“Steam’s Discovery System Stands Unmatched, Says Heroes of Might and Magic Publisher, Who Also Questions the Viability of Certain Game Concepts”

Steam’s discoverability is unparalleled among game stores, according to Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender, who believes the real issue lies in the budgets of too many games being set too high for their potential audience.

This year alone, over 19,000 games launched on Steam, yet nearly half of them went unnoticed, receiving little to no player engagement or reviews. Bender, whose company is known for titles like Manor Lords and Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, doesn’t blame Valve for the lack of visibility for these games.

“I’ve seen many argue that discoverability is a major issue for PC games right now, but I disagree,” Bender stated in a recent LinkedIn post. “No platform rivals Steam’s outstanding discovery system. This isn’t just about games; even when compared to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, nothing comes close.”

He pointed out that when he visits the Steam homepage, he immediately sees a blend of top sellers and games tailored to his interests. As he scrolls down, he encounters category pages for specific genres and a section recommending titles based on his gaming habits, which often highlights smaller indie games. “The entire platform is designed to help me discover new games,” he emphasized.

Bender argued that the sheer number of games released on PC—around 19,000—isn’t the core issue for developers. Instead, he believes that store platforms should embrace all developers and let player preferences dictate visibility. The focus should be on understanding the market size and aligning game budgets accordingly. “For stability, we need to ensure that a game’s budget allows for ‘success’ in terms of covering costs and enabling the team to move on to their next project with moderate sales based on realistic expectations,” he explained. “This means some games shouldn’t be developed, at least not with their current budgets.”

He also suggested that publishers shouldn’t claim all revenue under recoup terms that ensure their break-even at the developers’ expense. Instead, they should maintain a diversified portfolio, allowing successful titles to offset losses. “Corporate owners need to avoid shutting down studios just because they didn’t meet expectations. Large companies that can absorb risk should anticipate some losses balanced by other successes, and the team that faced a setback today might create tomorrow’s hit.”

In the meantime, there are plenty of great strategy games to dive into right now.