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Steamworks Leaderboards Setup

This section explains how to create and configure leaderboards in Steamworks so they can be accessed and used through the Steam Leaderboards subsystem.

Leaderboards are configured in the Steamworks dashboard for your application.

To access leaderboard configuration:

  • Open the Steamworks dashboard and select your application
  • Open the application checklist and navigate to Edit Steamworks Settings
  • Open the Stats & Achievements section and select Leaderboards

Creating a New Leaderboard

To create a new leaderboard, click Add a leaderboard on the Leaderboards configuration page.

Leaderboard names should be treated as stable identifiers and should not be changed after release, as they are used by the Steam API and referenced directly in code.

Changes to leaderboards are applied immediately once saved.

Leaderboard Fields Overview

Name

The Name field is the internal identifier used by the Steam API and must exactly match the Leaderboard name used in code.

This value should be concise, descriptive, and stable.

Community Name

The Community Name is the player-facing name shown on the Steam Community leaderboard pages.

If this field is left empty, the leaderboard will not be visible on the Community Hub.

Sort Method

The Sort Method defines how leaderboard entries are ranked.

  • Descending means higher values are ranked better and appear at the top
  • Ascending means lower values are ranked better and appear at the top

High-score leaderboards typically use Descending, while time-based leaderboards usually use Ascending.

Display Type

The Display Type controls how leaderboard values are interpreted and displayed.

  • Numeric represents a plain numeric score
  • Time Seconds represents a duration in seconds
  • Time Milliseconds represents a duration in milliseconds

This setting affects display and formatting only and does not change how values are submitted.

Writes

The Writes option controls how scores can be submitted.

When set to Trusted, scores cannot be submitted directly by clients and must be written using the Steam Web API.

For most client-side games, this option should remain disabled.

Reads

The Reads option controls which scores can be read by the client.

By default, leaderboards can be read freely through the Steam API and Web API.

Lobby

When enabled, leaderboard reads are restricted to users in the same Steam lobby as the current player.

This is commonly used for session-based or multiplayer leaderboards.

Range Around User

This setting limits how many scores can be read around the current user’s position.

A value of zero means no limitation.

Global Top Limit

This setting limits how many top global scores can be accessed.

A value of zero means no limitation.

Publishing and Availability

Leaderboards become available immediately after they are created and saved.

No separate publishing step is required, but the application must be properly configured and accessible to the testing account.

Common Configuration Mistakes

  • Leaderboard name does not match the identifier used in code
  • Incorrect Sort Method selected for the intended score type
  • Display Type does not match how scores are interpreted
  • Writes set to Trusted when client-side submission is required
  • Testing performed with the wrong App ID or without Steam running