SteamGridDB Rules

Proper tags are required to keep things organized and help users find what they want. Tagging assets incorrectly will not carry a penalty unless it is done regularly against moderator action, though we ask that you make an effort to tag your assets as best as possible to maximise the exposure and credibility of your asset, and to make our job easier.

If a moderator’s changes are reverted, the asset may be locked from further editing. Circumventing this will be met with due action. If you feel that a moderator’s changes are incorrect, contact the team through Discord.

1. Adult Content #
   1. Provocative poses, gestures, or camera angles. #
   2. Near-nudity. #
   3. Visible sexual activity or fluids. #
   4. Inflammatory content (e.g. text aimed at inciting violence). #
   5. Extreme realistic gore. #

   The uploader may use their discretion to use the "Adult Content" tag on their assets if they feel they have shocking imagery. This will not be enforced unless it falls within the above.

2. Humor #
3. Language Localisation #
   1. If an asset belongs to a foreign localisation of a game (i.e. the logo is written in that language), then you can select that language from the dropdown within the properties window. #
   2. If the logo is a mix between multiple languages, choose the one that the main title is written in. #
   3. Assets that do not contain any text should be tagged English. #
   4. Changes to the language database are not currently possible. #

1. Alternate #

   Any asset that doesn't fall into the other categories. Usually, the "official" box art is Alternate.

   Examples:

   

2. Blurred #

   A grid with a significantly blurred background, or a hero that is entirely blurred. Takes precedence over White Logo.

   Examples:

   

3. White Logo #

   A grid with a logo that is completely white, usually positioned near the top in vertical grids.

   Examples:

   

4. No Logo #

   A grid that does not have a logo at all. Logos that are symbols count as logos for this purpose.

   Examples:

   

5. Minimal #

   A minimalist asset with a palette restricted to only one or two colours, commonly making use of silhouettes. Also applies to grids that are a logo on a solid background.

   Examples:

   

1. Reposts of default Steam assets #

   Uploading Steam assets from the past is okay, but current ones will be deleted. Storage space doesn’t grow on trees!

2. Assets of other types uploaded as a logo #
3. Assets irrelevant to the site #
4. Shoehorned politics #

   Depicting Hitler in a Wolfenstein grid is fine, but depicting him in a Stardew Valley grid isn't.

5. Extremely low quality assets #
   In an effort to keep the quality of the all assets on the site as high as possible, we will be removing low quality assets that meet one or more of the following criteria. #

   1. Severe warping #
   2. Severe compression artifacting #
   3. Severe stretching #

   These rules are especially applicable to assets for newer games, as resources for games have become more abundant and of greater quality. This policy may be more lenient on older or more obscure titles, for which art is harder to find. If you feel that a removal was incorrect or unjust, please contact the team through Discord. #

   Humorous grids may be exempt from this policy in certain cases, but there’s still a line. Tagging a low-quality grid as humor will not automatically protect it from deletion. #
6. Assets with mismatched art and logo #

   If an asset features art and a logo from completely separate games, it will be deleted. However, there is an exception made for assets that use art from a different game in the same series, as well as some humour grids. Under this rule, heroes that feature art from a different game in the same series will not be moved in most cases.

7. Assets intended as targeted harassment. #
8. Assets depicting any significant injury to real people. #

   This rule is decided on a case by case basis.

9. Duplicates of other assets. #

   In case of duplicate assets, the earliest upload takes priority, but if the original creator is not the first uploader, the first upload will be removed; and for slightly different but similar assets, the one with higher quality is retained, considering identical art and logo composition.

10. Square grids uploaded as icons. #

    Icons with too much detail (full square backgrounds, non-abbreviated logos, etc) should be uploaded as square grids instead of icons, due to legibility issues at smaller sizes. This rule does not apply to .ico files with entries greater than 256x256.

11. Explicit assets uploaded to non-adult games. #

    Explicit sexual activities and fluids are prohibited in non-sexual themed games, but allowed in entries representing sexually themed games. Less explicit forms of adult content, such as nudity and provocative poses, are allowed in all entries.

12. Pointlessly specific overlays. #
    Assets with pre-applied overlays that don't serve a wide enough use-case. #

    1. "Demo" labels on game entries that are not specifically demos. #
    2. "Achievement" or "Trophy" labels to indicate game completion. #

These rules apply specifically to assets prominently featuring AI-generated art and do not extend to assets utilizing AI tools for in/out-painting, upscaling, or post-processing.

Because AI art is constantly evolving, so will these rules and definitions.

1. Relevance #

   Assets containing generative AI art must be relevant to the entry it is uploaded to. Uploads that are only vaguely related to the entry will be removed. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

2. Quality Standards #

   AI artwork is held to a very high standard when it comes to quality. Poorly generated content with clear distorted features will be removed.

3. Quantity Control #

   Strict enforcement of Rules 1 & 2 will be applied if users upload a significant amount of assets in succession or if the majority of their uploads feature generative AI art.

If you have any questions, concerns, or inquiries, you may join our Discord and message the @site-moderator role.

For more private inquiries, you can get in contact by sending an email to jozen@steamgriddb.com or messaging zennn on Discord.