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 call 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, we’ll discuss how you can earn free Steam Codes and to save money when shopping for your next video game.
Let’s start off with a bit about Steam…
What Is Steam?
Steam is a digital distribution service founded in 2003 by Valve.
Steam is essentially a platform for game developers to add their games on a massive digital marketplace. This way, more people can see their game while also giving gamers the freedom to search for thousands of titles in one place.
It’s sort of like a music library…but for video games!
Steam describes themselves as “the ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games.”
The gaming platform has over 30,000 games available for download and 100 million active user users.
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.
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.
The Best Ways To Get Free Steam Games & Codes
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 Codes to hopefully save you money the next time you purchase a game, or to even get Steam games for free!
Mistplay is a “loyalty program for gamers” that rewards users for playing new mobile 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!
It doesn’t really get any better than that.
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 Wallet codes!
Extra Reading – Mistplay App Review.
Another way to get free Steam games is to use Gamehag, a desktop and mobile rewards platform for gamers.
Unlike Mistplay, which is 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, checkout our latest Gamehag review for all the details.
You can also signup for Gamehag and get started with getting free games on Steam! (Note: this link is for US Android only signup).
Another option for get free steam games to 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.
These types of sites won’t make you rich, but hey, they can earn small gift cards and bits of cash with minimal effort.
Some popular websutes & apps you can try include:
Survey Junkie – Answer surveys and cash out through PayPal once you reach $5, and then buy Steam games!Swagbucks – Play games, answer surveys, and shop online to earn free gift cards and cash.Opinion Outpost – Another popular survey website where you can earn PayPal cash.Fetch Rewards – Earn free gift cards for shopping at sponsored brands and uploading receipts (Steam codes were available at some point in time).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!
Extra Reading – The Best Reward Apps To Earn Cash & Free Gift Cards.
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 keys and games 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.
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.
Learn more in our official AppNana review!
Extra Reading – Apps That Pay You To Play Games.
Get ready to dive into the world of Reddit communities!
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, 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!
Another great Reddit community for getting free Steam games is r/SteamGameSwap.
While this isn’t exactly a way to unlock Steam Codes 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.
Warning! 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.
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.
Rakuten is an online rewards platform and money saving browser extension.
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 way to save money when shopping online.
Does Rakuten have a rewards system that pays out with free Steam Codes? 
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.
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 aren’t always on the table.
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.
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:
Paid surveysInviting your friendsDownloading the mobile appWinning giveawaysWhat’s cool about Gamekit is that, aside from 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, inlcuding premium keys, so there’s a lot of chances to win some popular games if you get a bit lucky.
Checkout our Gamekit review for all the details!
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 are extremely simple. Here’s how to do it completely from scratch:
Go to https://store.steampowered.com/.Download Steam to your computer.Create an account.Open Steam on your computer.In the top right corner, click the drop down arrow over your account name.Select “View my Wallet”.Click on “Redeem a Steam Gift Card or Wallet Code”.Enter the Steam Code and press continue.Your Steam Code is redeemed!That’s it!
If you already have Steam downloaded on your computer, just follow the list starting from #5.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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!
All fake and scams, don’t waste your time with these generators.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.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully these ideas gave you a bit of inspiration to help you find some free Steam Codes 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 Steam Codes for free, 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 Codes 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:
Daniel is a 20 year old blogger from Los Angeles with a huge love for everything entrepreneurship, finance, and investing. When he’s not blogging at Modern Teen, you can catch him playing volleyball, shooting archery, or finding new ways to make money.