You bought it. You played it for twenty minutes. You hated it. Maybe the performance was choppy, or perhaps that "critically acclaimed" RPG just felt like a walking simulator with a bad UI. Now you’re staring at your digital library, wondering if that $60 is just gone forever. Honestly, it probably isn’t.
Learning how to get a refund on a Steam game is surprisingly easy once you stop overthinking it, but Valve has a few specific tripwires that catch people off guard. People think Gabe Newell is personally auditing their playtime. He isn't. It's mostly an automated system, but that system has a very rigid set of rules that act as the gatekeeper to your wallet.
The "14 Days / 2 Hours" Rule is Mostly Law
Valve isn't shy about their boundaries. If you want a guaranteed, no-questions-asked refund, you have to hit two specific marks. First, you must have owned the game for less than 14 days. Second, you must have played it for less than two hours.
It sounds simple. It usually is.
But here is where it gets tricky: Steam counts "playtime" as any time the application is open. If you’ve spent three hours troubleshooting a crash-to-desktop or if the game launcher was sitting in the background while you grabbed lunch, Steam sees that as active gameplay. You might see 121 minutes on that clock and think, "It’s only a minute over!" To the automated bot handling your request, 121 minutes is a disqualification.
Why the 2-hour mark exists
This isn't just a random number. It's specifically designed to prevent people from speedrunning short indie titles and then returning them. There was a massive controversy back in 2021 regarding the game Summer of '58. The developer, Emika Games, actually left the industry temporarily because so many players were finishing the short horror experience in under 90 minutes and then requesting a refund. It's a gray area of ethics, but from a purely technical standpoint, the system allowed it.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Risk Board Game App is Still Ruining Friendships (and Why We Love It)
How to actually submit the request
Don't go looking for a "Refund" button on the store page. You won't find it there. You have to go to the Steam Help site (help.steampowered.com).
Once you log in, select "Purchases." You'll see a list of everything you've bought recently. Find the game that let you down. Click it. You’ll be presented with a list of issues. "It's not what I expected" or "I bought this by mistake" are the most common choices. After that, you'll see the option to "I'd like to request a refund."
You get to choose where the money goes. You can send it back to your original payment method—like your credit card or PayPal—or you can have it added to your Steam Wallet. Wallet refunds are almost always faster. If you’re just planning on buying a different game anyway, go with the Wallet.
What about DLC and In-Game Purchases?
DLC is a different beast. Generally, the same 14-day/2-hour rule applies, but there’s a catch: you can’t refund DLC if it has been "consumed, modified, or transferred." If you bought a level-up pack for an MMO and used it to hit level 50, that money is gone.
For third-party titles, like those from Ubisoft or EA that use their own launchers, the refund process for in-game currency is basically non-existent through Steam. You’re at the mercy of the third-party developer's support team, and frankly, they are rarely as generous as Valve.
Pre-orders: The ultimate loophole
Pre-ordering games is a controversial pastime, but Steam’s refund policy is actually at its most flexible here. You can refund a pre-ordered game at any time before it officially launches. Once the game is out, the standard 14-day/2-hour clock starts ticking.
If you pre-ordered a game six months ago and realized today—the day before launch—that the previews look terrible, you can get your money back instantly. This is one of the few areas where the 14-day rule doesn't apply until the "product" is technically in your hands.
Can you get a refund if you’re over the limit?
Yes. Sorta.
The automated system will reject you if you have 3 hours of playtime. However, you can manually appeal. If a game is fundamentally broken—we’re talking Cyberpunk 2077 at launch levels of broken—Valve has been known to ignore their own rules. During the The Day Before disaster of 2023, Steam issued mass refunds regardless of playtime because the game was essentially a non-functional product that didn't match its marketing.
👉 See also: Desert Perpetual Final Boss: Why This Boss Fight Still Breaks Players
When you submit your request, there is a text box. Use it. Don't just say "it sucked." Explain that the latest patch made it unplayable on your hardware or that the servers have been down for 48 hours. A human being eventually sees these if you persist, and they have the power to hit the override button.
Abuse is a real thing
Don't try to use Steam as a free rental service. If Valve notices you are refunding five games a week, they will send you a very polite, very firm email. It basically says, "Hey, you seem to be struggling to find games you like. If you keep refunding everything, we’re going to stop letting you refund at all."
This isn't a permanent ban from the store, but it is a "flag" on your account. Once you're flagged for refund abuse, the automated system becomes much stricter.
Hardware and the Steam Deck
If you bought a Steam Deck and it’s a brick, or the screen has more dead pixels than a 90s TV, you have 14 days to initiate a return. This falls under the "Valve Hardware Warranty." It’s a different process involving an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization). You’ll have to ship the device back to them. It’s a hassle, but they are generally very good about replacing faulty units.
Sale price protection
This is a pro-tip that many people miss. If you buy a game for $60 and it goes on sale for $30 the very next day, Valve explicitly states that this is a valid reason for a refund. You can request a refund for the full price and then immediately re-buy it at the sale price.
They don't view this as "abuse." They view it as good customer service. Just make sure you haven't crossed that 2-hour playtime threshold yet. If you've played 10 hours of a game and it goes on sale, you're likely stuck with the higher price you paid.
Actionable Next Steps
If you are sitting on a game you regret, do these three things right now:
- Check your playtime immediately. If it’s under 120 minutes, stop playing. Every minute you spend "testing it one last time" brings you closer to a permanent "No."
- Go to the Help Portal. Don't email Valve support directly; they’ll just tell you to use the automated tool.
- Choose the Steam Wallet option if you want the funds back within 24–48 hours. If you choose a credit card, be prepared to wait 7–10 business days depending on your bank's processing speed.
Refunds aren't a "right" in the strictest legal sense in every country, but Valve has made them a standard part of the PC gaming ecosystem. Use the system when a game is genuinely bad or broken, but treat it with respect so the privilege stays available for everyone else.