Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation. It is used to distribute games and related media online, from small independent developers to larger software houses. Steam also has community features, automated game updates, and in-game voice and chat functionality.

As of 2010, there are over 1,100 games available through Steam. In January 2010 Valve claimed that it had surpassed 25 million active user accounts. Although Valve never releases sales figures, Steam is estimated to have a 70% share of the digital distribution market for video games.

Many major publishers have catalogs on Steam, including Electronic Arts, Activision, 2K Games, Ubisoft, THQ, Sega, Codemasters, id Software, LucasArts, Capcom, Rockstar Games, Square Enix and Bethesda Softworks. Steam includes a digital storefront called the Steam Store, through which users can purchase computer games digitally. Once purchased, software is permanently attached to the user's Steam account.

Content is delivered using a proprietary file transfer protocol from an international network of servers. While logged in, games can be downloaded to any computer that has the Steam client installed. Steam includes a server browser for users to search, filter, bookmark, and join Internet and LAN servers for games that integrate with it.

It can be accessed from the desktop or from a games menu system, and queries friends to show a list of servers to which a user's contacts are connected. Currently accounts cannot be merged or deleted by their creators.

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