Steam user reviews are simple Recommended or Not Recommended verdicts from players with recorded playtime, summed up as two scores on each store page: Recent Reviews for the past 30 days and All Reviews for the game’s lifetime. Recent tells you how the game feels now, while All shows its long-term reputation.
This GoldPlayPot.com explainer sticks to what Valve documents on its own pages: who can review, whose reviews count, how review bombs are handled and how to read the system well.
Key Takeaways
- Recent Reviews covers the past 30 days; All Reviews covers the product’s lifetime.
- Anyone with playtime can review, but only Steam purchases count toward the score.
- Steam removes confirmed off-topic review bombs from the score but keeps the reviews readable.
- You can turn that filter off in your Steam Store preferences.
- Playtime, Early Access labels and review dates add useful context to every review.
How Steam User Reviews Work
Any player with recorded playtime on a product can write a review and mark it Recommended or Not Recommended. Valve’s Steamworks user reviews documentation explains that these verdicts are combined into a review score shown at the top of the store page.
Each review also shows the reviewer’s playtime in that game. Steam may prompt players to leave a review after they have played for a while, and to update a negative review if they keep logging substantial playtime.
Recent Reviews vs All Reviews
The two scores at the top of a store page measure different time spans. Reading both together tells you whether a game is improving, declining or holding steady.
| Score | Time span | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Reviews | Reviews from the past 30 days | Judging the current version after recent updates |
| All Reviews | Reviews across the product’s lifetime | Judging long-term reputation |
A big gap between the two is a signal worth investigating. A Recent score well above the All score often means updates have fixed earlier problems, while the reverse can point to a troubled patch. Our guide on how to read patch notes helps you find out what changed.
Whose Reviews Count Toward the Score
Not every visible review affects the score. Valve’s documentation draws a clear line between reviews that are listed and reviews that are counted.
- Counted: reviews from accounts that purchased the game on Steam and played it.
- Listed but not counted: reviews from players who activated a Steam key bought elsewhere, played during a Free Weekend or played through Family Library Sharing.
- Labeled: reviews written during Early Access are marked once the game fully releases, and reviews from copies received before release are marked as Pre-Release Reviews.
- Disclosed: reviewers can note that they received the product for free, which is recommended for press and promotional copies.
Those Early Access labels matter, since a game can change a lot before 1.0. Our explainer on early access games covers how to judge an in-development release.
Review Bombs and the Off-Topic Filter
Valve describes a review bomb as a large number of reviews posted in a short period, aimed at lowering a game’s score. Some are about real problems with the game; others focus on topics unrelated to playing it.
How Steam Handles Off-Topic Review Bombs
In its User Reviews Revisited announcement, Valve explains the process. A tool flags anomalous review activity, a team at Valve investigates, and if the activity is an off-topic review bomb, the time period is marked and those reviews are removed from the score calculation.
The reviews themselves are not deleted. Store pages indicate when reviews have been removed from the score, so you can still read them and decide whether the issue matters to you.
Turning the Filter Off
If you prefer the raw numbers, Valve says you can change this in your Steam Store preferences under Review Score Settings, by choosing to include reviews from all Steam purchases in Review Scores.
Off-Topic Reviews Outside a Bomb
Individual reviews can also be flagged as Off-Topic by moderators after player reports. According to the Steamworks documentation, those reviews have reduced visibility but still count toward the score, while reviews that break Steam’s rules are removed entirely.
How to Read Steam Reviews Well
The score is a quick filter. At GoldPlayPot.com, we find the real value is in the reviews themselves, and a few habits help you find the useful ones.
- Compare Recent and All Reviews to spot recent changes.
- Check each reviewer’s playtime; a few hours and a few hundred hours tell different stories.
- Read several Not Recommended reviews and ask whether the complaints would bother you.
- Look for mentions of performance on hardware like yours.
- Note the review date, especially for games that update often.
These habits work alongside critic reviews too. Our guide on how to read game reviews explains how to combine both, and our game reviews section collects more buying advice.
What the Review Rules Say
Steam’s rules and guidelines for reviews apply to everyone who posts. Valve’s documentation says developers may not solicit reviews in exchange for rewards, and players may not use multiple accounts or accept payment to influence scores.
Valve also states that players may review a game for any reason, including value, business practices and the community, which explains why some reviews discuss more than gameplay. Keep that in mind as you read. For launch timing and buying basics, see our game releases hub, or return to the GoldPlayPot.com homepage.
FAQ
What is the difference between Recent and All Reviews on Steam?
Recent Reviews summarizes reviews from the past 30 days, so it reflects the game as it is now, after recent updates. All Reviews covers the product’s entire lifetime, which shows its long-term reputation. Comparing the two helps you see whether a game has improved, slipped or stayed about the same.
Do reviews from Steam keys count toward the score?
No. According to Valve’s documentation, reviews from players who activated a key bought elsewhere are listed and readable, but only reviews from accounts that purchased the game on Steam and played it count toward the review score. The same applies to Free Weekend and Family Library Sharing reviews.
Does Steam delete review-bombed reviews?
No. When Valve confirms an off-topic review bomb, it removes reviews from that period from the score calculation, but the reviews stay on the page and remain readable. Store pages indicate when this has happened, and you can include those reviews in scores through your Steam Store preferences.
Can developers remove negative Steam reviews?
Not directly. Developers can flag reviews they believe break Steam’s rules, and moderators decide what happens. Reviews confirmed as rule-breaking are removed, while those marked Off-Topic lose visibility but still count toward the score. Developers can also post an official response under a review.
