions
What does wishlist mean?
A wishlist is a list of things you want. On Steam, it is the list where players save the games they want to follow or buy later.
What is a wishlist for, from the game maker's side?
To measure interest before launch and to notify those people when the game comes out or goes on sale. Valve also says it can affect where the game shows up in the store.
When does Steam notify people who have the game wishlisted?
At launch, including in early access, and during sales of at least 20% off that last more than 8 hours. Each person gets at most one notification for the same game every two weeks.
How many wishlists does a game need?
Valve says there is no minimum for the store to show the game. Chris Zukowski, who writes about marketing indie games, estimates that games that make it into the popular upcoming releases showcase usually have 7,000 to 20,000 wishlists, but he warns the data comes from a small number of cases.
Do wishlists turn into sales?
Some do, but you can't know how many in advance. Valve says each person adds a game for a different reason and that there is no formula to predict sales from wishlists.
When should you start collecting wishlists?
Valve recommends publishing the game's page as "coming soon" as early as you can, so anyone interested can add it to their wishlist and be notified at launch.
Sources
- Steamworks documentation: "Wishlists". Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Chris Zukowski, How To Market A Game, "How many wishlists should I have when I launch my game?" (September 26, 2022, updated in June 2026). Accessed October 14, 2026.
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