How to Refund a Game on Steam?

For many a PC gamer who use Valve's Steam storefront for all their shopping needs, building a gargantuan library of (mostly unplayed) games is an all too common occurrence.

Less common, however, is the need to return and get a refund for one of those games. While Steam boasts a friendlier refund policy than other gaming storefronts like Xbox and Playstation, the process can be a little confusing if you don't quite know what you're looking for. Here's what you need to do.

How to Return a Steam Game For a Refund

In recent years, Valve has put out a series of updates to the UI and overall design of Steam that have made the process of getting a refund a little more confusing for veterans of the platform but fear not as the option is still available.

To begin the process of getting a refund, first find the game you wish to return and click on it to open its unique page. Then, under the install/play now button you should see a series of buttons with quick links relating to that particular game.

Look for the button that says "support" and click it. It should be the last button visible or if it isn't visible, click the three dots and choose it from the menu that appears. This will take you to the refund section of Steam Support.

Here you will be presented with a series of options. Click the option that best suits your situation but don't click the last option titled "I want to permanently remove this game from my account" as that will simply remove the game without a refund if you continue with that option.

Clicking any of the other options will take you to a follow-up page where you need to click "I'd like to request a refund" at which point your refund eligibility will appear.

It's important to note that to have a guaranteed refund on Steam, you should return the game within 14 days of purchasing it or before playing two hours of the game. Not having either of these doesn't mean your refund would be automatically rejected but it will lessen the likelihood of your request being successful. The images featuring New World would likely be unsuccessful for example as it far exceeds both criteria.

For more information on Valve's refund policy for Steam, be sure to check out their post on what can and can't be refunded and why.