Steam Chat is a chat client created by Valve Software and is integrated in Steam. It can also be accessed through a web browser and with dedicated apps on Android and iOS.
The SCG Steam community group hosts a group chat using Steam Chat. This group consists of members within the Steam community group. While Steam Chat supports multiple text channels and voice channels, the only channel that exists is a text channel titled Home.
The Home text channel is bridged with Discord. Meaning messages sent over Discord are relayed to steam and vice-versa. This allows users to communicate regardless of which platform they are using. Messages are relayed by Poe Stallman. Thus messages that are bridged appear as if sent by Poe on Steam and Discord. Messages are prefixed with the users name and which platform they are chatting from.
Steam Chat has undergone several design changes over the years. Originally being built on VGUI and Tracker in the 2002 Steam Beta it later was redesigned with VGUI2 for the official release of Half-Life 2 and was known as Steam Friends. Prior to the creation of the Steam Overlay, Gold Source and Source (Source 2004 and Source 2006) games included a friends menu allowing you to access your friends list. By 2007 this was removed. In 2018 the chat platform got a major overhaul. Built using the Chrome Embedded Framework this new version added new features such as group chats, emoticons and stickers. Thus making it more in line with modern chat apps such as Discord.
In versions of Steam Friends v1, Parlor Games could be played with friends. These included Checkers, Chess, Go, Hearts and Spades. These were removed in Friends V2 in 2006.