15 Legit Ways To Get Free Steam Games (2023 Guide!)

Video games, or the beautiful activity that allows us to escape the real world and become whatever or whoever we want to be.

There’s no denying that playing video games is extremely fun. Pus, it’s even possible to make money playing video games if you stream on Twitch, start a YouTube channel, or get a bit creative.

However, a video game hobby can also be extremely expensive.

If you’re a teenager, chances are, you might struggle to get the flashiest new video game on the market unless your parents help pay for it. I know that struggle because I was there too.

Thankfully, if you’re a serious gaming fan, you’re in luck. It’s actually possible to cut down on video game costs by using a platform called Steam.

Steam, a downloadable gaming platform, allows gamers all over the world to browse and shop for games in a central marketplace. Steam also lets you play games for free and save money, if you get a bit creative.

In this article, I’m discussing how you can earn free Steam games and to save money when shopping for your next video game.

The Best Ways To Get Free Steam Games

If you’re wondering how to get Steam games for free and cut down on your video game spending, you’re in luck!

Here are 12 legit ways you can earn free Steam games and codes to hopefully save you money the next time you purchase a game, or to even get Steam games for free!

1. Mistplay

Mistplay is a “loyalty program for gamers” that’s one of the most popular apps that pays you for playing games.

You receive rewards in the form of gift cards once you earn enough Mistplay points. One of the gift card options available on Mistplay is for Steam.

By playing mobile games, which you’re most likely already doing, you can earn rewards that go right back into your gaming experience. It’s the perfect way to save money on video games while still playing video games!

The rewards take a little while to add up in order to earn gift cards for Steam Codes, but considering that you’re already gaming, it’s worth it.

Download Mistplay and start working towards some free Steam games! You can also read my Mistplay app review for all the details.

2. Swagbucks

Another popular way to get Steam games for free is to earn rewards with Swagbucks, a popular rewards app and website.

With Swagbucks, you earn points for completing tasks like paid surveys, downloading apps, shopping online, and even playing trivia. You can then redeem those points for various gift cards, including ones to Steam.

I like that Swagbucks has plenty of ways to earn. And I’ve personally cashed out with the site dozens of times over the years.

Plus, new members can get a nice $5 sign up bonus to sweeten the deal. And even though free Steam gift cards aren’t always available, you can cash out via PayPal at just $5 and then purchase your Steam gift card using those funds.

Start earning with Swagbucks!

3. Get-Paid-To Websites

Like Swagbucks, another option for getting free Steam games is to use get-paid-to websites and microtask websites to earn free gift cards and PayPal cash.

The idea here is pretty simple: answer surveys, play games, and download new apps to earn points you can exchange for rewards.

Some popular gpt sites I use and suggest trying include:

• Branded Surveys – A leading survey site with PayPal cash rewards starting at only $5!
• Survey Junkie – Answer surveys and cash out through PayPal once you reach $5, and then buy Steam games!
• Opinion Outpost – Another popular survey website where you can earn free PayPal cash.
• Pinecone Research – Earn $3 for every survey you complete with this premium research panel!
• Fetch Rewards – Earn free gift cards for shopping at sponsored brands and uploading receipts (Steam codes were available at some point in time).

Tom also made a video on some high paying apps and survey sites you can check out if you like this online side hustle idea.

Again, these apps and websites won’t pay for your entire Steam game wishlist, but they can help you earn some freebies once in a while and save money on your video game hobby!

4. Reddit FreeGamesOnSteam

If you want to get free games on Steam, this is definitely one of the best subreddits you can ever join.

r/FreeGamesOnSteam is a great place for gamers to check out what’s new on Steam and how you can get free games on Steam (like the name implies).

People are constantly posting on this community page with keys, free Steam games, codes, and other ways to access Steam games for either completely free or at least at a huge discount.

The page is mainly a message board that updates when paid games go on free trial, but there are also plenty of free Steam keys to be found.

There are bots on the page as well sharing news about how to access certain games so keep an eye out for people’s comments.

You’ll usually be able to tell if something is still available or not or if something is just too good to be true.

Pro Tip: You can also check r/FreeSteamGames, a smaller version of this sub, for more codes and free games!

5. Buff Gaming

If you like passive income, one excellent way to get Steam games for free is to earn rewards with Buff.

