Steam Users Spend Surprisingly Little Time on New Games

Almost every app you use is rolling out its version of a year-in-review recap, and today, the New York Times Puzzle app hit me with the revelation that I tend to solve yellow first in Connections, with an average Wordle guess rate of 3.97. Thanks for that! Steam is also back with its fourth annual Steam Replay, giving you a fun look back at your PC gaming year, complete with stats and insights on every game you played. If you’re like most players, your list probably doesn’t include any titles from 2025. In fact, nearly half of you have skipped games released since 2017.

Steam Replay not only showcases your personal stats but also compares them to the average Steam user, revealing some eye-opening insights into gaming habits. For instance, while it tells you how many achievements you unlocked this year, it also notes that the median number is just 11. The average longest streak of consecutive days spent gaming is only 6. Even more surprising is that the median Steam user plays just four games a year.

That’s not “buys,” but “plays.” Considering the frequent sales that make countless games available for just a dollar and the abundance of free titles, an average of four games suggests that many Steam users are engaging with far fewer than that.

Then there’s the jaw-dropping statistic about time spent on games released in 2025. While I clocked in at 58 percent, the average is only 14. Of all the time spent gaming by the estimated 185 million Steam users as of September 2024, just one-seventh is dedicated to this year’s releases.

But it gets even more interesting. A whopping 40 percent of playtime across all Steam users is devoted to games that are eight or more years old, while 44 percent is spent on titles released one to seven years ago. This doesn’t mean that 84 percent of players are only engaging with ancient games, but it certainly highlights a strong preference for the classics. Given that titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG consistently top the Most Played Games list, it’s not entirely shocking, but it’s still a bit wild.

These statistics can fluctuate quite a bit. Last year, 37 percent of playtime was spent on games over eight years old, with only 15 percent on new releases. You might think this shift makes sense as more games age into that category, but looking back to 2022, a staggering 64 percent of playtime was on the oldest games, with just 19 percent on titles from one to seven years back. It’s all pretty crazy.

I’ve tried to counter this trend by playing 205 games, of which 183 were new in 2025, but I might be cheating a bit since this is my job. Seriously, though, there are so many fantastic new games out there! Sure, enjoy your Dota time, but don’t forget to explore the vast array of new titles waiting for you.