Steam offers multiple options for hosting games, and this guide explains how to set up a playtest for each of them on PlaytestCloud. This article focuses on the “Upload Your Game” section for Steam games, you can read more about the other sections in this article.
Playtesting a released game
To set up a playtest for a game that has already been released on Steam, follow these steps:
Copy the URL of your public Steam store page.
Paste the URL into the form field on PlaytestCloud.
Free games
For free-to-play games, no additional setup is needed. Simply share the game’s store URL.
Paid games
For paid games, note that players on PlaytestCloud won’t be asked to purchase the game themselves. To order a playtest, after you have shared the game's store URL , you have two options:
Provide Steam keys for players to download the game without purchasing.
Use a screener survey to find players that already own the game.
Sample screener survey for finding players that already own a game:
Select: Automatic invites under How should we invite players?
Question 1: For this playtest, we are looking for players that have purchased {Your Game Name} on Steam. Do you own this game on Steam: <link to your game's Steam store page>?
Question type: Multiple Choice (choose one answer)
Option 1: Yes (Accept)
Option 2: No (Reject)
Question 2: Do you understand that you will not be compensated for purchasing
{Your Game Name} on Steam to participate in this playtest?
Question type: Multiple Choice (choose one answer)
Option 1: Yes (Accept)
Option 2: No (Reject)
Steam demos
If you want to set up a playtest for a demo build of your game, there are two options based on how the demo is setup on Steam:
Demo with a store page: If your demo has a dedicated Steam store page, share the demo’s store URL in the form field.
Demo accessible via full game’s store page: If the demo doesn’t have its own store page but can be accessed through your full game’s page, enter the Demo’s App ID instead.
How to Locate the App ID for a Steam Demo:
Log in to Steamworks
Navigate to All Applications. Alternatively, go through Apps & Packages > All Applications.
Select the game you’re playtesting.
Select All Associated Packages, DLC, Demos And Tools.
Locate the Demo section and copy the ID listed there.
Beta builds
For games with beta builds available on Steam, you can conduct a playtest for the beta version:
Enter the store page URL for the main game when setting up the playtest.
Add a custom instruction to the playtest to guide players on how to enable the beta build within the Steam client.
Custom instructions template for Steam beta builds with no password:
After installing {Your Game Name} in your Steam Library, please follow these steps to prepare for the playtest:
Open your Steam Library.
Right-click on {Your Game Name}.
Select Properties from the dropdown menu.
In the Properties menu, choose the BETAS tab on the left.
Under Select the beta you would like to opt into, choose {Enter Beta Build/Branch Name}.
If you don’t see {Enter Beta Build/Branch Name} in the dropdown, quit and restart Steam, then check again.
Steam should now start downloading an update for {Your Game Name}! If the download doesn’t start automatically, try quitting and restarting Steam.
Custom instructions template for Steam beta builds with a password:
After installing {Your Game Name} in your Steam Library, please follow these steps to access the private beta build for the playtest:
Open your Steam Library.
Right-click on {Your Game Name}.
Select Properties from the dropdown menu.
In the Properties menu, choose the BETAS tab on the left.
In the Enter beta access code to unlock private betas box, enter the following password: {Beta/Branch Password}
Click Check Code next to Enter beta access code to unlock private betas
If the code is correct, you should see “Success! Beta unlocked” below the box.
Under Select the beta you would like to opt into, choose {Enter Beta Build/Branch Name}.
Click on Opt-into: {Enter Beta Build/Branch Name}.
Steam should now begin downloading an update for {Your Game Name}. If the download doesn’t start automatically, try quitting and restarting Steam.
If the update still hasn’t started:
Recheck that the game is on the correct beta version by going back to Properties > BETAS and confirming that the beta you unlocked is selected in the dropdown (it should not say “None”).
If the beta branch is missing, Steam may not have unlocked it properly—repeat the steps from Step 5.
Playtesting an unreleased game
For games that do not yet have a public Steam store page, players will need to use Steam keys to access the game. Here’s how to set up a playtest for an unreleased game:
Share the game’s App ID in the form field.
Provide Steam keys for players to install and launch the game in the next section. Read more: Ordering a playtest with Steam keys<link pending>
Note: We do not support playtests for games that require players to request access via Steam.
How to locate the App ID for an unreleased game
Log in to Steamworks
Navigate to All Applications. Alternatively, go through Apps & Packages > All Applications.
Select the game you’re playtesting.
Copy the ID listed after your game’s name
How to locate the App ID for a Steam playtest
Log in to Steamworks
Navigate to All Applications. Alternatively, go through Apps & Packages > All Applications.
Select the game you’re playtesting.
Select All Associated Packages, DLC, Demos And Tools.
Find the Playtest section and copy the ID from there.
Test your App ID
If you’re unsure whether the App ID you’ve provided is correct, you can quickly verify it by following these steps:
Open a web browser and enter the following URL format:
steam://run/<Your App ID>
Replace
<Your App ID>with your actual App ID.For example, if your App ID is
123, enter:steam://run/123
If the App ID is correct, this will launch Steam and open the game you want to playtest.
Using this method can help confirm that you’ve entered the right App ID before you proceed with setting up the playtest.