Buff is a gaming loyalty program that pays you for playing your favorite PC and mobile games. All you need to do is download the Buff client, launch your games, and you gradually earn points which are redeemable for rewards.

What I like about Buff is that it lets you earn by playing plenty of popular games, including:

• CS:GO
• Minecraft
• League of Legends
• Call of Duty
• Apex Legends
• Valorant

Free Steam gift cards are sometimes available starting at $10. And you can also redeem other video-game related prizes like in-game skins, gaming merchandise, keyboards, and headsets.

Try out Buff today or read my Buff review for all the details!

Extra Reading – The Best Ways To Make Money On Autopilot.

6. Gamehag

Another way to get free Steam games is to use Gamehag, a desktop and mobile rewards platform for gamers. And unlike apps like Mistplay, which are mobile only, Gamehad lets you play premium PC games to earn Soul Gems.

Once you earn enough Soul Gems, you can redeem them for free gift cards, free video games (like Call of Duty or The Witcher), prepaid Visas, skins for different games, and Steam wallet codes.

Gamehag has other ways to earn Soul Gems, including writing articles, answering surveys, and trying new mobile games.

However, what makes this platform stand apart from a lot of other websites is that you can play premium games to earn rewards…so it’s actually fun to grind out your rewards!

If you want to learn more, check out our Gamehag review for all the details.

7. InboxDollars

If you’re still wondering how to get free Steam games, one website you can test out is InboxDollars.

Like other gpt sites, InboxDollars pays you for completing tasks like paid surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games for money. And you can cash out your earnings for PayPal cash and a variety of gift cards.

Steam gift cards aren’t always available, but as mentioned, you can redeem your earnings for PayPal cash and then buy them yourself.

Plus, InboxDollars starts new members off with $5, which is a pretty competitive sign up bonus. And you can cash out once you earn your first $15 on the platform.

Ultimately, sites like InboxDollars won’t make you rich. But it’s a nice way to earn money online as a beginner and get to your next Steam purchase a bit faster.

Get started with InboxDollars!

8. Bananatic

Similar to Misplay, Bananatic allows you to earn rewards (or bananas in this case) for playing video games and testing new games.

What’s cool about Bananatic is that you can customize your preferences to choose your favorite genres of games to test. This way, the games are not only exciting for you, but make you money as well.

Each banana is worth $0.002, meaning you’ll need 2,500 bananas to redeem a $5 worth of free Steam codes. Additionally, almost all of the games on Bananatic earn you 100 bananas each for trying them out.

You can also earn bananas for writing game reviews or reaching certain levels in sponsored games (which include many free and premium titles).

After testing around 25 games of your choice, you’ll be able to redeem your first free Steam code. That’s already enough to buy a smaller sized game on Steam without spending real money.

Like Mistplay, Bananatic takes some time to make money with.

However, it’s clear that users are getting free Steam games and keys by using this platform if you checkout the recent rewards tab:

If you like the idea of testing out new games, definitely check out Bananatic!

Extra Reading – How To Make Money Testing Websites.

9. Reddit Steam Game Swap

Another great Reddit community for getting free Steam games is r/SteamGameSwap.

While this isn’t exactly a way to unlock Steam games for free, it’s an excellent way to cut down on your video game expenses.

The awesome thing about this page is that you can exchange games you don’t want anymore for games that someone else might have and vice versa!

If you don’t have any games to trade, but still want to buy a game for really cheap, you can usually pay people with Paypal, Cashapp, or Venmo for their game.

Just make sure you read the rules of this page and the safety guidelines before starting!

It’s very easy to get scammed by strangers on the internet when it comes to trading items for money.

Keep an eye out for scam related posts and be very clear on the rules and regulations. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time trying to find good Steam deals.

As long as you’re being safe, r/SteamGameSwap is a great resource especially for gamers with old, unwanted games.

10. AppNana

AppNana is a mobile app that lets you earn rewards by downloading and using sponsored apps. In many ways, AppNana is similar to apps like Mistplay.

The apps available for testing are mostly games as well, which makes the experience a lot more interesting than just downloading random apps.

When you try an app, you receive Nanas. These Nanas are the points that you use to redeem various gift cards or even towards getting paid apps for free!

Most apps seem to earn you around 2,000 Nanas each. Steam Code gift cards cost 280,000 Nanas for $20 and 480,000 Nanas for $40.

