To remove games from your Steam library, you can either hide them from view or permanently delete them via Steam support, but note that deleting them does not remove the license.
Ever felt your Steam library has become a bit cluttered? Maybe you’ve got games you know you’ll never play. It’s a common issue, and thankfully, the solution is quite straightforward. This guide will show you exactly how to remove games from steam library and keep things tidy.
We’ll walk through the steps for hiding games from your list and for removing games permanently through Steam support. Keep in mind, though, that even after removal, the game license remains tied to your account.
How to Remove Games from Steam Library
Okay, so you’ve got a Steam library overflowing with games, some you play all the time and others that just sit there gathering digital dust. Maybe you want to tidy things up, remove some games you know you’ll never touch again, or perhaps you just want to hide some games from view. Whatever your reason, removing games from your Steam library is something many gamers want to do, and the good news is, it’s totally possible! This guide will show you all the ways to manage your Steam library and remove those unwanted titles.
Understanding the Different Ways to “Remove” Games
Before we dive into the how-to, it’s helpful to understand that Steam actually offers different levels of “removal.” You aren’t always permanently getting rid of a game; sometimes you’re just hiding it. This makes it easier to come back to it later if you change your mind. Here are the common terms you’ll see:
Hiding a Game
Think of this like putting a game on a shelf in the back of your closet. It’s still in your library, but you won’t see it when browsing. This is great for games you might want to play again someday or for games you simply don’t want others to see. Hidden games can always be easily unhidden.
Permanently Removing a Game
This is like throwing the game in the trash. It’s gone from your library for good and won’t appear anymore unless you repurchase it. This is more appropriate for games you know for sure you don’t want and will never want to play again. Keep in mind, you can’t always remove every game permanently.
Uninstalling a Game
This is like taking the game off of your computer, but it is still in your library. It will still be listed in your library. If you need to free up space, but still intend on playing a title eventually, you will want to uninstall it, so its files are no longer on your hard drive. Uninstalling doesn’t affect whether a game is hidden or not.
How to Hide Games from Your Steam Library
Hiding a game is one of the easiest ways to clean up your Steam library. It keeps the game in your library but out of your sight.
Steps to Hide a Game
Here’s a simple guide to hiding a game on Steam:
- Open Steam: Start your Steam client, and log into your account.
- Go to Your Library: Click the “Library” button at the top of the window.
- Find the Game: Locate the game you want to hide. You can scroll through your list or use the search bar to find it quickly.
- Right-Click the Game: Once you’ve found the game, right-click on it. A menu will appear.
- Select “Manage”: From the right-click menu, hover over the “Manage” option. A submenu will appear.
- Click “Hide this Game”: In the submenu, click “Hide this Game”. The game will now disappear from your main library view.
How to See Hidden Games
If you ever want to see your hidden games again, here’s how to find them:
- Open Steam and Go to Library: Just like before, open your Steam client and go to your library.
- Click View: At the top of the Steam window, find the “View” menu. Click it.
- Go to Hidden Games: From the “View” menu, select “Hidden Games.” Your hidden games will appear in a new view.
- Unhide a Game: To unhide a game, right-click on it and select “Manage”, and then in the sub menu click “Remove from hidden.” The game will be added to your main library view.
How to Permanently Remove a Game from Your Steam Account
Sometimes, you need to make a clean break and permanently remove a game. This process is a bit different from hiding games, and not all games can be removed in this way.
Eligible Games for Permanent Removal
Generally, you can permanently remove free-to-play games or games that were given to you for free during promotions. Most games purchased through the Steam store can’t be permanently removed, but we will discuss options for those games too.
Steps to Permanently Remove a Game
Here’s a guide to permanently removing eligible games:
- Visit Steam Support Website: Open a web browser and go to the Steam Support page: https://help.steampowered.com/.
- Log in: Make sure you’re logged into your Steam account.
- Select the Game: After logging in, Click on “Games, Software, etc.” in the support menu.
- Search For Your Game: Type in the name of the game you want to remove into the search field, and then select it from the list.
- Select ‘I want to remove this game from my account’: Now scroll to the bottom of the page, and look for the option “I want to permanently remove this game from my account.” Select this option.
