Steam Week in Review: AI-generated capsule art is making browsing less fun

Every Monday I scroll through Steam’s previous week of new releases. I do it because it can surface niche gems and early trends, but mostly because it’s fun: Steam’s raw new-release list is hilarious and bizarre, full of earnest indie roguelites and oddities like Fuck’s Quest 2 or Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk. Most of those strange titles never reach the front page—what players see is shaped by Steam’s recommendations, trends and discounts. In 2026, though, Steam is increasingly bloated with low-effort churn. AI-generated games are rife, and you can usually tell by the capsule art’s uncanny sheen. Despite their low effort, a uniform aesthetic is emerging across these listings, and it’s making the old joy of browsing feel diminished.