Setup Steam

Set up Steam to distribute Steam Keys to players, promote your game’s Steam page and wishlist as well as tracking Playtime and Wishlist status.

Steam Keys

Once players finish the sign-up process, they will receive a Steam Key to play your game. You need to upload a batch of Steam Keys to FirstLook so they can be assigned to players.

If this is your first time running a Steam Playtest, we recommend reading the Steam Keys and Playtest Guide to get a better understanding of how Steam Keys work and how to request them.

Consider using a hidden Steam Playtest

The recommended way to run large-scale playtests is to use the Steam Playtest feature with Standard Release Keys for the playtest. It offers several advantages over using Release State Override Keys for your main game:

• Your main game will remain on players’ wishlists, instead of disappearing when they join the playtest.
• You can redeem up to 50,000 keys for a playtest, instead of the 2,500 Release State Override Keys.
• Playtesters can still purchase the game after the playtest, and their review will count towards the final review score.

Learn More

Requesting Steam Keys

You can generate Steam Keys in the Steamworks Partner Portal. You will need Generate Steam Keys permissions to do so.

1. Log in to the Steamworks Partner Portal

   Head over to the Steamworks Partner Portal and log in with your developer account.

2. Go to your App

   Find your game in the list of apps and click on it. Make sure to navigate the Playtest App if you are using one.

3. Click the Request Steam Product Keys button

   Specify the number of keys you want to generate (1,000 is always a good number) and the type of key you want to generate. We recommend using the Standard Key type for playtests or the Release State Override Key if you are not using the Playtest feature.

4. Download the Keys

   Once the keys are generated, you can download them as a .zip file. This file contains a plain text file with the keys in it.

5. Upload the Keys to FirstLook

   Head over to the Dashboard > Steam Keys. You will notice there are some placeholder Demo Keys, which will be removed once you add your own. Click on Import Keys at the top right.

   

   Click Choose File and select the text file with the keys. You can also copy and paste the keys in the text field if you prefer. Click on Import to upload the keys to FirstLook.

   

6. Done!

   You have now uploaded your Steam Keys to FirstLook. Players that sign up for your playtest will receive a key once they are invited. You can always upload more keys or remove keys if needed.

Store Integration

To promote and track Wishlists as well as Public Playtime, you can add your Steam Store App ID to FirstLook. This will prompt players to add your game to their Wishlists during their sign-up process.

Configure your App ID in the Dashboard > Settings by entering your App ID in the Steam App ID field.

Learn more about Wishlist and Playtime Tracking in Steam Insights

Steam Publisher Integration

For more advanced and accurate tracking of private playtests, you can integrate FirstLook with your Steam Publisher Account. This will allow FirstLook to track playtime for all your games, including hidden Playtests or for Games that are not displayed in the Steam Store. Contact us to set up the integration.