Can You Remove Games From Steam Library?

Can You Remove Games From Steam Library?

Okay, so you’ve got a bunch of games in your Steam library, right? Maybe some of them you played once and never touched again. Or maybe you just don’t want them showing up anymore. Ever wondered, “Can I actually remove games from my Steam library?” The short answer is yes, but it’s not quite as simple as clicking a “delete” button. Let’s dig into the different ways you can tidy up your Steam collection and what exactly happens when you try to get rid of a game.

Understanding Game Licenses and Steam

Before we dive into the how-to, it’s important to understand how Steam works. When you buy a game on Steam, you’re not actually buying a physical disc. Instead, you’re buying a license to play that game on the Steam platform. Think of it like renting a movie online – you get to watch it as long as your subscription is active, but you don’t own the movie itself. Similarly, you get to play a game on Steam because you purchased the license, which is linked to your account. Because of this license system, complete removal in the traditional sense can be a little tricky.

Permanent Removal vs. Hiding

There is a difference between permanently removing a game and just hiding it. Permanently removing a game from your account means that it is no longer linked to your account. You will no longer be able to play the game, unless you buy the license again. Hiding a game, on the other hand, simply removes it from the default view in your library, but the license is still there, meaning you can always unhide it and play again. Let’s look at each option in detail:

How To Permanently Remove Games From Your Steam Library

Steam doesn’t offer a direct “delete” button for games in your library like you might see with files on your computer. However, there is a way to permanently remove games, but it’s important to understand that this option is primarily meant for titles that you’ve purchased in error. Let’s see how we can do it:

Using the Steam Support Website

This method involves using the Steam support page, and it is one that you can use to get rid of unwanted games from your Steam Library.

1. First, Go to the Steam website.
2. Next, Login to your account.
3. Navigate to the ‘Help’ option, that will be there on the top menu.
4. After clicking on the ‘Help’, select ‘Steam Support’.
5. You will find the option to search in the page for your game, look for it and click on the game you want to remove.
6. Click on “I want to permanently remove this game from my account” option.
7. There will be a confirmation pop up showing, click yes to confirm.

After doing the following steps, you will have successfully removed the game from your library. This option is mainly for getting rid of a game you got by mistake, and you can’t use it if you have been playing the game for some time, or if the game is a free-to-play title. Steam will generally allow this within a reasonable time frame, usually within 14 days of purchase, or if the game has less than 2 hours of playtime.

What Happens When You Remove a Game Permanently?

When you go through the steps of permanently removing the game from the Steam library, following are the things that will happen:

• The game is removed from your library and game list.
• You lose the license of that game.
• You cannot play the game unless you buy it again.
• Any save files, progress, achievements, and other related information are not accessible anymore, but might still be stored in the cloud for some titles.

Basically, it’s like you never owned the game in the first place. This option should be used cautiously, as you can’t just bring the game back once you removed it, and you will have to purchase it again if you change your mind. Also remember this will not remove the game installation files from your pc or hard drive, you have to delete those separately if needed.

Hiding Games From Your Steam Library

If you’re not ready to say a permanent goodbye, you can hide games instead. Hiding a game simply removes it from the default view in your library, making it look tidier without losing the ability to play it again. Let’s explore how this option works:

The Process of Hiding Games on Steam

Hiding games is a very easy method to reduce the clutter from your Steam library, you can hide any game you wish, whether purchased or free to play. Here’s a simple way to hide games:

1. Open the Steam application and go to your ‘Library’.
2. Find the game you want to hide in your game list.
3. Right-click on the game.
4. In the menu that shows, select ‘Manage’.
5. Then Click on ‘Hide this game’.

That’s all there is to it! The game will disappear from your default library view. But don’t worry, it’s not gone forever, its just hidden.

How to View Hidden Games

If you ever want to find your hidden games, it is easy to do so, you just need to change the view settings in the steam application.

1. Go to your Steam library in the application.
2. Click on ‘View’ option at the top of the application.
3. Select ‘Hidden Games’.

This will show all the games that you have hidden previously. You can then unhide them if you want. You can choose to play them from this view as well. You also have the option to unhide the game if you wish it to reappear in your default view.

How to Unhide Games

If you change your mind and want a hidden game to be visible again, here’s how to do that:

1. Follow the steps given above to show the hidden games.
2. Right click on the game that you want to unhide.
3. Click on ‘Manage’ option from the list that appears.
4. Click on ‘Remove From Hidden’ option.

Now the game will show up in your regular library view again. It is a good way to get rid of the unwanted games from your library view, and a more flexible approach as you don’t loose the game.

Categories and Collections: Organizing Your Library

Instead of removing or hiding games, you can use categories and collections to organize your library effectively. Steam allows you to create custom categories, making it easier to find the games you want. It is better to organize games into custom collections or categories than removing or hiding them.

Creating and Using Categories

Categories are a good way to filter your games, they help to keep games organized based on your own preferences.

1. Go to your Steam library.
2. Right click on the game you want to put into a category.
3. Choose ‘Categories’ from the list.
4. You will see an option to choose from ‘New Category’, name the category and click ‘Add Category’.
5. You can also choose from the other categories that you have created previously.

Creating and Using Collections

Collections let you create custom groupings of games, offering a more visual and flexible way to organize your library.

1. Go to your Steam library.
2. Click on the “Collections” button at the top of the library window.
3. Click on the “+” sign, and give a name to your collection.
4. Drag and drop games into the collection that you have created.

You can add a game into multiple collections, and this will give you flexibility to find a particular game easier. If you wish to remove game from a collection you can simply right click the game and ‘Remove from collection’ option.

Dealing With Free-To-Play Games

Free-to-play games work a bit differently when it comes to removal. Since you haven’t technically “purchased” them, you won’t have the option to permanently remove them through Steam Support in the same way. Here’s how they behave:

• Free to Play games cannot be removed permanently from the account.
• They can be hidden just like the paid games.
• They will be added back to your game list when you try to install again.

If you want to remove a free-to-play game from your library view, you will have to hide it, as you don’t get the option to remove them permanently from your library. The hiding method works just the same as a paid game.

Considerations Before Removing Games

Before you start removing or hiding games, keep a few things in mind. Removing a game permanently means you will lose it. If you have any doubts whether you want to play a game again, it is much better to hide it or create a custom collection or a category to manage the game, rather than removing it.

• Save Data: Removing a game might make save data inaccessible. Cloud saves might still be there, but it’s not always guaranteed.
• Achievements: Achievements will not be removed from your profile, but you might not be able to track progress if you remove the game.
• Re-purchasing: If you change your mind after removing a game, you’ll have to buy it again.

Steam Family Sharing and Removed Games

If you use Steam Family Sharing, it’s important to know that removing games affects all accounts that are sharing your library. If you remove a game, no one using family sharing will have access to that title from your library.

Summary Table: Removing vs. Hiding Games

In the end, managing your Steam library is all about what works best for you. You can keep it tidy by removing games that you have purchased by error, or hide them if you just don’t want to see them. Custom collections and categories can also help you make better use of your game list. Choose the option that will make your gaming experience more enjoyable.