14/09/2026
We teamed up with 80 Level to analyze Steam’s Top 100 most-wishlisted games (based on our June 2026 snapshot) to unpack what actually drives pre-launch traction.
Here’s what the data showed:
𝟭) 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗔𝗔: The Top 100 is split 50/50 between indie and AAA, pulling nearly identical wishlist averages.
𝟮) 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻: Over 60% of top indie titles were revealed before 2025, driving ~70% of their total wishlists.
𝟯) 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: A strong reveal averages ~322K wishlists in its first 30 days.
𝟰) 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀: The Game Awards yields the biggest single wishlist spikes, while Steam Next Fest offers the highest ROI and accessibility.
𝟱) 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 & 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀: Dark, dystopian settings dominate the charts.
Headline numbers don't tell the whole story - understanding timing, platforms, and genre context is where the real signal lies.
Check out our full analysis on 80 Level (link in the comments ⬇️).