By Jerry Games 
If you’re a game developer, a student learning game development, or just a creative mind who has built a game and now wants to sell it, you might be wondering:
“Can you sell your games on Steam?”
“Can You Sell Your Games On Steam” The Answer is Yes. To do this, you need to sign up for Steamworks, which is the part of Steam that helps game makers. You pay a small fee and then upload your game. Steam will check your game before it goes live. Once your game is on Steam, people can buy it, and you will earn money from the sales. Steam takes a small part of the money as a fee.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know:
✅ How to sell your game on Steam
✅ How much it costs
✅ What the process looks like
✅ What Steam offers you as a developer
✅ Common mistakes to avoid
✅ Tips to help you sell more copies
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Steam is one of the world’s largest online platforms for buying and playing video games. It was developed by Valve Corporation and launched in 2003. Today, it has over 120 million active users every month and thousands of games — from small indie titles to AAA blockbusters.
Steam is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it provides features like multiplayer gaming, game updates, mod support, achievements, community hubs, and cloud saves.
But Steam is not just for players. It’s also a place for developers to publish, promote, and sell their games — whether you’re a big studio or a solo developer.
Can You Sell Your Games on Steam?
Yes, you can sell your own games on Steam — even if you’re just a single person working from home. Steam has created a platform called Steamworks that allows anyone to become a publisher and release games for the world to buy.
As long as you meet a few simple requirements, pay a small fee, and follow Steam’s rules, you can have your game listed just like any other.
What is Steamworks?
Steamworks is Valve’s official toolset and service for game developers. It includes everything you need to prepare, publish, and manage your game on the Steam store. It gives you access to:
- Game publishing tools
- Analytics (player stats, sales, etc.)
- Steam Achievements and Cloud Save
- Community tools (forums, reviews, news posts)
- Marketing features (wishlists, sales events, etc.)
To use Steamworks, you need to register as a Steamworks Partner.
Here’s a full breakdown of the steps involved in selling your game on Steam.
Before anything, you need a regular Steam account. Go to store.steampowered.com and sign up if you don’t already have one.
Visit https://partner.steamgames.com/ and click “Join Steamworks”.
You’ll need to:
- Sign legal agreements with Valve
- Provide valid personal or business details
- Enter tax information (very important for payments)
- Provide your bank account for receiving earnings
You will also pay a $100 USD fee per game, which is refundable once your game earns $1,000.
Once your account is verified, you’ll get access to the Steamworks Dashboard. Here, you can start creating your game’s Steam page.
You will need to upload:
- Game build (your actual game files)
- Game trailer (highly recommended)
- Screenshots (high-quality and clear)
- Game description (use simple, catchy language)
- System requirements
- Price
Make your page attractive. This is what helps buyers decide to buy your game.
Steam has a short review process before your game goes live. Their team checks:
- If your game launches and runs properly
- If your game page follows the rules (no fake claims or NSFW content)
- If you provided the correct legal and tax information
This review can take 2–5 business days.
Once your game is approved, you can pick a release date. Steam allows you to schedule the launch and build hype in advance.
After launch, your game becomes available for purchase on the Steam Store worldwide.
Getting on Steam is one thing. Selling your game successfully is another. After launch, you should:
- Ask friends, YouTubers, and streamers to review it
- Post about your game on social media (Twitter/X, Reddit, Discord, etc.)
- Offer discounts or launch promotions
- Update your game regularly to keep players engaged
Also Read: Steam Says Game Is Running But It Isn’t – Complete Solution…!
Selling on Steam is not free, but the costs are reasonable.
| Cost Item | Amount |
| Steamworks Registration Fee | $100 USD per game (refundable) |
| Revenue Share | 30% goes to Steam, 70% to you |
| Additional Marketing or PR | Optional (you can do it yourself) |
If your game earns more than $10,000, Steam gives you even better revenue share options:
- After $10 million in sales → Steam takes 25%
- After $50 million in sales → Steam takes 20%
This helps big games earn more, but even small games can do well with the 70/30 split.
Also Read: Can You Play GOG Games On Steam – An Ultimate Guide of 2025!
Here are some solid reasons to choose Steam for your game launch:
Steam has over 120 million users monthly, which means your game can reach players from all over the world.
Gamers trust Steam. Buying through Steam feels safe and professional for most players.
You can push patches and updates at any time through Steamworks.
Steam provides forums, user reviews, guides, achievements, and leaderboards to make your game more engaging.
You can run promotions during events like Steam Summer Sale, which can boost your sales by a huge margin.
If you want your game to succeed, avoid these common errors:
- ❌ Poor-quality visuals — Bad graphics or UI can turn buyers away.
- ❌ No trailer — A good trailer is the fastest way to get attention.
- ❌ Too many bugs — A broken game = bad reviews = no sales.
- ❌ Ignoring your community — Listen to feedback and respond.
- ❌ Not marketing enough — Just uploading your game won’t bring players.
Here are some extra tips that can help your game become popular:
- Start a Steam page early – Even before your game is ready, build a page and let people wishlist it.
- Use Devlogs – Post updates about your development journey. It builds trust.