Will this take quite some time to earn those rewards? Yes, most likely. However, if you are desperate to get a free game on Steam, you could grind out AppNana for some free Steam Wallet Codes.

I would still recommend trying it out and seeing for yourself if AppNana looks worth it for you.

Worst case scenario, you redeem those points early for something else like an Amazon gift card or free Clash of Clans gems or something, all of which cost a lot less Nanas.

If you like this idea, you can also try out other money-making apps like JustPlay and Money Well, to earn even more gaming rewards.

Extra Reading – The Best iOS Games That Pay You.

11. Reddit Steam Giveaways

The last Reddit community on the list you can use to get games for free on Steam is r/SteamGiveaways.

This page offers a wide array of Steam game keys through giveaways, so if you’re lucky, you can score some free games and savings here just by entering giveaways.

The page is very active with many people looking to get those keys first. So, if you’re in the need for a favorite game of yours, make sure you’re on the page early!

If you’re not early enough to giveaways, there’s a very little chance of you actually earning any free games on Steam.

Again, read the rules and regulations to avoid getting banned, scammed, or any other penalties that may arise. Reddit is a strong tool, so use it wisely.

Access to r/SteamGiveaways is very limited and there are a lot more takers than givers. Keep that in mind when you’re looking for realistic options to get free games.

Extra Reading – How To Make Money On Reddit.

12. Rakuten

Rakuten is an online rewards platform and money saving browser extension that’s one of my favorite ways to get paid to shop.

When you shop online at a Rakuten-partner retailer, you receive cash back. This platform is very similar to other shopping extensions like Honey.

Rakuten pays out your cash back balance quarterly as long as you have more than $5.00 in your account. Rakuten is free to use, and this is one of the simplest ways to save money when shopping online.

Does Rakuten have a rewards system that pays out with free Steam games? No, but you can easily use the cashback you receive from them and use it to buy new games.

Rakuten pays through PayPal, so it’s easy to turn around and deposit your savings into your Steam Wallet.

Just be sure to install the Rakuten browser extension to ensure you know when you’re eligible to earn cash back on your next online shopping trip!

Extra Reading – Rakuten Review – How I Earned More Than $400 In Rewards.

13. Gift Card Granny

Do you have gift cards that are of little or no use to you? If you do, you should create an account on Gift Card Granny.

This platform allows you to trade in unwanted gift cards in exchange for gift cards to stores you actually like.

This is very similar to r/SteamGameSwap. However, instead of swapping unwanted games for desired games, you’re potentially swapping unwanted gift cards for Steam Wallet codes!

Gift Card Granny also lets you buy gift cards at a discount, and this platform is an awesome way to save more money on expenses outside of a gaming hobby.

It’s a great option for those of you who have a random gift card hiding in your wallet that can be used for a much greater purpose.

Who would’ve thought that you had a free Steam game sitting in your wallet and you didn’t even know it?!

Just note: gift card availability changes all the time based on supply, so free Steam Codes for games aren’t always on the table.

14. Raise.com

Similar to Gift Card Granny, Raise.com is another e-commerce company for third party sellers to buy and sell gift cards at discounted prices.

The great thing about Raise.com is that you can often buy a $25 Steam gift card and it will cost you much less than $25! So, this is an immediate way to just save money on Steam purchases.

Plus, when you join Raise, you have the options to sell your unwanted gift cards and buy ones that you need. A $25 Steam gift card may be as cheap as $15.

The point is, you should check if you have any unwanted gift cards right now so you can purchase your next Steam game for completely free.

15. Gamekit

If you want another fun way to get free games on Steam, you need to try Gamekit.

Like Gamehag, Gamekit lets you earn points for playing a variety of popular PC games and completing in-game quests.

You can also earn points for completing tasks like:

• Answering paid surveys
• Inviting your friends
• Downloading the mobile app
• Winning giveaways

What’s cool about Gamekit is that, aside from free PayPal cash and a variety of gift cards, you can redeem your points for free Steam keys and games.

Gamekit even lets you redeem your points for a random free Steam game that’s up to $60 in value, so you can snag some premium titles by using this reward site.

You can also redeem points for Steam keys, including premium keys, so there’s a lot of chances to win some popular games if you get a bit lucky.

Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Apps.

What Are Steam Codes?

