How to Build and Release a Game on Steam
This article explains how independent game developers (and small indie teams) can build and release (start selling) the full product version of their game on Steam. For an overview of the complete process of selling a game on Steam, see the article below.
Note: these steps are based on my own registration experience in October 2025. Valve may update the process, so treat these as approximate guidance. For reference, here is the game I submitted to Steam:
https://twitter.com/FoxEngineer777/status/1974287906367050068
Background Knowledge Before Building
This article covers how to build and release the full product version of a game on Steam. For an overview of the complete steps for selling on Steam, see the page linked above.
Setting a Price for at Least One Package
Pricing is not required at the demo build stage, but it is required for the full product build.
I initially didn’t distinguish between the full product and demo builds, so I completed pricing at the demo stage—but you don’t need to do this until the full product release.
Here’s how I set my pricing (I may revisit this before the actual release). First, open the full product app and click the app name in the “Store Packages, Pricing, and Release Dates” section.
Changing prices triggers a review on Steam’s side. Even setting a price for the first time counts as a change and goes through review.
You can choose to have the price go live automatically after review, or to publish it manually. Manual publishing is useful if you want a price change to take effect at a specific time. If you have no particular preference, check “Automatically publish these changes after review” and click “Save Prices.”
Immediately after clicking, I received the following email—the price review had completed and would be reflected within minutes. Whether this was because it was my first time or because the price raised no issues, the review appeared to finish almost instantly.
Price increases that look unusual (e.g., a sudden large spike) may trigger a stricter review, but in general it seems prices are reflected quickly.
Summary
This article covered how to build and release the full product version of a game on Steam, based on personal experience.
📚 Series: How to Sell Your Game on Steam (5/7)