- Engage on Reddit & Discord – Join gaming communities where you can share your progress.
- Localize your game – Translate it to other languages for a global audience.
Join Steam Festivals – These online events can showcase your game to thousands of viewers.
No, you don’t need a publisher. Steam allows self-publishing. However, some developers still choose publishers for help with:
- Marketing
- PR and press coverage
- Localization
- Funding
If you’re confident in your abilities and don’t want to share profits, self-publishing is 100% possible and recommended for indie devs.
There’s no limit to how much money you can make on Steam. Some indie developers have made millions. Others sell only a few hundred copies.
It depends on:
- Game quality
- Marketing strategy
- Community engagement
- Reviews and player feedback
Even if your first game doesn’t do well, every launch helps you learn and improve.
To sell a game on Steam, you must pay a one-time fee of $100 USD per game through Steam Direct.
This fee is recoupable once your game earns $1,000 in gross revenue. In addition to this, Valve takes a 30% cut of your game’s sales revenue. You’ll also need to handle tax forms and bank setup for payouts.
Yes, Steam allows refunds for most games if requested within 14 days of purchase and with less than 2 hours of playtime.
Refunds can be issued for various reasons, including accidental purchases or hardware incompatibility. You must request a refund via Steam Support, and the money is usually returned to your payment method or Steam Wallet within a week.
Yes, you can earn money by developing and selling games on Steam. After paying the $100 Steam Direct fee, you can publish your game. Steam pays developers 70% of the revenue, while keeping 30%.
Popular games can generate significant income, especially if they receive good reviews and gain traction with the gaming community. DLCs and in-game purchases also help increase revenue.
Yes, you can sell in-game items, trading cards, and skins on the Steam Community Market. However, these sales only earn Steam Wallet credit, not real-world cash. You must have Steam Guard enabled and meet certain eligibility conditions.
The funds you earn can be used to buy games or other market items, but cannot be withdrawn to a bank account.
No, selling your Steam account is strictly against Steam’s Terms of Service. If caught, your account can be permanently banned. Steam accounts are tied to the original owner, and transferring ownership is not allowed.
Even if you manage to sell it privately, the buyer risks losing access, and you could face consequences, including losing your other Valve services.
Generally, you cannot legally resell Steam games once they are redeemed to your account. Steam keys bought from authorized sellers can sometimes be resold before activation, but selling games directly from your library is not allowed.
Attempting to do so can result in account bans. Only the original unused keys can sometimes be resold on third-party platforms.
Once a Steam game is activated, it cannot be transferred or resold. You can request a refund if eligible, or simply uninstall it.
If it was a gift and not yet redeemed, you can decline it. Alternatively, you can leave it in your library or use Family Sharing to let others play, but ownership stays with your account.
You cannot sell Steam games directly from your library on G2A. However, you can sell unused Steam keys if you have any.
G2A is a marketplace for game keys, not for activated accounts or games. Be cautious, though—selling unauthorized keys can lead to legal and ethical issues, and Valve does not support or recommend using G2A.
On Gameflip, you can sell unused Steam keys, not games from your Steam library. After creating an account, list your digital key, set a price, and wait for a buyer.
Once the transaction is complete and verified, you receive the payment in your Gameflip wallet, which can be withdrawn or used to buy other items. Selling activated games is not allowed.
You cannot legally sell a Steam account, instantly or otherwise. Doing so violates Steam’s user agreement, and the account can be banned or restricted.
Although some third-party websites offer to buy accounts, using them risks permanent loss of your games and data. Instead of selling, consider using Steam Family Sharing if you want to let someone access your games.
No, once a game is redeemed to your Steam account, it cannot be sold, transferred, or gifted to another person.
Steam’s policy does not allow resale of owned digital games. The only option is a refund if the purchase qualifies. If it’s an unused gift copy or key, you may be able to sell it elsewhere, but not after activation.
Yes, anyone can sell a game on Steam — even if you’re an individual developer or a small team. You do not need to be a big company. As long as your game meets Steam’s basic requirements, you can publish it yourself.
Steam charges a $100 USD fee per game. This fee is refundable once your game earns $1,000 in revenue. After that, Steam takes 30% of each sale, and you receive 70%.
If your game has too many bugs, players may leave negative reviews, which can hurt your sales. It’s important to test your game thoroughly before releasing it and continue fixing issues after launch through regular updates.
Fluent English is helpful but not required. You can use clear and simple English for your game page. Steam also allows developers to add translations for different languages, which can help reach a global audience.
It’s okay if your first game doesn’t perform as expected. Many developers don’t succeed right away. Focus on learning, improving your skills, and building a better game next time. Consistency and improvement often lead to long-term success.
Selling your game on Steam in 2025 is completely achievable, even for solo developers. With a small upfront fee, access to Steamworks tools, and a massive global audience, Steam offers a great opportunity to publish and profit from your game. Success depends on quality, marketing, and community engagement, but even small titles can gain traction. By avoiding common mistakes and leveraging Steam’s features, you can turn your passion into profit and build a long-term presence in the gaming world.