Steam recently made some big changes to how it categorizes certain games. There are a variety of tags that have now been removed from the platform, but there are also plenty of interesting new ones added into the rotation. The main reason that Steam opted to make these changes is that “many of these tags have alternative options on Steam that better describe the content.”
That makes sense on the surface, but looking at these tag changes has made me raise an eyebrow when it comes to a few. Most of these changes feel necessary, but Steam’s updated tags are oversimplifying some categories that require more nuance.
In terms of recent Valve and Steam news, making an update to tags is minimal compared to other things like Valve’s Steam Machine. However, it’s still an interesting shake-up for the company’s online storefront. Valve has become one of the biggest platforms for finding new, cool titles to jump into, and gamers might have to make some tweaks to their search habits in order to find the right game they’re looking for.
Every Steam Tag That Has Been Removed
- Ambient
- America
- Blood
- Crowdfunded
- Cult Classic
- Documentary
- Drama
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Electronic
- Experience
- Feature Film
- Foreign
- GameMaker
- Games Workshop
- Illuminati
- Kickstarter
- LEGO
- Masterpiece
- Mature
- Movie
- Narration
- NSFW
- Roguenavia
- RPGMaker
- Warhammer 40K
- Web Publishing
- Well-Written
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
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Most of these deleted tags are understandable, as a lot of them are pretty obscure and feel more like filler than a tag that’s actually helpful. There are a few big surprises on this list, though. Some of the most questionable removals are tags like “LEGO” and “Warhammer 40K.” Cutting down on IP-specific titles makes sense in a lot of cases, but there are so many games that fall under these categories that it might ultimately be more useful to keep them. The Warhammer 40K games basically have their own ecosystem at this point, and LEGO is in a similar situation with all the different IP adaptations and original games it has on its roster.
Two other baffling tag removals are “NSFW” and “Mature.” Instead, Steam is pushing everything under the “Sexual Content” umbrella, which would put a lot of vastly different games together in that category. There is a big difference between a game that has mild sexual themes and a much more explicit game that would benefit a lot from having an “NSFW” tag attached to it. Tags like “Sexual Content,” “NSFW,” and “Mature” can hold a lot of nuance, so it may have been best to keep them all intact. There are plenty of mature video games on Steam, but there are varying levels of what that could really mean content-wise.
A Look at the New Steam Tags
- Animals
- Bullet Heaven
- Capybaras
- Cleaning
- Cult
- Desktop Companion
- Decorating
- Espionage
- Falling Blocks
- Language Learning
- Organizing
- Poker
- Samurai
- Wolves
- Wuxia
- Xianxia
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.
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Even though a handful of the removed Steam tags are probably better left as part of the platform, the new tags are strong additions to the list. As the list of new Steam games grows, gamers’ interests are going to become more specific, and this tag list does a solid job of addressing what players might be on the hunt for. One of the most interesting additions is the “Capybaras” tag, though. Apparently, there is enough interest in the giant adorable rodent that it warrants its own tag instead of just being put under the “Animals” umbrella.
It’s also fascinating that “Bullet Heaven” is getting its own category with the new Steam update. Games like Vampire Survivors and Saros have been some of the most notable bullet heavens recently, and it’s possible that they helped inspire Valve to add the genre to Steam’s official tag list.
These changes to Steam might seem minor, but there are a few tags that might be more essential than Valve has given them credit for. The company has been hard at work on projects like the Steam Deck 2 and Steam Machine, but it might be worthwhile to take a small break and add the “LEGO,” “Warhammer 40K,” “NSFW,” and “Mature” tags back into the rotation.
