How to Add Steam Games to the Start Menu in Windows 10

To add a Steam game to the Windows 10 Start menu, create a shortcut from the Steam desktop client and place that shortcut in your personal Start Menu Programs folder. It will then appear in the alphabetical app list, where you can right-click it and choose Pin to Start to make a tile. This works even when Steam or the game is installed on a different drive from Windows.

Use a Steam-created shortcut instead of pinning a game’s executable from its installation folder. Some games need Steam to start them correctly, and their folders can contain several executable files. The Steam shortcut points Windows to the game through the client.

Put a Steam game in the Windows 10 app list

1. Create the game shortcut in Steam

Open the Steam desktop client and select Library. Right-click the game, point to Manage, and select Add desktop shortcut. Steam places a shortcut for that game on your Windows desktop. If the game is already visible in the Start menu’s app list, you can skip to step 4.

2. Open your personal Start Menu Programs folder

Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Enter shell:programs and press Enter. File Explorer opens the Programs folder for your Windows account, usually at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. The shell command saves you from typing your account name or navigating through the hidden AppData folder.

3. Copy the shortcut into Programs

Return to the desktop and locate the shortcut Steam created. Right-click it and select Copy, then switch to the Programs folder and press Ctrl + V. Copying leaves the desktop shortcut in place; choose Cut instead if you want to move it. Give the shortcut a clear name if needed, such as the game’s title. Keep it directly inside Programs if you want a standalone entry in the alphabetical list.

If you prefer to group several games, create a folder such as Steam Games inside Programs and put their shortcuts there. Windows will show a grouped folder in the app list. You do not need to put the shortcut in Steam’s own installation directory.

4. Pin the game as a Start tile

Open Start and find the game in the alphabetical app list. Right-click its name and select Pin to Start. Open the pinned area to see the new tile; you can drag it to a convenient position or leave it as an app-list shortcut without creating a tile.

Windows 10 may show a game that already has a Start menu shortcut. In that case, right-click the existing entry and choose Pin to Start; there is no need to create a second shortcut.

Fix common shortcut problems

The game is missing from the app list

Check that the shortcut is in the folder opened by shell:programs, not in the desktop or in Steam’s library folder. Confirm that the file is a shortcut and not a copied game executable. Close and reopen Start after pasting. If you put the shortcut in a subfolder, look for that folder in the app list.

The shortcut stops working after a game move

If you moved the installation to another Steam library, first make sure Steam recognizes the game in Library. Then create a fresh desktop shortcut through Manage → Add desktop shortcut and replace the old shortcut in Programs. A shortcut made directly to a game executable can also stop working if the installation path changes.

You cannot find “Pin to Start”

Make sure you are right-clicking the game’s entry in the Windows 10 app list. A file selected in File Explorer has a different context menu. Microsoft documents pinning apps or shortcuts from Start search and File Explorer; the exact context-menu options can depend on the selected item.

What to know about Windows 10

Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. These Start menu steps still apply to an existing Windows 10 installation, but supported security updates and technical assistance are no longer provided through standard support. See Microsoft’s Windows Start menu instructions and its support notice for details.

For Steam shortcuts and launch settings, consult Steam Support’s guide to game launch options. Steam’s documentation notes that launch options can also be set for a game shortcut.