Steam Codes work like an activation code for the purchase of games, wallet credit, software, or any other Steam approved transactions. In other words, Steam Codes are basically like gift cards for the Steam marketplace.

You can input these codes into your Steam Wallet and use them in whatever form you’d like! The codes can be found on gift cards at available stores such as GameStop, Best Buy, and Walgreens.

However, there are also ways to get free Steam Codes through online methods such as gaming apps, cash back apps, and more which we’ll discuss in the next section.

How Do You Redeem Steam Codes?

If you use one of the above methods to earn free Steam Codes, it’s probably worth knowing how to actually redeem them!

Redeeming Steam Codes is extremely simple. Here’s how to do it completely from scratch:

1. Go to https://store.steampowered.com/.
2. Download Steam to your computer.
3. Create an account.
4. Open Steam on your computer.
5. In the top right corner, click the drop down arrow over your account name.
6. Select “View my Wallet”.
7. Click on “Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code”.
8. Enter the Steam Code and press continue.
9. Your Steam Code is redeemed!

That’s it! If you already have Steam downloaded on your computer, just follow the list starting from #5.

What Is Your Steam Wallet?

The main benefit of Steam for gamers is that it lets the buy, download, and access their game library in one central place. However, to actually buy video games on Steam, you must use your Steam wallet.

Your Steam Wallet is a section in your profile where you can load funds into your Steam account.

You can use funds in your Steam Wallet to purchase video games, Steam software/hardware, in-game purchases, or any other items that support Steam transactions.

Keep in mind that these funds are not the same as cash.

You can’t send money from your Steam Wallet to other friends unless you share the Steam code you receive from activating a gift card or use other online methods.

Now that you understand the basics of the Steam Wallet, let’s get into Steam Codes and how you can find Steam Codes so you can get free Steam games.

Extra Reading – The Best Online Jobs That Pay Daily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Really Get Steam Games For Free?

All of the methods above let you get games on Steam for free, but it’s important to note that this entire strategy can take some time.

Many of these methods don’t pay very much per hour, so you can’t unlock dozens of free Steam games in a matter of days.

Really, these methods are ways to earn small freebies on the side, so it might take some time to save up enough Steam codes to actually redeem a game.

So, my advice is to pick a few reward websites or strategies that you like the best and to give them a try. It might take a while to get an expensive Steam game for free, but if you don’t mind the grind, the rewards will be worth it!

If you want to play video games to earn rewards, your best bets are definitely Gamehag, Mistplay, and Gamekit!

Extra Reading – The Best Beermoney Websites & Apps.

Do Steam Wallet Code Generators Work?

You might find that there are hundreds of Steam Wallet Code generators online if you dig deep enough into the dark hole of ways to get games on Steam for free.

Be aware! These generators are not safe to use and are always looking to scam you!

Most of them are some form of malware that are out there to put viruses on your computer or to steal some sort of private information without giving you anything in return.

I highly recommend you steer clear of these generators! That’s coming from someone who got a virus by trying this when he was younger.

That’s right, I fell for the trap… lesson learned.

How Can I Get Paid Games On Steam For Free?

The best way to get paid Steam games for free is to use reward apps to earn free Steam codes. From there, you can redeem codes for cash for your Steam account and buy the games you’re interested in.

Apps like JustPlay and various survey sites, like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks, are some of the fastest ways to get free Steam codes.

Extra Reading – The Best Ways To Get $20 Instantly.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these ideas gave you a bit of inspiration to help you find some free Steam games and to save money on your gaming habits.

Some methods require a bit more work than others, while others require patience to accumulate rewards.

Either way, it’s not always super easy to find codes. After all, Steam has to make money somehow right?

If you still can’t find any codes for free to buy new Steam games, consider playing the huge array of games on Steam that are already free. 

I’ve spent hours playing free games on Steam like Team Fortress and Dota, which are large multiplayer games and world-class games. Plus, it’s fun to just bounce between free games every once in a while and see what’s new!

I’d also recommend checking out https://www.reddit.com/r/GameDeals/ for more free game options or to find massive discounts. You can even filter the choices of deals based on your interests and store of preference.

Let me know if you find any other ways to earn free Steam games and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ones mentioned above.

Good luck fellow gamers!

Looking for other ways to make money? Checkout:

• The Ultimate Side Hustle List.
• 10 Best Ways To Make Money On Steam.