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SteamTutorial

Steamworks App Credit and Create Application

Pay the $100 Steam Direct fee, activate the app credit as Admin, create your Application, then walk the store, builds, and pricing checklist.

Official Steamworks banner: Steam logo, Steamworks wordmark, and Build and distribute your games on Steam (Valve)

Steam Direct Fee docs (Valve). Hover for a Voidge draft sketch inspired by a fragment of the still. This is Part 2 of the Ship It on Steam tutorial series. Part 1: Steamworks partner account setup.

Legit: Part 1 got you through partner paperwork. This build is the next gate. You pay (or reuse) the Steam Direct Fee, activate the app credit on the Steam account that paid, create your first Application, then walk the landing checklist so you know what still needs patching before store art and SteamPipe.

This is a tutorial, not a vibes post. Official sources: Steam Direct Fee, Applications, Getting Started, Store Page, Pricing.

Series map

  1. Partner account + onboarding (Part 1)
  2. You are here: app credit + create Application
  3. Store page assets
  4. SteamPipe depots
  5. Review, Coming Soon, wishlists, release

Ship it one patch at a time.

What you need before you burn the credit

  1. Steamworks partner already open (bank, tax, identity path from Part 1).
  2. A Steam account with Admin on that partner. Only Admins can pay the fee and activate credits.
  3. A payment method Steam supports in your region. Steam Wallet funds are not allowed.
  4. A working title you can live with for a while (you can refine store copy later; treat the App name like a based config string, not a Discord joke).
  5. Clarity on app type: usually Game for an indie ship. Software, DLC, and Demo are separate paths in Applications.

Walkthrough video

Official Steamworks Development tutorial on building the store page and publishing the application. Prefer Valve docs if anything conflicts with older footage.

Open on YouTube if the embed does not load.

Step 1: Confirm Admin, then pay (or locate) the app credit

  1. Sign in at partner.steamgames.com.
  2. Confirm your account shows Admin on the partner. Non-admins do not get the green pay button.
  3. If you already paid during first-time signup, you may already hold one unused app credit on that Steam account. Skip to Step 2.
  4. If you need another credit, use the green button on Steamworks home to buy one. Admins only. Docs: Steam Direct Fee.

Fee facts, Valve wording:

  • $100 USD (or regional equivalent) per product you want on Steam.
  • Payable with Steam-supported methods in your country.
  • Not Steam Wallet.
  • Not refundable, but recoupable after the product hits at least $1,000.00 Adjusted Gross Revenue from Steam Store or in-app purchases. Recoupment shows as a separate line in your monthly report.
  • Chargebacks / fraud flags can freeze revenue and fee repayment.
  • VAT/GST (if any) may apply. The invoice goes to the Steam user who paid, not a corporate billing entity.

That patch slapped harder than "I will just use Wallet funds."

Step 2: Know who owns the credit

Once paid, the app credit attaches to the Steam account of the person who paid. Only that person can activate it.

If your co-founder pays from their Steam login, you cannot redeem it from yours. Admin permission alone is not enough without being the payer. Plan who clicks Buy before money leaves the account.

Step 3: Create the Application

  1. On Steamworks home, under Create A New Application, click Create new app...
  2. Redeem / activate the credit while logged in as the payer.
  3. Enter the application name and confirm creation.
  4. Steamworks mints an App ID. That ID follows you through store tools, SDK calls, and Web API work. Write it down like a ship tag.

New Applications can be created by any Administrator once a fee is purchased or an app credit is granted. Source: Applications.

After create, set the type under General Application Settings if needed (Game is the default path for most indie builds).

Official Steamworks partner site laboratory illustration background (Valve)

Step 4: Packages, briefly

An Application is the product shell. Around it:

  • Packages: SKU / license collections sold on the store or granted via keys.
  • Depots / Builds / Branches: how files actually ship (Part 4).
  • Bundles: optional multi-package discounts (later).

If standard packages did not spawn when the App ID was created, open All Associated Packages, DLC, Demos And Tools and hit Create Standard Packages. Valve documents that bug and the fix on the Pricing FAQ. Do not invent store pricing until the package exists.

Step 5: Walk the landing checklist (overview only)

Open your new Application landing page. The right-side checklist is the scoreboard for review readiness. You do not need every box green today. You do need to know what each column means so you do not burn calendar time guessing.

Store presence

Click Edit Store Page. Required fields are marked with *. Capsules, header, library art, screenshots, trailer, and written description live here. Preview with Store Beta Mode before you publish anything public. Publishing pushes assets to Steam servers even if the app is unreleased, so keep secrets off the page until you mean it. Deep art specs are Part 3. Docs: Store Page.

Builds

The checklist also wants a product build. That means Steamworks SDK, depots, and an uploaded build you can test. You can create the App before the binary is fun. Do not stall create waiting for SteamPipe perfection. Uploading is Part 4. High-level path: Getting Started and Uploading to Steam.

Pricing overview

Under Store packages, pricing, & release dates, open the store package and propose prices. Steam expects pricing across supported currencies; missing a currency can hide purchase for players on that currency. Initial pricing is reviewed by Valve (often about one to two business days). Only accounts with Manage pricing and discounts (and the partner that gets paid) can edit prices. Docs: Pricing.

Purchase buttons will not show on an unreleased beta store page the way a live title does. Trust the package + pricing panel, not the missing Buy button.

What not to do in Part 2

  1. Do not dump unfinished capsule art and call the store "done."
  2. Do not start SteamPipe scripts before the App ID and packages exist.
  3. Do not let a non-payer Admin try to activate someone else's credit.
  4. Do not Mark ready for review with blank checklist rows. Review is a later series beat.

Checklist: is the Application actually live in Steamworks?

  • Admin Steam account can see Steamworks home and the pay / create controls
  • Steam Direct Fee paid (or prior app credit located), not via Wallet
  • Credit activated by the same Steam account that paid
  • Application created; App ID written down
  • App type set (usually Game)
  • Standard packages present (or Create Standard Packages used)
  • Landing checklist opened: store / builds / pricing sections understood
  • Calendar still respects the Part 1 timers (30-day wait, Coming Soon lead time)

When those boxes are patched, Part 3 fills store art without wasting the credit on a nameless shell.

Keep these tabs open: Steam Direct Fee, Applications, Store Page, Pricing, Getting Started.

Fps locked. See you in Part 3.

Image credits & rights

Images on this page are hotlinks from the official Valve / Steamworks websites, used with respect for their copyright.