Build-up hit RimWorld breaks Steam record and has more players than ever

After the release of the RimWorld add-on Ideology, tens of thousands are playing on Steam. Popularity reaches new heights three years after release.

The build-up-survival-mix RimWorld is currently breaking its own records on Steam: On the one hand, the number of simultaneously active players is currently higher than ever with an average of over 30,000, on the other hand, RimWorld also broke its own previous peak, which now stands at around 51,000 (via Steamcharts.com).

The reason for the new high is the new DLC Ideology, which was released on 20 July 2021 and adds new game mechanics around ideologies and religions. Players can therefore now create even more complex background stories for their colonists, which creates more gameplay depth through new gameplay mechanics such as rituals and character roles.

One of the most popular Steam games

Even though RimWorld’s player numbers currently rank “only” in the top 25 most played Steam games, RimWorld is still one of the most successful titles on Valve’s platform. The superlative can be found in the player ratings: RimWorld achieves stellar 98 per cent positive scores from around 91,000 reviews by users.

To be more precise: according to the statistics website SteamDB, RimWorld is just half a percentage point behind the top-rated game Portal 2, placing it in ninth place. The graph illustrates how thin the air at the top is getting:

Addons rated less well: The expansion Ideology, on the other hand, only received 84 percent positive votes. The first DLC Royalty also only achieved 83 percent positive player ratings.

RimWorld was released as a full version on 17 October 2018 after five years of Early Access. Developer Tynan Sylvester from Ludeon Studios has since released the two add-ons Royalty and Ideology, each of which was accompanied by free updates for the main game.