Why 12–18 minutes is the ideal length for a Steam demo

Most developers make demos that are too long, too slow, or too open, and they accidentally destroy their conversion rate. The optimal demo length comes from a combination of player psychology, Steam analytics, and UX behavior patterns seen across hundreds of successful indie demos.

Here’s the breakdown:

Player attention drops sharply after 20 minutes

Based on user behavior patterns (Steam, itch, and festival data), most players only give a new game 12–20 minutes before deciding:

• “I like this”

• “I don’t get it”

• “It’s not for me”

• “Wishlist or uninstall”
  

If your demo is longer, players rarely finish it , and unfinished demos convert poorly.

12–18 minutes is enough to deliver a full “micro-experience”

A good demo is not a mini-version of your game.

It’s a curated slice that delivers:

✔ introduction
✔ first mechanic
✔ first challenge
✔ first emotional payoff
✔ cliffhanger moment
✔ call to action (wishlist)

This is almost always achievable in 12–18 minutes.

If it’s shorter, players don’t bond.

If it’s longer, players get tired.

This length prevents “feature overload”

Demos that drag past 20–25 minutes usually:

• introduce too many mechanics

• overwhelm players

• dilute the core fantasy

• hide the actual fun behind too much setup

A short, focused demo forces devs to:

• teach one core mechanic well

• remove fluff

• show the game’s identity immediately

This increases retention dramatically.

Steam reviewers often judge based on the first 10 minutes

Most negative demo reviews start with:

• “It took too long to get going”

• “I played 20 minutes and still don’t get the point”

• “The intro was slow and I quit”
  

A tight 12–18 minute demo avoids this entirely.

Demos are marketing tools, not full gameplay slices

The purpose of a demo is to:

• make players want more

• showcase what’s unique

• create a moment worth remembering

• push them toward wishlisting or buying
  

Not to show the entire game loop.

A 12–18 minute experience creates controlled excitement and leaves them hungry, which drives conversions higher.

This is the demo length used by top-performing indies

Some of the highest converting demos were between 10–20 minutes:

• Dave the Diver (short loop)

• Dredge (small, tight area)

• Pizza Tower (one short level)

• Viewfinder (3 small puzzles)

• Cult of the Lamb (compact intro)
  

All of them focused on:

• showing core gameplay fast

• delivering a “hell yes” moment

• ending before fatigue
  
  

Festivals favor short demos

Steam Next Fest players jump between demos constantly.

A short demo:

• is finished more often

• gets more reviews

• gets shared more

• is recommended more

• has higher conversion to wishlists

• gets higher retention statistics (Steam algorithm likes this)
  

Long demos lose 70–90% of players midway.

A demo should be short enough to finish and long enough to impress.

12–18 minutes hits the perfect balance:

• high completion rate

• strong emotional payoff

• clear mechanic understanding

• no fatigue

• better reviews

• better festival performance

• higher wishlist conversions
  

This is why it’s considered the golden window for modern indie demos.