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How to Claim a Free Game on Steam and Add It to Your Library

Sign in, claim the game from its Steam store page during the offer window, and check your Library. Confirm whether access is permanent or temporary.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To claim a free game on Steam, sign in to the account you want to use, open the game’s store page while the offer is active, and select the page’s claim or add-to-library option. Then check your Steam Library. First confirm whether the offer is free to keep or only temporary access: a free weekend does not give you permanent access.

How to claim a free game on Steam

  1. Sign in to the correct Steam account. The claim will be associated with the account you are using.

  2. Open the game’s Steam store page during the offer window. Check the offer’s start and end date, time zone, regional availability, and terms before claiming.

  3. Use the offer control shown on the page. Its wording can vary. For a free-weekend promotion, Clever Endeavour Games’ 2023 instructions said to open the store page and select “Play Game”; the game then appeared in the library. Read the publisher’s instructions.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
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    Visa Virtual eGift Card
    • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
    • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
    • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
    • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
    • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
  4. Check your Library. Confirm that the game is listed on the account you intended to use.

  5. Read the offer terms to find out how long access lasts. Being listed in the Library does not by itself mean you own the game permanently.

    Rank #2
    Visa Virtual eGift Card
    • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
    • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
    • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
    • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
    • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Does the game stay in your library?

That depends on the type of offer. A free-to-keep promotion lets you claim the game during a defined window and retain it afterward. For example, a historical 2K promotion for Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure ran until March 23, 2023, at 10 a.m. PT and said claimed copies could be kept. That offer has expired; it is an example of the wording to look for, not a current deal. See the 2K announcement.

A free weekend, by contrast, grants temporary access. The cited Clever Endeavour Games promotion allowed play only until its stated cutoff, even though the game appeared in the library. Check the specific offer’s end date and terms rather than assuming that a library listing means permanent ownership.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Visa Virtual eGift Card
  • Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
  • When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
  • This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
  • Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
  • This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.

Free to keep, free weekend, or free-to-play?

Offer type What it gives you What to check
Free to keep A time-limited opportunity to claim the game and keep it afterward, as specified by the offer. Claim deadline, time zone, regional eligibility, and terms.
Free weekend Temporary access to play; access ends at the promotion’s cutoff. When the free period ends and whether the offer separately provides a purchase option.
Free-to-play The game is free to download and play; this is an access model, not necessarily a limited-time giveaway of a paid game. Any game-specific limits or optional paid items shown on its Steam page.

Steam Support says free-to-play games are free to download and play without a subscription or credit card. It also describes accounts without a purchased game or a funded Steam Wallet as “Limited User” accounts, which may have some community features restricted. Individual games may state additional account limitations on their store pages. Steam Support: Free to play games on Steam.

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If the claim option is missing

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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