The Panorama of Steam Multiplayer Games (2018-2020): A Player Reviews Analysis

Abstract

People approach video games for a multitude of reasons, such as connecting with others, escaping reality, or challenging their abilities. As a consequence, video games have reached an increasingly broader audience and their consumption was even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies have shown how playing video games together improved the well-being of people during period of movement restriction and how video games were an important tool for connecting with physically distant people. However, little is known about how the relationships of people with video games have changed across the years. In order to answer this question, we collected data from the Steam platform and analyzed players’ opinions about multiplayer video games as stated in the respective reviews. The reviews analysis showed that players had played more and in addition their reviews had not been influenced by the difficulties of this significant moment. Their contribution, however, had been less relevant for the community when compared to the situation in the years before the pandemic. Finally, an increase in players choosing to play more casual and amusing games became evident.