Top Steam Game Genres by Playtime

GameDiscoverCo recently conducted an in-depth analysis of playtime across a wide range of Steam game genres, drawing from anonymized and randomly sampled data sourced from public player profiles. This study aimed to identify which genres see the highest levels of player engagement, measured by both median and average hours played.

Unlike earlier examinations that relied solely on public Steam review hours (which tend to reflect more dedicated players) this dataset provides a broader and more balanced view of general player behavior. The results reflect the Top 250 most-played games in each of Steam’s top eight ranked genre tags, offering insight into how long players typically spend with games across different categories.

Top Steam Game Genres by Playtime

JRPGs Top the Chart in Player Engagement

The analysis revealed that Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) lead all genres in both median and average playtime. Players typically spend a median of 7.5 hours with JRPG titles, while the average playtime rises to 21.4 hours. This is attributed to the genre’s focus on content-rich narratives, expansive worlds, and long-form gameplay design.

Many JRPGs are part of established series or are heavily influenced by traditional Japanese design philosophies, resulting in extended engagement from players. Titles such as Clair Obscur showed strong performance in this category, while Fantasy Life i stood out for achieving significant median playtime despite having been released only two months prior to the analysis.

Clair Obscur

Survival, Strategy, and Action-Based Genres Follow Closely

Trailing just behind JRPGs are survival games, which record a median playtime of 7.0 hours. These titles often encourage long play sessions due to their systems of resource management, crafting, and open-ended progression. Grand strategy games also perform notably well, with a median playtime of 6.6 hours and an average of 29.1 hours. These games tend to involve complex mechanics and long campaigns, which may account for the high average figure.

Other genres that show strong player engagement include looter shooters, which reach a median playtime of 6.1 hours, and action RPGs, which register at 5.9 hours median. Base building games, roguelike deckbuilders, turn-based combat titles, roguelites, and job simulators also appear within the top ten, each achieving median playtimes above 5.4 hours. These genres generally combine gameplay depth with systems that reward sustained play, contributing to longer average sessions among their top-performing titles.

Top Steam Game Genres by Playtime

Moderate and Lower Playtime Genres Show Varying Player Behavior

Several genres fall into a more moderate range of player engagement. Metroidvania games, for example, report a median playtime of 3.5 hours, placing them in the middle of the overall rankings. Meanwhile, open world adventure survival craft and city builders both record median playtimes of around 5 hours, suggesting consistent appeal among players despite not reaching the top-tier rankings.

At the lower end of the spectrum are genres such as puzzle platformers, which show a median playtime of 2.3 hours. Twin-stick shooters perform similarly, with a 2.2-hour median. These genres tend to have lower barriers to entry in terms of development and shorter game durations, which can limit their ability to retain players over extended periods. This does not imply a lack of quality or value, but rather reflects typical user behavior across the most played titles within these categories.

Top Steam Game Genres by Playtime

Development Costs and Replayability Influence Playtime

The data suggests that genres requiring higher development investment often result in higher playtime. For example, grand strategy games demand more time and resources to produce, but in return tend to keep players engaged for significantly longer sessions. However, this does not automatically guarantee a strong return on investment, especially for new developers entering the genre. Conversely, genres with lower development complexity (such as twin-stick shooters) are easier to create but often struggle to maintain long-term engagement due to limited replayability.

While median playtime is not the sole metric of a game’s success, it provides useful insights into how players interact with top titles in each genre. In some cases, it can serve as a proxy for the value players receive in terms of entertainment per hour, although this is only one of many considerations in game development and publishing.

Top Steam Game Genres by Playtime

Notable Titles and Final Observations

As part of the study, GameDiscoverCo also identified specific titles with the highest and lowest median playtimes within each genre’s Top 250 games. In several cases, free-to-play games were found at the bottom of the median playtime rankings, which may reflect more casual or short-term player engagement. On the other hand, games like RimWorld exemplify high engagement, topping the Base Building category with a median playtime of approximately 65 hours.

These outliers provide context for how genre mechanics and design decisions can influence player behavior at both ends of the spectrum. Overall, the findings offer a detailed look into how different genres perform in terms of sustained player interest. While developers should not rely solely on genre-based playtime statistics to guide project decisions, understanding general trends in player engagement can inform more strategic planning.