Mar 24, 2021

Steam News - andrewl

We're happy to announce our Top Releases of February 2021

As a reminder, we look at every game released in February, generating the Top 20 based on the first two weeks of revenue. We also highlight the top 5 free-to-play games, ranked by the number of unique players acquired after launch.

More ways to explore

If you've followed our previous Top Release posts, you know that we highlight themes that emerge with each month's games. For February, we're trying something new by adding some of these themes directly to the list itself. We've also added some context so that players can explore screenshots, trailers and even wishlist the games directly. We hope these changes make it easier for players to explore the Top Releases, while giving some additional context for the types of games that found success for February. As always, let us know what you think.

The Top Releases of February 2021

Puzzling developments

Games that feature puzzle elements are always popular with players, but February stood out with six titles that include unique puzzles. Whether you're exploiting online technology in Cyber Manhunt, relishing in the brilliant fourth installment of The Room, or simply enjoying the atmosphere of Little Nightmares II, puzzle mechanics add fresh new challenges to these games, all while enhancing their unique stories. For anyone with an itch for a new puzzle, make sure to check out these games.

Praise Odin!

Finally, we can't talk about top releases of February without also mentioning the huge success of Valheim's Early Access debut. Since its February launch, Valheim has surpassed 5 million players on Steam, while also clocking in with record breaking peak player counts, both feats worthy of a celebration in the mead hall - just make sure it has proper ventilation. Much like the players who thrive in this brutal viking-themed world, Swedish developers at Iron Gate Studios are hard at work building and crafting new features as the game progresses through Early Access. Time will tell what's in store for this world, and we're just as excited as the community to see what's next for Valheim.

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If you're curious about previous months, here are more Top Release lists:

Mar 22, 2021

New! Invite anyone to join your game with Steam Remote Play

Steam News - Christen

Steam offers thousands of games you can share with friends and family to play together online. Jump into any of [url]your own Remote Play Together games[/url] with local multiplayer support. Then, grab a link to your game from the Friends list, send it to anyone however you like, and you'll be playing together in no time.

Yes a link! New to the thousands of Remote Play Together titles on Steam, you can now invite anyone to join your local multiplayer game with just a URL! Up to four players, or even more in ideal conditions, can instantly join in the fun. Only the host needs to own and install the game, while additional players connect through Steam Remote Play streaming technology using either Steam or the Steam Link app. No account is needed to join your game from Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS or Android devices.

Save the date for March 25th at 10am Pacific, when we’ll celebrate the new Invite Anyone capability with a big Remote Play Together Sale & Streaming Event, featuring hundreds of discounts through Monday March 29th at 10am Pacific. Plus join us for a livestreaming marathon to witness Remote Play Together in action—and even join our games in progress—when we share links in chat on Steam, YouTube, and Twitch.

Mar 22, 2021

Steam Client Update, Mar 22

Steam News - saml

Note: This update has been re-released on March 23rd to fix an issue in the prior day's update that caused mouse sensitivity in multiple games to be impacted by opening and closing the overlay.

General

Added spelling suggestions to Library and Steam Chat context menus
Showing size on disk for DLCs under game properties
Fixed showing localized game names in pop-up notifications
The Steamworks SDK redistributable used by dedicated servers has been brought up-to-date with this release

In-Game Overlay

Improved responsiveness of web based UI and of the friends and chat UI inside the in-game overlay
Fixed overlay support for 32-bit Vulkan applications on Windows

Steam Input

When using Steam Input, active controllers fill in XInput slots in the order they generate input (e.g. the first person to click A will be player 1 in many games
Fixed issues with game detecting controllers while the overlay is up on Windows
Fix issue with analog axes in the Windows version of Slay the Spire

Remote Play

By default stream at 1080p to prevent accidental 4K streams
Added an option to stream up to 8K resolutions (results may vary depending on hardware)
Added a menubar at the top that gives you an easy way to stop streaming
Added a toast when you connect a controller that shows how to bring up additional controller features
Improved audio range when using volume controls

Remote Play Together

Added support to invite anyone to Remote Play Together

Now you can Remote Play Together with anyone – no Steam account needed to join your game with the click of a link. Simply launch any of the thousands of games with support for Remote Play Together, then grab an invite link from your Friends list in the overlay. Send the link to your friend on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS or Android, and they can click your invite to join in the fun.

