Not Able To Review Game

[cuttinged]

I went to review a game that I got a key for and Steam said I didn't buy at least $5 worth of games so I am not allowed to review it. I looked up the review policy for Steam and it said that anyone can review a game regardless of if it was free, and the time played will be displayed. How come it says I need to spend money to review? Did the policy change for reviewing?

[wuddih]

first of all,
i am really interested in reading that "review policy".
do you mind providing a link for it?

[Paratech2008]

You have a limited account because you haven't spent any money in Steam. This is done because too many accounts that never spent any money were used for scamming. In the past, when scammers accounts were locked, they just made new ones for free. Now you have to invest money so you can do things on steam other than play games.

[DiceDsx]

New accounts are limited in some areas, like reviews or adding friends, until they spend at least $5 in games, to avoid bots easily making new accounts to scam people or post fake reviews.

[MalikQayum]

his account is not limited.

[cuttinged]

Thanks for your answers. Here's a link to the requirements from Steam https://store.steampowered.com/reviews/ see the FAQ first one. I think they should have mentioned the $5 requirement. I'm a developer and wanted to send keys to players and have them review the game. It's a surfing game, so most likely the players won't have Steam already. I understand their policy to avoid fake reviews, but it's going to be an uphill battle getting surfers that already have $5 worth of pay on their accounts to play it.
How do YOU know if I have a limited account?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by cuttinged:

Thanks for your answers. Here's a link to the requirements from Steam https://store.steampowered.com/reviews/ see the FAQ first one. I think they should have mentioned the $5 requirement. I'm a developer and wanted to send keys to players and have them review the game. It's a surfing game, so most likely the players won't have Steam already. I understand their policy to avoid fake reviews, but it's going to be an uphill battle getting surfers that already have $5 worth of pay on their accounts to play it.
How do YOU know if I have a limited account?

They will need accounts that aren't limited, yes.

But it sounds really shady as well. People without Steam accounts and still limited?

https://steamcommunity.com/id/cuttinged?xml=1 Shows not limited along with other things.

[Paratech2008]

It sounds like the o.p. is trying to pad the reviews via free keys...

[cuttinged]

Yeah I know how it might look, but I think since it says how long they played the game right there in the review then what is the point of making them pay $5 before they can review a game. I guess it's good business and I'm ranting because it affects my situation. Non gamers that I'd like to get to play a game on steam, even the free demo could review it. But they can't because they didn't pay $5. I also just think they should put the $5 requirement in their documentation.

[Paratech2008]

So you don't give away games for free to bribe them to give reviews. There's even a spot where they're supposed to check if the game was given for free.

It sounds like you're trying to fix the review for the game.

[Xaelath]

Originally posted by cuttinged:

Thanks for your answers. Here's a link to the requirements from Steam https://store.steampowered.com/reviews/ see the FAQ first one. I think they should have mentioned the $5 requirement. I'm a developer and wanted to send keys to players and have them review the game. It's a surfing game, so most likely the players won't have Steam already. I understand their policy to avoid fake reviews, but it's going to be an uphill battle getting surfers that already have $5 worth of pay on their accounts to play it.
How do YOU know if I have a limited account?

Maybe trying asking people who is random and interested to play your games in social media or PC gaming reddit instead people with new account which is quite shady and might end up getting the game removed from steam because review manipulation.


Review copies will works especially for people who
- Have alot of friends in their steam list as it'll affect their friends recommendation and circles.
- People who have curation and their own pages/YouTube.

Just make sure it's playable and decent.
Make sure you also give it to people who actually played it.
So they can give out genuine thought about the game.

[kazidrog]

first of all,
i am really interested in reading that "review policy".
do you mind providing a link for it??

[MalikQayum]

my guess is, you haven't made a purchase the past 7 days to a year, which is probably why your account is being treated as limited while it is not.
so perhaps try to buy the cheapest thing you can find in the steam store, and see if that lifys the restriction.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

The Market restriction has nothing to do with limited status which the OP isn't anyways.

[wuddih]

Originally posted by cuttinged:

Thanks for your answers. Here's a link to the requirements from Steam https://store.steampowered.com/reviews/ see the FAQ first one. I think they should have mentioned the $5 requirement. I'm a developer and wanted to send keys to players and have them review the game. It's a surfing game, so most likely the players won't have Steam already. I understand their policy to avoid fake reviews, but it's going to be an uphill battle getting surfers that already have $5 worth of pay on their accounts to play it.
How do YOU know if I have a limited account?

k, that is not a policy.
that is the promotional page from when recommendations were replaced with the review system.

the only change on that page since then was that they didn't had an overall score, and that question was in the faq and when the overall score was there, that question was removed shortly after.
since then this page was never touched again.

you found that with google or where was it linked?
because it should not be linked anywhere.

see the screenshots on that page? look at the date of the reviews. 2013.
limited accounts came 2015.

if there is something like a policy for reviews, it is this:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4045-USHJ-3810
but that doesn't include if you can write reviews, that just tells you what you can't write in reviews.

other then you have to have a non-limited account, the requirements for writing a review have not changed much. the game still has to be in your library and you have to have playtime on it.

[Mohammad Bn Qhatane]

:)