Steam is the most popular digital distribution platform for PC games, with over 30,000 games in its library and millions of active users. Over time, your Steam library can get cluttered with games you no longer play. Fortunately, Steam offers options to permanently remove games from your account or simply hide them.
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Permanently Removing Games from Your Steam Account
If you want to completely remove a game from your Steam account, follow these steps:
- Open the Steam client and login
- Click on the “Games” menu and select “Activate a Product on Steam”
- Search for the game you want to remove
- Click on “I want to permanently remove this game from my account”
- Confirm that you want to remove the game
Once removed, the game will no longer appear in your Steam library. You won’t be able to play or access the game anymore on that account[1]. This is an irreversible action, so only use it if you are absolutely sure.
Some things to note about permanent game removal:
- It does not refund you or allow you to transfer the game license
- Your playtime and achievements related to that game will be erased
- Shared games under Family Sharing will become inaccessible to others
So in most cases, hiding games is a better option if you still may play them again someday.
Hiding Games in Your Steam Library
Rather than completely removing a game, you can simply hide it from view in your Steam library. The game will still be associated with your account, but won’t be visible to you or others.
Hide Games from Your View
To hide games from your library view:
- Open your Steam library
- Right click on the game
- Select “Set Categories…”
- Choose “Hide this game”
The game will now only be visible if you select “Hidden” under the “View” option in your library.
Hide Games from Friends
You can also prevent friends from seeing certain games in your library:
- Go to your Steam Community profile
- Click “Edit Profile”
- Go to the “Privacy Settings” section
- Set “Game Details” to “Private”
This will make all your gaming activity and libraries private[2]. To selectively show games, use the “Hidden” category method above.
Hide Current Game Activity
To hide what game you are currently playing:
- Go to your Steam Friends & Chat window
- Click your name and select “Go Offline”
- Toggle “Invisible” on
This will show you as offline and not reveal the game you are playing[3].
Organizing Your Steam Library
As your collection grows, keeping your Steam library organized can become a challenge. Here are some tips:
- Use the Favorites category – Add your currently played games here for quick access
- Create custom categories/collections – Group by genre, franchises, play status, etc[4].
- Filter the library – Use the sidebar to only show installed games, supported platforms, etc.
- Alphabetize – Right click on games list and select “Arrange by Name”
- Hide junk – Remove free games you’ll never play from view
Custom categories keep things tidy as your library grows over the years.
Other Steam Library Management Tips
- Uninstall games you don’t play anymore to save drive space[5]
- Set download locations for each library folder[6]
- Enable Steam Cloud to keep game saves synced across multiple PCs
- Use Small Mode for compact library view[7]
- View detailed storage usage stats per game[8]
Taking time to organize and fine-tune your Steam library can make finding and playing games much easier. And hiding away guilty pleasure games keeps your gaming reputation intact!
References
[1]https://www.alphr.com/uninstall-steam-game/
[2]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1329298913[3]https://www.indiatodaygaming.com/story/how-to-hide-embarrassing-steam-games-from-friends-3528[4]https://www.pcworld.com/article/434973/steam-tips-tricks-features-pc-gaming.html[5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykm3Ihn3W58[6]https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-manage-your-games-with-steam-storage-manager
[7]https://www.ign.com/articles/steam-users-can-now-completely-hide-certain-games-from-their-profile[8]https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/steam-tips-for-pc-gaming-noobs-and-power-users
