Methodology
One source. Every number is Valve's public GetNumberOfCurrentPlayers endpoint, sampled
once daily by an auditable pipeline (open repo). If the API returns an error for a game, that game's page is excluded
that day — we never interpolate, estimate, or copy third-party figures.
Concurrent ≠ monthly. We publish concurrent in-game players — the only number Valve makes public. Sites quoting "monthly active users" for Steam games without a publisher source are guessing; that is the supply this ledger exists to displace.
Coverage limits are stated, not hidden. Steam numbers exclude consoles and other PC launchers. Every game page carries an explicit note on what its number does not cover.
Verdict bands (7-day sampled average)
| Average | Band |
|---|---|
| ≥100,000 | Emphatically alive |
| ≥20,000 | Alive and healthy |
| ≥2,000 | Alive, mid-size population |
| ≥300 | Small but active |
| ≥50 | Niche — expect slower matchmaking |
| <50 | Nearly empty on Steam |
Bands are fixed and public; verdicts re-grade automatically when the average crosses a boundary. Disagreements with the banding are arguments about the rule — which is exactly where such arguments belong.
Data: concurrents.json, CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Games Ledger.