- Confirm Game Removal: Steam will present a warning that this action will permanently remove the game from your account. Click on ‘Okay, remove the listed games from my account’ to confirm the removal.
Note: Not every game will have this option. If you purchased the game through the Steam store, this method usually won’t work. You will be informed whether a title is eligible when you attempt these steps.
What To Do If You Can’t Permanently Remove a Game
As we mentioned before, you usually can’t permanently remove games you have purchased through the Steam store. That being said, there are still methods to reduce clutter and prevent these games from bothering you.
Hiding the Game
Hiding the game is your first option. As we discussed earlier, hiding the game will remove the game from your main library view, keeping it out of sight.
Creating Collections
Steam allows you to create “Collections” to organize your games. You could create a collection for games you don’t plan to play much and keep them out of your main list.
- Open Your Library: Go to your Steam library.
- Right Click on a Game: Right click on any game, and hover over ‘add to’ in the resulting dropdown menu.
- Create a Collection: Click the “Create New Collection” option.
- Name your Collection: Give your collection a name like “Old Games” or “Do Not Play”.
- Add Games: Drag or add games you wish to add to this collection.
- View Your Collection: You can click on the collection on the left side to view the games in your collection.
By making a collection of games you don’t want to play, you can keep these games grouped together and separate them from other titles.
Using Steam Categories
Steam Categories are a little bit different than Collections, as each game can only be assigned to one or zero categories. Categories are useful when you want to sort your games in your library into easily viewable groups.
- Open Your Library: Go to your Steam library.
- Right click on a game: Right click on the title of a game and hover over “Categories” in the resulting dropdown menu.
- Select a Category or Create One: Choose a category or make a new one.
- Filter by Category: In your library, click on the “Categories” dropdown, and you can view all of your games in the selected category.
Uninstalling the Game
Uninstalling the game removes it from your hard drive and can free up space. The game will still appear in your Steam library, but you will have to reinstall the game to play it.
- Open Your Library: Go to your Steam library.
- Right Click the Game: Right-click on the game you want to uninstall.
- Select “Manage”: From the right-click menu, hover over “Manage”.
- Click “Uninstall”: Click on uninstall. The game will now be uninstalled and you can redownload at any time.
What If You Remove a Game By Accident?
It happens! If you accidentally remove a game you wanted to keep, here’s what you can do:
Unhiding a Game
If you accidentally hid the game, you can unhide it easily as we have described in the earlier section of this article.
Redownloading an Uninstalled Game
If you uninstalled a game, simply find the game in your library, and click on the install button. This will redownload the game and install it back on your system.
Repurchasing a Permanently Removed Game
If you’ve permanently removed a game from your account, you’ll need to repurchase it to play it again. Go to the Steam store page for the game and purchase it as you would purchase any other game.
Note: It’s always important to be sure before you remove a game, as re-purchasing is sometimes the only option after you remove a game from your account!
Tips for Keeping Your Steam Library Organized
Here are some final tips to help you keep your Steam library nice and tidy:
- Use the Search Function: Quickly find games by using the search bar.
- Regularly Review Your Library: Once in a while, check your library to see if there are any games you want to hide, uninstall, or organize into a collection or category.
- Be Careful with Permanent Removal: Think twice before permanently removing a game because you’ll have to buy it again.
- Utilize Steam Features: Steam has many built-in options to organize your games.
Removing games from your Steam library doesn’t need to be a hassle. Whether you’re hiding a game, creating collections, or just removing unwanted content, there are plenty of ways to manage your digital game collection. With a little effort, you can keep your library easy to navigate and only view titles you’re interested in.
How to permanently remove a game from Steam – Quick Guide
Final Thoughts
To remove games from your Steam library, you must utilize the ‘Manage’ option. Find the game in your library, right-click, then select ‘Manage’ and ‘Remove from account’. This permanently removes the game.
Remember this action is irreversible. Make sure you actually intend to remove the game as you cannot get it back easily, without buying again, once removed.
This is how to remove games from Steam library easily. You can keep your library clean and only have the games you enjoy.
