Before you turn on Steam and put some cash into some new games, you should know that there are some tips that you can use to maximize the value of your money.
Steam is known for its super convenience in managing its video game library, but did you know that with a little effort, you can get new games at huge discounts? Sometimes it’s free!
So, if you want to add a new title to your game collection, keep reading as we list eight tips on how to save money on Steam.
1. Steam Summer Sale
Steam is perhaps best known for its shocking annual summer sales. It is usually held sometime around July and offers massive discounts for all types of games. The best thing about the Summer Sale is that it’s not limited to old games. You can find recently released games and best-selling games, and in some cases, the price can drop to 90%.
There are three different types of summer sales you can take advantage of: the store-wide discount, which is the weakest discount but applies to all games that haven’t been released in the last 6 months; Daily deals with attractive discounts for specific games within 24 to 48 hours; and lightning sales, which offer huge discounts on specific games within 12 hours.
If you want to save the most money on Steam shopping, and the things you intend to buy aren’t time-sensitive, then you should wait for the next annual summer sale.
2. Plan your purchase
While the Steam Summer and Winter Sale is the best time to fill your game library, you can get discounted games all year round. Even if you miss out on the biggest sale, with a little patience, you can still get your favorite game in the next Steam sale.
You can go to SteamDB and see when the next Steam sale is and how long you’ll have to wait.
3. Search for free games
If you need to save money on video games, there’s nothing better than a free game. Of course, publishers still need to make money, so you won’t get the latest titles for free, but there are plenty of titles to choose from, and some of them are pretty good.
On top of that, some games are multiplayer or co-op, so you can play with your friends for free. You can easily find these free games directly on the Steam website.
4. Add the game to your wishlist
If you want to buy a game on Steam but think it’s a bit too expensive, you should add it to your wishlist. If you can wait a bit before playing this game, you might get a better price.
Steam will actively monitor your wishlist and send an email if one of the added games is on sale. Once you’ve built your wish list, Steam will notify you if there’s a game on sale, even if it’s not related to holiday sales or other Steam events.
5. Check the publisher’s sales
Sometimes, publishers offer discounted prices for entire franchises or even entire catalogs. For example, if you notice that Battlefield 4 is on sale, there’s a good chance you’ll get more games in the Battlefield franchise at a lower price.
Also, even if you own one or more bundled games, you can get bundled discounts. Let’s say you get a bundle of 3 games, but you already own one of the games inside the bundle. You can get bundles without having to pay again for titles you already own.
6. Purchase the game from partner stores
There are plenty of reasons to stick with Steam as your go-to storefront for buying games, but there’s a chance you’ll get better prices from different places. The good news is that these stores sell Steam keys, so you can get the game at a better price and add it to your library. All you have to do is redeem the game key on Steam.
Some game key sellers, such as Green Man Gaming or Humble Store, may have the same game, but at a better price.
7. Refund the game you did not play
Even if you buy a game at a big discount, there is no point in leaving it in your library if you’re not going to play it. If 14 days have not passed since your purchase and you haven’t played more than two hours of playing, you can get a refund.
Buy games only if you know you want to play; After all, the “buy now, play later” strategy can get expensive if you forget to refund in time.
If you bought the game before it launched, you can also ask for a refund and get the same game at a discounted price. According to Steam, it can take up to seven days for an approved refund to appear in your account.
8. Follow Steam on Twitter
Every time you launch the app, Steam will show you the latest games for sale. However, if you’re not a hardcore gamer, there’s a chance you’ll stop launching the app on startup in order to speed up startup times. Plus, you probably won’t visit the Steam site every day, so you might miss out on getting the best price.
But if you have a Twitter account, you can follow Steam on Twitter to see the latest sales.
Save money on Steam
As you can see, there are many ways to grow your Steam library without the bankruptcy of your wallet or bank. This may require patience and diligence as you need to keep an eye out for the relevant transactions, but once you find them, you’ll be happier than you waited and your wallet will thank you
