Steam has a new highest-rated video game of all time, overtaking Portal 2

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There’s a new king in town, as Steam’s longtime highest-rated game ever has just been dethroned.

There are numerous exceptional games available on Valve’s platform since its debut in 2003. Titles like Half-Life, The Witcher 3, and Baldur’s Gate 3 are just a few examples, and there are many more to add to the list.

For quite some time now, I’ve held the firm belief that Valve’s Portal 2 reigns supreme among gaming platforms, standing tall as the undisputed king. This puzzle masterpiece has consistently ranked at the pinnacle of Steam250’s list, making it the top-rated game on Steam.

Eventually, even great things reach their conclusion, and that includes Portal 2. Now, another game has taken its place as the undisputed best, and it’s tough not to acknowledge its merit.

On July 9th, 2025, the farming simulation game Stardew Valley has secured the top spot among games on Steam with a rating of 8.87, just surpassing Portal 2’s score of 8.85.

Initially launched in 2016, the farming simulator game created by independent developer Eric Barone (also recognized as ConcernedApe) has since grown into one of the most triumphant independent video games ever made.

Following significant updates that included vast amounts of fresh content and multiplayer features, the game has solidified its standing, earning a 98% positive rating in over 770,000 reviews on the store.

Compared to it, Portal 2 boasts a 98% positive rating, but this comes from significantly fewer reviews – only about 363,000.

Or simply: Portal 2 has a very high positive rating (98%) based on relatively few reviews (approximately 363,000).

Continuing along the list, it showcases a star-studded roster of heavyweights from the PC gaming world. Terraria holds the third spot, while classics such as Left 4 Dead 2, Vampire Survivors, Hades, Portal 1, and more, grace the top 10.

It’s important to point out that the scoring method used by Steam250 is distinct from Steam itself, where Portal 2 remains ranked higher than Stardew Valley in their respective lists.

Steam250 evaluates a score using an algorithm that takes into account the quantity of votes and positive feedback ratings. Consequently, the significant difference in the number of reviews is what’s allowed Stardew Valley to surpass Portal.

Due to its outstanding performance, it’s quite possible that Terraria will climb up the leaderboards in the future, given that it already boasts a remarkable 97% positive feedback from a staggering 1.4 million reviews.

Despite Stardew Valley still captivating a vast audience (around 150,000 daily concurrent players), last year’s 1.6.9 update signaled the conclusion of the game’s official updates.

Having deemed the current game finished, Barone is now shifting his concentration towards his upcoming venture, which he’s dubbed Haunted Chocolatier.

Although the official game support has ceased, the widespread use of mods guarantees that ardent fans will find contentment in this game for many years yet.

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2025-07-10 16:04