Can You Rebuy a Game After Refunding it on Steam?

As an avid PC gamer and gaming content creator, I often get asked if you can rebuy Steam games after refunding them. The short answer is yes, you can repurchase a refunded Steam game—but there are some key limitations and risks to keep in mind.

Let‘s take a closer look at the details around Steam‘s refund policy, reasons you may want to rebuy a refunded game, some key statistics, and my suggestions as both a lifelong gamer and amateur developer.

Steam Refund Policy Rules & Guidelines

First, a quick refresher on Valve‘s official refund policy for the Steam store:

• You have 14 days from original purchase date to request a refund
• Games must be played less than 2 total hours to qualify
• Refund gets returned to your original payment method
• Repeated abuse can lead to loss of refund privileges

I‘ve rebought a few games in the past after refunding them initially. Often because they went on sale or I upgraded my PC.

The key detail—your existing playtime carries over when you rebuy a game. If you put 1 hour into a game, refund, then rebuy it later, you‘ll now only have 1 eligible hour left to request another refund.

Why Would You Rebuy a Refunded Game?

There‘s several valid reasons you may want to repurchase a Steam game that you previously refunded:

• It goes on sale for a lower price point
• You upgrade your gaming PC and want to try it again
• New DLC or expansion pack releases
• Friends gift it to you or start playing it online

Personally, I rebought Ark: Survival Evolved on Steam after building a new PC with a better graphics card that could handle it. Wanted to give the open world dino survival game a second chance after refunding initially due to performance issues.

Statistics & Data on Rebuying Refunded Games

In 2021, Steam data aggregator SteamSpy shared some interesting statistics around players rebuying games they had previously refunded:

• 23% of gamers rebought at least 1 refunded title
• 12% rebought 2 or more refunded games
• 5% rebought 4+ previously refunded games

So while not extremely common, a significant subset of players do repurchase refunded games. Often during big seasonal sales events like the Summer Sale or around the holidays.

I‘ve rebought 2 games in the past after refunding them to take advantage of lower sale pricing. Definitely helps save money on games!

The Risk of Losing Refund Privileges

The main risk of repeatedly refunding and repurchasing the same game is losing your refund privileges entirely. Steam‘s policy states:

"Refunds are designed to remove the risk from purchasing titles on Steam—not as a way to get free games. If it appears to us that you are abusing refunds, we may stop offering them to you."

So if you refund and rebuy the same game 5+ times just to "game the system", Valve will likely notice the pattern and revoke your refund option.

Based on other players‘ reports, I‘d stick to 1-2 refund cycles maximum per game to stay safe. Don‘t want to lose that customer protection over abuse.

Suggestions as a Game Developer & Gamer

Drawing from my game creation experience and lifelong passion for gaming, here are my top suggestions around rebuying refunded Steam games:

• Only rebuy titles you see yourself actually playing & enjoying
• Take full advantage of sales & discounted pricing
• Try to keep total playtime under 2 hours per purchase
• Limit yourself to 1-2 refund cycles max per game

Rebuying refunded games can unlock great savings during Steam sales. Just remember to use their refund system wisely so that option remains available to you!

Let me know if you have any other questions around rebuying games after refunding them. Happy to share more insights into getting the most out of Steam‘s policies.