For more information, and to share your feedback regarding the new Invite Anyone functionality, join us in the Steam Remote Play Group.
Inviting a friend will not auto-start a voice chat session
Remote keyboard and mouse are disabled by default in Remote Play Together
Added a connect dialog that gives you information about who is playing and what input they're using
Local controllers fill XInput slots first and guest controllers fill slots in order of arrival
Fixed issue with game controllers not being detected properly when the game doesn't have focus
Fixed bug with controller not being recognized if Xbox Configuration Support was enabled on the client PC
Enabled direct peer to peer connection by default (this can be changed in the Steam Remote Play settings)
Fixed local guide chord input leaking through to the host computer

SteamNetworkingSockets

Fixed bug causing 64-bit Windows games to not attempt a direct connection and always relay using Steam Datagram Relay.
Fixed bug causing GetQuickConnectionStatus to not populate m_cbSentUnackedReliable properly

macOS

Fixed some popup web dialogs that did not close when triggered by the web page to close
Fixed mouse interaction not working with embedded YouTube videos
Fixed overlay not responding to mouse input in certain games on macOS 10.15+
Re-enabled HW acceleration settings on macOS 11.1+

Linux

Added support for the new Mesa single-file shader cache format, reducing disk usage and improving performance when parsing and modifying the cache. (requires Mesa master as of 08101aaaace22)
Fixed a regression where the client would recursively follow symlinks in Proton install folders while discovering music files

Mar 22, 2021

Steam Client Update Released

Client Update - Valve

Added spelling suggestions to Library and Steam Chat context menus

Showing size on disk for DLCs under game properties

Fixed showing localized game names in pop-up notifications

The Steamworks SDK redistributable used by dedicated servers has been brought up-to-date with this release

In-Game Overlay

Improved responsiveness of web based UI and of the friends and chat UI inside the in-game overlay

Fixed overlay support for 32-bit Vulkan applications on Windows

Steam Input

When using Steam Input, active controllers fill in XInput slots in the order they generate input (e.g. the first person to click A will be player 1 in many games

Fixed issues with game detecting controllers while the overlay is up on Windows

Fix issue with analog axes in the Windows version of Slay the Spire

Remote Play

By default stream at 1080p to prevent accidental 4K streams

Added an option to stream up to 8K resolutions (results may vary depending on hardware)

Added a menubar at the top that gives you an easy way to stop streaming

Added a toast when you connect a controller that shows how to bring up additional controller features

Improved audio range when using volume controls

Remote Play Together

Added support to invite anyone to Remote Play Together

Now you can Remote Play Together with anyone – no Steam account needed to join your game with the click of a link. Simply launch any of the thousands of games with support for Remote Play Together, then grab an invite link from your Friends list in the overlay. Send the link to your friend on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS or Android, and they can click your invite to join in the fun.

For more information, and to share your feedback regarding the new Invite Anyone functionality, join us in the Steam Remote Play Group.

Inviting a friend will not auto-start a voice chat session

Remote keyboard and mouse are disabled by default in Remote Play Together

Added a connect dialog that gives you information about who is playing and what input they're using

Local controllers fill XInput slots first and guest controllers fill slots in order of arrival

Fixed issue with game controllers not being detected properly when the game doesn't have focus

Fixed bug with controller not being recognized if Xbox Configuration Support was enabled on the client PC

Enabled direct peer to peer connection by default (this can be changed in the Steam Remote Play settings)

Fixed local guide chord input leaking through to the host computer

SteamNetworkingSockets

Fixed bug causing 64-bit Windows games to not attempt a direct connection and always relay using Steam Datagram Relay.

Fixed bug causing GetQuickConnectionStatus to not populate m_cbSentUnackedReliable properly

macOS

Fixed some popup web dialogs that did not close when triggered by the web page to close

Fixed mouse interaction not working with embedded YouTube videos

Fixed overlay not responding to mouse input in certain games on macOS 10.15+

Re-enabled HW acceleration settings on macOS 11.1+

Linux

Added support for the new Mesa single-file shader cache format, reducing disk usage and improving performance when parsing and modifying the cache. (requires Mesa master as of 08101aaaace22)

Fixed a regression where the client would recursively follow symlinks in Proton install folders while discovering music files

Feb 25, 2021

Top Releases of January 2021

Steam News - andrewl

Returning to our monthly series, we are happy to announce The Top Releases of January 2021.

As with previous months, this list showcases the Top 20 games released in January, measured by the revenue they generated during the first two weeks after release. As always, we highlight the top 5 free-to-play games as well, measured by the total unique players they acquired after release.

Happy Year of the Ox!

Steam just wrapped up our annual Lunar New Year sale last week, and we hope that players all over the world are having an amazing New Year holiday with family and friends. If you've taken some time off for the holiday and need some inspiration for what to play next, January's Top Releases tell the story of what other players are enjoying. Roguelike fans discovered several unique and repayable experiences this month, including Skul & Home Behind 2, while players looking for the next automation & simulation hit got their new year's wish with Dyson Sphere Program. It was no surprise to see Tale of Immortal and Heroes of the Three Kingdoms 8 performing well in China, as both offer heavy doses of Chinese history and mythology, To cap it all off, Sega unveiled the PC debuts of not one but three fully remastered entries from their legendary Yakuza series, which are sure to keep fans busy and nostalgic.

