List Steam games

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations, the description carries the behavioral burden and discloses non-obvious facts: results are compact, paginated, never a full dump, hidden games are excluded by default, and 'total' must be checked. These are exactly the behaviors an agent could miss and then misread partial results.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose followed by high-value caveats. No filler; the apparent redundancy between 'compact projection' and 'never dumps the whole library' reinforces an important behavioral constraint.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 20-parameter tool with no output schema, the description covers the most critical operational hazards: pagination, hidden-game default, and the need to inspect 'total'. It leaves some return-shape details to inference, but the schema's field defaults and the description's caveats cover enough for correct invocation.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 60%, and the description adds some parameter-relevant meaning (hidden behavior, pagination, compact projection), but it does not compensate for the many undocumented params like sort, order, or the min/max filter fields. It is adequate only because parameter names are largely self-explanatory.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific action ('list, filter and sort') applied to a specific resource ('games in the Steam library') and immediately adds differentiating traits: compact projection, pagination, and hidden-game exclusion. This lets an agent distinguish it from sibling detail/search tools without opening the schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides clear context that this is the paginated, filterable library listing tool, and explicitly calls out the hidden-game default. It does not name alternatives like steam_library_search or steam_recently_played, so it stops short of full when-to-use vs. not guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.