Installation

Sandwich Steam is a source plugin. That means Unreal has to compile it once on your computer. This sounds scary, but for most people it is: install a free tool, click “Yes” on a dialog, wait a few minutes.

  1. Which path is mine?
  2. Step 0: install a compiler (Windows)
  3. Step 1: get the plugin
  4. Step 2: put it in your project
  5. Path 1: Blueprint project
  6. Path 2: C++ project
  7. Path 3: build the plugin once and reuse it
  8. Check that it worked
  9. What gets enabled automatically
  10. Updating

Which path is mine?

My project is… Use
Blueprint only (no Source folder, nothing to do with C++) Path 1
A C++ project (has a Source folder and a .sln or Rider setup) Path 2
I want one build I can reuse in many projects Path 3

You need Unreal Engine 5.6, 5.7 or 5.8. Each engine version ships its own Steamworks SDK; see Supported engine versions.

Step 0: install a compiler (Windows)

Skip this if you already build C++ projects.

  1. Install Visual Studio (the free Community edition is fine). Use the Visual Studio version that Epic lists for your engine version in their setup guide.
  2. In the Visual Studio Installer, tick the workload Game development with C++.
  3. In the right-hand Installation details list, also tick Unreal Engine installer and Unreal Engine test adapter if they are not already ticked.
  4. Click Install and wait. It is a big download.

Visual Studio Installer with the Game development with C++ workload ticked

Screenshot from Epic’s guide Setting up Visual Studio for Unreal Engine, which explains every option.

Why? Unreal needs a compiler to turn the plugin’s source code into something it can run. You will never open Visual Studio yourself in Path 1. Unreal uses it in the background.

macOS / Linux: the plugin is written for them but has never been run there. You are welcome to try, and to tell us how it went in an issue. On a Mac, the Steam overlay only works when the game is launched through the Steam client: add the build with Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library and start it from there.

Step 1: get the plugin

Option A: download (easiest).

  1. Open the repository page.
  2. Click the green Code button, then Download ZIP.
  3. Unzip it. You will get a folder named SandwichSteam-main.

Option B: git.

git clone https://github.com/SandwichCakeStudios/SandwichSteam.git

Step 2: put it in your project

  1. Open your project folder (the one with the .uproject file).
  2. If there is no Plugins folder, create one.
  3. Copy the plugin folder in and rename it to exactly SandwichSteam. The file SandwichSteam.uplugin must sit directly inside it.
YourProject/
├─ YourProject.uproject
├─ Content/
└─ Plugins/
   └─ SandwichSteam/
      ├─ SandwichSteam.uplugin     <-- must be here
      ├─ Source/
      ├─ Config/
      └─ Resources/

Plugin folder layout in Explorer

Common mistake: a double folder like Plugins/SandwichSteam-main/SandwichSteam/SandwichSteam.uplugin. Unreal will not find the plugin. Move the inner folder up one level.

Path 1: Blueprint project

You have done Steps 0 to 2. Now:

  1. Double-click your .uproject to open the project.

  2. Unreal shows a dialog: “Missing Modules: The following modules are missing or built with a different engine version… Would you like to rebuild them now?” Click Yes.

    The Missing Modules rebuild dialog

  3. Wait. The first build takes a few minutes. The editor opens when it is done.
  4. Go to Check that it worked.

The dialog says the build failed? See Troubleshooting. The most common cause is a missing Visual Studio workload (Step 0).

Path 2: C++ project

  1. Do Steps 1 and 2.

  2. Right-click your .uproject and choose Generate Visual Studio project files.

    Generate Visual Studio project files

  3. Open the .sln and build your editor target (Development Editor, Win64) as usual: Build > Build YourProject. Wait for 1 succeeded in the Output window. Rider users: open the .uproject and build from there.

    Building the project in Visual Studio

  4. To call the plugin from your own C++, add the modules you use to your YourProject.Build.cs:
PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[]
{
    "SandwichSteam",              // core (always needed)
    "SandwichSteamStats",         // only add the ones you use:
    "SandwichSteamAchievements",
});
Module Feature
SandwichSteam Core: User, Utility, Overlay, settings, App Definition
SandwichSteamStats Stats
SandwichSteamAchievements Achievements (needs SandwichSteamStats)
SandwichSteamLeaderboards Leaderboards
SandwichSteamFriends Friends
SandwichSteamPresence Rich Presence
SandwichSteamCloud Cloud saves
SandwichSteamDLC DLC
SandwichSteamScreenshots Screenshots
SandwichSteamSessions Sessions and lobbies
SandwichSteamVoice Voice chat
SandwichSteamInput Steam Input
SandwichSteamEditor Editor tools (editor only, you never reference it)
SandwichSteamTest In-game test panel (development builds only)

Don’t need a feature? Delete its folder under Plugins/SandwichSteam/Source/ and its entry in SandwichSteam.uplugin, then regenerate project files. Nothing else depends on it, except that Achievements needs Stats.

Path 3: build the plugin once and reuse it

Do this if you want the same compiled plugin in several projects, or you do not want each project to compile it. You still need the compiler from Step 0.

Open a terminal and run (adjust the paths to your install):

"C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.8\Engine\Build\BatchFiles\RunUAT.bat" BuildPlugin ^
  -Plugin="C:\Path\To\SandwichSteam\SandwichSteam.uplugin" ^
  -Package="C:\Builds\SandwichSteam" ^
  -TargetPlatforms=Win64

When it says BUILD SUCCESSFUL, copy C:\Builds\SandwichSteam into any project’s Plugins folder (or into UE_5.8\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace to make it available to all projects). Those projects no longer need to compile it.

The result only works with the engine version and platform you built it for.

Check that it worked

  1. Open the editor. Go to Edit > Plugins, search for Sandwich Steam. It should be ticked. If not, tick it and restart.

    Sandwich Steam in the Plugins window

  2. Open the Tools menu. In its Sandwich Steam section you should see Steam Dashboard. The Steam button in the editor toolbar opens the same dashboard.

    Steam Dashboard in the Tools menu and the Steam toolbar button

  3. Right-click in any Blueprint and search for Steam. You should see nodes such as Unlock Steam Achievement.

Installed. Next: Quick Start: your first achievement.

What gets enabled automatically

Sandwich Steam uses Unreal’s own Steam support, so it switches on these engine plugins for you: Online Subsystem, Online Subsystem Utils, Online Subsystem Steam and Steam Sockets. You do not need to download the Steamworks SDK. Enhanced Input is used for push to talk and Steam Input if you have it enabled.

Updating

Close the editor, replace the Plugins/SandwichSteam folder with the new version, delete the project’s Binaries and Intermediate folders (they are rebuilt automatically) and reopen the project.

Copyright © 2026 Sandwich Cake Studios. MIT License. Not affiliated with Valve or Epic Games.

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