Matches come from the tags Steam players vote on each game, weighted so a rare tag counts for far more than one that sits on half the store. A game's popularity never moves it up this list.
The closest matches to NBA 2K18 on Steam are NBA 2K17, NBA 2K19, NBA 2K16, NBA 2K20, NBA Playgrounds. They rank highest because their Steam community tags overlap most with NBA 2K18's — shared tags include Basketball, Sports, Gambling.
How are games like NBA 2K18 chosen?
Every game is described by the tags Steam players vote on it. Rare, specific tags such as Basketball, Sports, Gambling count far more than catch-all ones like "Indie" or "Singleplayer", and each game is scored on how closely its whole tag profile matches NBA 2K18's. Popularity never affects the ranking.
