Steam's Newest Feature Helps You Dig Through Your Backlog

Valve has taken another of its Steam Labs features out of beta testing, offering high-tech suggestions for other games you might enjoy. The "Play Next" feature uses machine learning to recommend what game from your library to start on next.

The feature is now available with the latest update to the Steam client. You can find the Play Next shelf available in library view, but only if you have games with no or very low play time.

Play Next is one of nine "experiments" listed as Active in the Steam Labs page, but it's sure to leave that section too. It's similar to another feature currently in testing, the Steam Interactive Recommender. That tool uses machine learning to recommend new games from Steam's store you may like to purchase, while Play Next is more about surfacing your underplayed games.

Other Steam Labs experiments include Deep Dive for discovering obscure games, Community Recommendations, a news hub, and a couple of revisions to Steam's search tools. Steam Labs launched last July, and lets users tinker with feature ideas and offer feedback before Valve rolls them out into the main client.