For a long time, once you downloaded a game from Steam, you owned it forever. For most people, simply ignoring a game is easy enough – you can go about your gaming schedule and ignore it. But sometimes, you just want a game to go away.
We will see how you can permanently delete a game from your Steam. Also, we’ll show you a couple of alternatives to delete a game in case you change your mind.
How to remove a game from your steam library
Before deleting a game, check to see if you can get a refund from Steam. You can get a refund if you have played the game for less than two hours and it has not been more than two weeks since purchase. But if this is not the case, here is how to remove the game from your Steam library.
First, you need to uninstall the game using the Steam app. If not, you will need to manually uninstall it from your computer once you remove it from your Steam account.
Then go to the game in your Library and click on the game you want to delete. On the right side of the game page, click the Support Link. This will take you to the game’s support page, where there are all kinds of options for problems with a game. The important one for our needs is at the bottom.
Click the button labeled I want to permanently delete this game from my account.
A page will open asking you to confirm your choice and it will be gone forever.
Just remember that you will have to buy the game again if you change your mind in the future. Also, the additional and downloadable content will be removed along with the main game, so you should think about it.
Alternatives to deleting a game
There are a few reasons why you might want to remove a game from your library. Perhaps the content of a game is inappropriate for a younger member of the family, or you’re playing a silly game that you don’t want your friends and family to know about.
Whatever the reason, permanently removing a game from your library can be too much at times. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to keep the game away from prying eyes and hands.
Hide Steam Games
If you don’t want anyone to find a particular game in your Steam library, you should hide it. Once you launch the app, select the game you want to hide and click the button settings icon. Then click Manage > Hide this game.
You can hide any game on your Steam account, including installed or uninstalled games. Also, you can hide the single or multiplayer version of the same game.
To access a hidden game, open the View menu and click see hidden games. If you want the game to return to the normal library view, open the settings menu and click Manage > Remove from hidden.
Uninstall a game and reinstall it later
Sometimes hiding a game isn’t enough, as other people can easily find and play it. Now, if you have a game in your library that you still want to play in the future, you can uninstall and reinstall it later.
Clean up your Steam Library
Hopefully, you got rid of the games you no longer play and are just cluttering up your library. Also, the other two options can help you when organizing your game list.
Now that you’ve cleaned up your Steam library, you can add a few more games without breaking the bank.