Free games on Steam and how to activate a key
Steam has three kinds of “free”, and only one lets you keep the game forever. Also, many giveaways give you a key that you have to activate on Steam.
The three kinds of “free” on Steam
- Free to keep for a limited time. For a few days the game costs 0. Press “Add to Library” and it stays in your account forever. These are the ones on our list.
- Free weekend. You can play for a few days without paying, but when it ends you cannot play unless you buy it. You do not keep it.
- Free-to-play games. Always free, but they usually sell things inside the game.
How to activate a Steam key
Some offers (for example from IndieGala) do not give you the game directly, but a key: a code of letters and numbers.
- Open Steam on your computer and sign in.
- In the top menu, press “Games” and then “Activate a Product on Steam”.
- Accept the agreement and type or paste the key.
- The game is added to your library.
You can also activate it on the Steam website, in your account, with the option to activate a product.
Tips
- A key can only be used once. Do not share it in public.
- If the key says it was already used, the offer has run out: move on to the next game.
