I spent years building my Steam library. I must admit that I’ve slowed down considerably in recent years. My backlog finally made me realize buying more games was pointless, and I invariably end up playing Quake or OpenTTD anyway.
That slowdown got me thinking. I’ve been using Steam for the best part of two decades at this point, and while I wasn’t necessarily a prolific purchaser of the newest games (hardware limitations, as you, I’m sure you’ll understand), my account must be worth a fair whack of cash at this point.
But here’s the thing: your multiple-decade-old Steam account is worth way less than you realize.
Get ready to be underwhelmed
Were all those years for naught?
How much my Steam account is worth has crossed my mind a few times over the years. We spend years building up, “investing,” and ultimately, never really have an idea of what we’ve spent.
I took my account information over to the SteamDB Calculator, a free tool that calculates how much your Steam account is worth. Let me tell you—you might be in for a shock.
It’s super simple to use. Just copy and paste your Steam ID into the page and hit Get disappointed in your life. You’ll need to make sure your Steam profile isn’t set to private for this to work, mind. And lo, your Steam account information will automagically populate the page.
In the top-right corner, you’ll immediately see your Steam account value. For me, I’m looking at a somewhat underwhelming £848 ($1,134 at the time of writing). However, the keen-eyed will have noticed that this is the account value at lowest prices, which SteamDB Calculator takes into account.
If I spent the time to repurchase every single game added to my account, it would cost over £3,300 ($4,413 at the time of writing). Would I spend that again?
Given some of the stats SteamDB Calculator also reveals, I really doubt it.
SteamDB is actually packed with super interesting stats
I’m keeping my wallet glued shut
SteamDB Calculator is full of stats outside your account value, and these are the stats you need to make better decisions about the next Steam Sale.
So, SteamDB says I’ve only played 63 percent of the games I’ve ever added to my account. It also says my total time played on record is 3,000 hours, with an average of 13.4 hours per game. But the key figure that tells me I buy (or add) games I’m never going to play?
The stat that says I’ve played under one hour in 75 games. I buy games, play for a moment, and ditch them. It’s not completely indicative of my relationship with Steam and my library, but extra context is that nearly 900 hours of that is Rocket League, and a further 225 hours of that is Cities: Skylines.
In short, Steam keeps me hooked on buying games, but I don’t actually play them—and it took seeing my actual Steam account value to figure this out. And that value only goes one way.
You don’t own your games on Steam
It’s just a long-term rental
It’s easy to forget that every time you “buy” a game on Steam, you’re not purchasing a product; you’re purchasing a license. That license gives you permission to download and play the game through Valve’s platform, but it doesn’t grant ownership in the traditional sense.
You can’t resell them or transfer them, and even Steam’s gifting process is limited and strictly controlled. Steam’s Subscriber Agreement makes that clear: you’re buying access, not assets.
Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a non-exclusive license and right, to use the Content and Services for your personal, non-commercial use (except where commercial use is expressly allowed herein or in the applicable Subscription Terms). This license ends upon termination of (a) this Agreement or (b) a Subscription that includes the license. The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services. To make use of the Content and Services, you must have a Steam Account and you may be required to be running the Steam client and maintaining a connection to the Internet.
This fundamental misunderstanding is where the myth of the expensive game library stems from. The games are never yours. You’re just given access.
Steam’s ecosystem is designed to make your library feel precious. Achievements, badges, wishlists, and levels all feed into the illusion that your account is something to grow and protect. Every sale feels like an opportunity to add more “value”—especially during big events like the Steam Summer Sale.
So, how much is your Steam account really worth?
Money isn’t real, but your emotional ties to games are
Although the final value of your Steam account may be less than you think, don’t be disheartened. For many, the real value of a Steam account is in the memories of the games rather than the actual price.
The accumulated gametime tells the tales of hours spent having fun, solving puzzles, competing online, climbing ranked ladders, and maybe the odd rage-quit. And that’s the real value.
