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I am asking this because Outland is free until tonight on the Steam store and if you get it is permanent. However, due to internet restrictions, I can't download it right now. However, I managed to open Steam and click "Add Game" from the store and I then went to Outland's page and clicked "Install Now". Then it took me to the page where it said:

Thank you for purchasing Outland, it has been installed to your steam library

Then it said to click a link to install it, however, I don't want to currently. So if I just add it to my library is that enough to claim it or do I have to physically install it to my PC?

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    Thanks for posting this question and making me aware of the deal! (I'm also glad to know I don't need to install it right away, since I'm at work right now :P)
    – Steve-O
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 15:37
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    Typically for games that are "free for a limited time" (eg free weekends), you only get to keep it until the time is over, regardless of whether it's installed. "Outland" is the first case I'm aware of that is "for a limited time, free and yours to keep".
    – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 19:21
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    I didn't catch it to look at the promotion in question, but frequently Steam will have "free weekends" for titles after which time the game will still show up in your library (if it is installed, otherwise it may or may not) but instead of "Play" you will see a link for "Purchase".
    – Darren
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 19:51
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    @BlueRaja-DannyPflughoeft No, they have done that time to time, and it's what they did here. I believe they did it with Payday a year or so ago (when Payday 2 was on sale/free weekend). It does happen; in this case the maker of Outland seems to be trying to promote his next game in the announcements.
    – JMac
    Commented Jun 9, 2017 at 0:23
  • Side note: great game, took me back to playing games like DK Country. Got it on XB a couple months ago
    – user3749588
    Commented Jun 9, 2017 at 13:07

3 Answers 3

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Provided you have added the game to your library while it was free, you will be free to download it whenever you like. You can also download it onto other devices too (via your steam account).

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    @Kunal No, if the game is in your library then you are free to download it whenever you like.
    – Crafter0800
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 10:00
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    @Crafter0800 is correct. Personally I have at least 50 games I got from Humble Bundle that I used the Steam Keys to add to my library, but I haven't downloaded them in the at least 3 or 4 years since I got them. Every now and then I want to try one out, and they download just fine. So as long as it is the same account and not another one, you can install it whenever you want.
    – bubbajake00
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 13:13
  • Thanks @Batophobia, I think this edit improves the answer?
    – Crafter0800
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 14:48
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    Just to mention one other thing about Humble Bundle, they sometimes run free-game promotions that do include a Steam key that expires after some time (usually after about a month). This is only for their 100% free limited-time offers, not normal bundles (whose keys are good forever, as @bubbajake00 says), and if you redeem the Steam key within the window provided then the game stays in your Steam account forever, as stated in this answer. There is a time limit on redeeming the key for free Humble giveaways, but no limit on keeping the game in your Steam library once it's there.
    – apsillers
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 15:08
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Yes, once the game is in your Steam Library you get to keep it regardless as to whether or not you installed the game on your PC.

When you clicked "Install Game", Steam registered it to your account and provided you with a game key similar to the ones you get from the Humble Bundle or when you purchase a download code from a brick and mortar store. That game key is what signifies your ownership of the game and it's virtually linked to your account now.

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  • To add to this answer: If you want to double-check, go to store.steampowered.com/account/licenses (or go to your steam wallet and click "View licenses and product key activations"). The game should be listed in this. If it is listed, you will be able to install it now, and in the future.
    – Sumurai8
    Commented Jun 9, 2017 at 17:38
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From personal experience, I have acquired Minion Masters and Limbo through similar promotions without installing them, and both of them are still in my library. so I assume that for this game, the same rule applies.

Note that Valve is extremely hesitant to remove games from user libraries without their consent. In recent memory, even when games have been removed from the Steam store because the developer was banned, players who owned the game could still play it. for example, people who have bought Digital Homicide games before DH was banned from the store can still download and play them.

Valve has removed games from user Steam libraries in 2 scenarios:

  • Some (but not all) games that had essential external services disabled that prevent the user from meaningfully playing the game. Note that this has to be explicitly requested by the publisher of the game..
  • Games where the license key has been revoked by the retailer, most frequently because the payment processing has failed (chargeback from the card owner is the most frequent occurence).
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  • Sorry, the last part of your answer is incorrect. I had a game called "BattleForge" in my library for a very long time - a friend bought it for me because he wanted to get me to play the game; the game was a CCG type game that required connection to a game server. I never played or installed the game on my machine, yet when the servers were closed down just a few years after the games release (it was quite a flop) Steam did NOT remove this game from my library without my consent. I actually had to open a ticket with Steam support to get it removed from my account.
    – khaoliang
    Commented Jun 9, 2017 at 7:21
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    @khaoliang my last sentence is not exhaustive. I'm saying that the only games that have been forcibly removed from libraries were those that became unplayable. I didn't say that all games that became unplayable have been removed from libraries. I'll update the answer to clarify it.
    – Nzall
    Commented Jun 9, 2017 at 11:23
  • @Nzall Do you know of any example games that were removed from libraries due to these publisher requests?
    – Hiccup
    Commented Jan 10, 2019 at 19:58
  • @Hiccup Order of war: Challenge was removed from player libraries in 2013 because the always-on DRM servers had been taken offline. geek.com/games/…
    – Nzall
    Commented Jan 11, 2019 at 5:42

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