Unprecedented Early Accessing

One of the most evident themes with January's Top Releases is the huge number of games entering Early Access - 12 for the month. The feature has come a long way in the eight years since it debuted on Steam, with developers embracing the model and shaping it into the healthy and effective tool that is tied to so many awesome games today. Just as exciting is the fact that the success of these products in January demonstrates just how comfortable and excited players are to experience games using Early Access. Between sources on Steam including user reviews, the new Steam News hub, and community hubs, players have never had more information to help them choose which Early Access launches are the right fit for them. And with 12 debuts in January, some players may even be choosing more than one!

Eight Releases from Teams New to Steam

Meanwhile, we continue to see new development teams landing a spot at the top of our charts. This month eight games are coming from teams releasing their first-ever Steam product. To Adglobe, Live Wire, Nussygame, SCP: Escape Together development team, SouthPAW Games, TeaForTwo, TPP Studio, Typhoon, and 鬼谷工作室, welcome and congrats on your success.

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The full list of games is available on this handy sale page - The Top Releases of January 2021

And if you're curious about previous months, here are more Top Release lists:

Feb 18, 2021

Portal 2 - Update

Portal 2 - Valve

An update has been released for Portal 2.

Improvements:
  - Implemented a Vulkan render backend (currently accessible through the -vulkan command line parameter).
  - Improved compile time for Perpetual Training Initiative puzzles.
  - Improved advanced video settings descriptions.
  - Made the game Hi-DPI aware.
  - Smarter default video settings.
  - Improved resolution of player avatars throughout the game.
  - Players can now be invited to play co-op on controller.
  - Button text contrast and padding has been improved when using a controller.
  - Implemented a 360° Spin action.
  - The portalgun is now correctly affected by dynamic lights (projected textures) in the scene.
  - Improved client-side prediction for coop play.
  - Added the ability for workshop levels to pack particles into their map with a particles/map_manifest.txt
  - Misc. rendering optimizations.
  - Added an icon to the game on Linux.
  - Removed the "Trading Coming Soon" button.
Bug Fixes:
  - Fixed a crash on startup that could happen on Linux.
  - Fixed a crash that could occur in some community test chambers using BEEMod on Linux.
  - Fixed the credits being corrupted on Linux.
  - Fixed the intro videos for acts 2 and 3 not playing on Linux.
  - Fixed the game starting in the top left corner of the screen on Linux.
  - Fixed a crash in the PeTI if you placed a light strip above a laser catcher on the floor and linked it to a fizzler.
  - Fixed the fizzler not playing the retract animation when turned off in new PeTI maps.
  - Fixed being able to copy 'uncopyable' items in the PeTI leading to invalid/broken levels.
  - Fixed some items in PeTI not maintaining their portalability state when expanding the chamber boundaries.
  - Fixed a crash if PeTI avatars could not be retrieved.
  - Fixed Cave Johnson's lines not progressing when playing queued workshop levels.
  - Fixed a memory leak that could occur when changing levels.
  - Fixed a bug where you could no longer ping/taunt via mouse/keyboard if you have ever used a controller.
  - Fixed the ping menu being visible when quick pinging on controller.
  - Fixed the game instructor not respecting input types for respective players in split-screen mode.
  - Fixed rumble not being respected for respective players in split-screen mode.
  - Fixed the wrong avatar being used if playing coop after playing a workshop level.
  - Fixed the OnFiredPortal2 output not firing.
  - Fixed some text being duplicated on the screen multiple times.

Feb 18, 2021

Left 4 Dead 2 - Update

Left 4 Dead 2 - Valve

An update has been released for Left 4 Dead 2.

- Quick Match option for all modes allows players to prefer "Official Servers Only" or "Any Servers"
- Added localized UI and subtitles for Vietnamese
- Increased string commands per second limit to fix some false disconnects
- Prevent manually initiating some talker responses that trigger longer conversations
- Fixed color correction for some maps where it was missing or incorrect
- Fixed melee animation while carrying a fireworks crate
- Fixed M60 not using the correct walk calm animation
- MP5 changed to the slightly better rifle reload animation
- SG552 changed to use assault rifle animations and military sniper zoom animations
- Fixed incorrect sound cue for player infected when a survivor dies
- Changed some mob onslaughts to classic panic events in the L4D mutation
- Boomer bile slows tanks in Tank Run mutation
- Several Rocket Dude mutation fixes and performance improvements
- New survivor alert response rules for intense combat situations
- Scripting:
• Fire the "KilledZombie" response concept when killing a Witch.
• New "EntityOutputs" class containing functions to manipulate entity output connections.
○ GetNumElements, GetOutputTable, HasOutput, HasAction, AddOutput, RemoveOutput
• Expanded response rules testbed.