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What are Steam CD Keys?

Ever Heard of Steam CD Keys?

Steam CD Keys are apparently these redeemable codes you can purchase from Steam retailers. It is received as a combination of letters and numbers typically emailed to you as a receipt when you buy a game off of Steam.

When you buy a game for Steam from a different retail store, you will find the CD key labeled on a card, sticker, or disk shipped along with your game. Be sure to check the packaging to make sure your key is valid and can be registered on Steam.

The key shows Steam that you own this copy of the game and is authorized to use it on your account, similar to those confirmation links you get after making an account online. But on occasion, you could run into problems while redeeming your Steam keys. 

My Sailor Moon Crystal Key

In that case, you ought to read the FAQs on how to fix “invalid CD key” errors or the duplicate key errors because, in all honesty, Steam explains the whole process better than I do here. Now that’s been settled…and moving along.

A Steam CD Key makes it easier to download PC games onto its platform since they are digital copies of those video games, unlikely to be damaged if ever.

There are many sites like gameskeynow.com that are actively interested in hosting their own key stores, belonging to what is called a “secondary marketplace”.

Steam keys are no different from activation codes gamers used in the past to buy PC games after their free trial expired. I know one trusted and reliable place to search for any game available on Steam. You can hundreds of Steam keys on a site called Humble Bundle!

Browsing PC Games on Humble Bundle

If you’re interested, then feel free to visit Humble Bundle because it has some valuable bundles under four categories: Games, Books, Mobile, Freedom, and Monthly bundles. You are welcome to check out their main store to see all of their video game selections.

Humble Bundle sells digital copies of video games in a single set or a triple pack with the prices already listed on its search bar so you can see what you’re paying for a single game or the entire series. There are also special editions that aren’t normally sold by game retailers.

Borderlands Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle scroll down menu.

For instance, if I typed in “Borderlands“, I would get suggestions like Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Tales from the Borderlands which is a Telltale game. There is also the option to view all results for games from the Borderlands series.

And say I picked Tales from the Borderlands, I will be brought to the trailer page which contains a summary of the game itself; a brief list of the features or what characters are playable. The traits include treasure hunting, quick-time events, and dark humor, kinda like the sub-genres you’d expect to see.

You get information about the publisher and developer but be mindful of the system requirements and the ESRB age rating. You don’t want to buy a game that doesn’t run on Mac or Linux and you certainly wouldn’t play an M-rated game with your younger siblings.

You can add games to your cart even without a Humble Bundle account but you will need to sign-up if you want to add games to your wish list.

Did you know that you can subscribe to Humble Monthly to get 10% off all bundle purchases? You might want to consider it in case you plan on buying all your games here. 

Now I should add a disclaimer because after doing a few searches, I realize that not all PC games are compatible with the Steam platform. Some of them like Trials of the Blood Dragon won’t run on Windows.

Though that isn’t much of a problem since Steam allows you to install any PC game in its library due to recent software updates. Click here to learn about becoming a subscriber of Humble Monthly.

On Humble Bundle, there are many Steam game keys you can redeem. They cost less than say, buying directly from the Steam Store. But it’s really up to you because purchased games on Steam are instantly playable once you finish downloading.

Upon lurking in gaming forums, I’ve confirmed that they are a legitimate key distributor due to being licensed from publishers.

I’ll be directing you to Steam CD Keys that are on sale at Humble Bundle but only on the games I’ve managed to review. And I ensure that all my reviews are based on not only my personal impressions of a game but also an objective assessment of the actual gameplay.

I can accept requests to pick certain games once I try at least half of all the games in my Steam Library. I’ve also decided to add a sidebar where you can select from a list of trusted game key retailers where you get to browse for keys on sale.

This is based on my opinion of which sites offer legit keys and are the most reputable.

Drop off your comments below.

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4 thoughts on “What are Steam CD Keys?”

  1. Hey there! I remember the old days where you need to buy a cd to install a game. Today you just need an internet and gift card, debit card or a credit card to buy games. Everything is online now even buying clothes and food. This generation is very lucky because they could buy a copy of a game online. Thank you for sharing this information.

    1. Thanks for reading! It’s good to learn about the age of online gaming and the ability to link consoles to PC on Steam. Maybe it is something you are already doing haha.

  2. Hey I if I have a steam key how can I check that is is valid on steam Ive never heard of doing this before.

    Also what are steam keys, I know I sound redundant but If its a code printed on something when you buy a game how does this help you get the game is it not already on the disk I don’t understand

    Maybe I’m just a newb any advise?

    1. Steam keys are certified and tested on most online key stores since they have to prove that the key actually works. Although players can sell their own keys, customers are free to rate their sellers. So low ratings prevent someone from selling invalid keys.

      You don’t need any disks since everything is stored digitally on Steam’s platform. You just need an internet connection to install codes.

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