Humble Bundle Key Activated But Game Is Not Showing Up In Library

[forceofthegrim]

Like the title suggests, I have recently purchased a game bundle from the Humble Bundle website. I have never had issues with their services before, but this time something went wrong, and I cannot seem to find an appropriate support ticket for it. I have already done some research into the problem, and the only relevant threads I could find date back nearly a decade, so I figured it'd be worth making a post about. I have also already contacted Humble Bundle support and am waiting on a reply from them, but I am almost positive this is Steam's error.

Anyway, so it goes like this: I purchase the bundle "Train Sim World 4: Top Up Your Timetable ($15 Tier)", purchase is successful, copy the product code, go to Steam client, Games>Activate A Product On Steam..., paste the code, product is successfully linked with my account and activated, I receive proof-of-purchase via email from Steam (interestingly, it also is not showing up in my purchase history, but I had assumed that was just because I activated a code rather than buying the game through Steam). I look in my library - it isn't there. I log out and back in - still not there. I tried restarting the client, but nothing. Restarted my computer, and still nothing. Every bit of the paper trail seems to indicate that there were zero issues with the purchase or activation, and yet Train Sim World 4 is still not appearing in my library. If I try to enter the product code again (this time by going to my library and using the "Add A Game" button), it just tells me I already own the product I am trying to activate.

So what gives? Is it just a matter of playing the waiting game? I would love to be able to actually speak with a human that works for Valve, but apparently that is too much to ask, so I am now forced to turn to the community. Any help, however, is greatly appreciated.

[Keith]

Originally posted by MonsieurRouge:

Originally posted by Chadster:

Make sure you activate all 3 tier keys if you got the $15 bundle. I initially only activated the $15 bundle key and had the same issue. Likely it's because the $15 bundle includes the additional DLC, so you need to activate the $5 bundle key to get the base game activated and showing.

This !

Yes - it is absolutely this. The "Tier 3" Steam package does NOT include the base game or any of the other Tier 1/2 content. This is what is actually in it: https://steamdb.info/sub/1034684/apps/

But you will also have keys for Tier 1 and Tier 2. You must activate the Tier 1 key if you do not already have TSW4 (and Tier 2 if you want that content too).

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by Keith:

Originally posted by MonsieurRouge:

This !

Yes - it is absolutely this. The "Tier 3" Steam package does NOT include the base game or any of the other Tier 1/2 content. This is what is actually in it: https://steamdb.info/sub/1034684/apps/

But you will also have keys for Tier 1 and Tier 2. You must activate the Tier 1 key if you do not already have TSW4 (and Tier 2 if you want that content too).

Clearly that a issue with humble bundle if you're not getting the base game key for whatever reason, but AFAIK you do get base game in all 3 tiers doesn't matter which tier you select it shows you get it.

Here screenshot showing with arrows pointing at base game.
https://imgur.com/a/iQAFmhq

Now if this whole main issue what some people are facing then yes you have to activate base game 1st before DLC, if don't have the base game, it won't let you redeem DLC because you didn't have base game to begin with.

But for OP issue talked about just not showing up in library after redeeming.

[michael.hersee]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

The account you are posting from states it only owns 1 game and that was done last year in June. If you recently just activated the game successfully on that account, the game badge would have updated to 2 games owned and have a much more recent date associated with it.

Like I said 100% chance they're on the wrong account

Completely wrong. I have only ever had one steam account that had one game previously bought last year. From this same account I can get to my licences which shows I now have all three Train Sim 4 bundles registered to this same account, along with the single game I bought last year (I did previously only have the $15 one as I didn't know I had to do all of the bundles) but still nothing is showing up.

[michael.hersee]

Wait... after registering all the bundles and not just the biggest one I paid for, train sim 4 now shows up in the list on the left when I select every game status, and now I can get to the install process.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by michael.hersee:

Wait... after registering all the bundles and not just the biggest one I paid for, train sim 4 now shows up in the list on the left when I select every game status, and now I can get to the install process.

Classic PEBKAC one of many things that resolves themselves in due time.

[Vaemer-Riit]

Originally posted by Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

Originally posted by michael.hersee:

Wait... after registering all the bundles and not just the biggest one I paid for, train sim 4 now shows up in the list on the left when I select every game status, and now I can get to the install process.

Classic PEBKAC one of many things that resolves themselves in due time.

This seems to be less PEBKAC and more a weird edge case where you can activate DLC without the base game activated.

Normally if you try to activate a DLC key without owning the base game on steam it will throw an error and not activate.

[michael.hersee]

Originally posted by Vaemer-Riit:

Originally posted by Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

Classic PEBKAC one of many things that resolves themselves in due time.

This seems to be less PEBKAC and more a weird edge case where you can activate DLC without the base game activated.

Normally if you try to activate a DLC key without owning the base game on steam it will throw an error and not activate.

It's certainly unexpected for me. I only tried to redeem the package I had purchased, which was the 15-pack bundle. It didn't seem to make sense to try the other ones, and indeed I thought it might interfere with the one I wanted if I tried to do it. There were no instructions on the Humble Bundle site that you need to activate all the levels up to the one you've bought. There were no warnings or other messages that redeeming the $15 package alone was insufficient and the whole process was somewhat confusing. It was very poorly described for someone who has not done it before as there some now-obvious gaps in the instructions.

[michael.hersee]

Originally posted by michael.hersee:

Originally posted by Vaemer-Riit:

This seems to be less PEBKAC and more a weird edge case where you can activate DLC without the base game activated.

Normally if you try to activate a DLC key without owning the base game on steam it will throw an error and not activate.

It's certainly unexpected for me. I only tried to redeem the package I had purchased, which was the 15-pack bundle. It didn't seem to make sense to try the other ones, and indeed I thought it might interfere with the one I wanted if I tried to do it. There were no instructions on the Humble Bundle site that you need to activate all the levels up to the one you've bought. There were no warnings or other messages that redeeming the $15 package alone was insufficient and the whole process was somewhat confusing. It was very poorly described for someone who has not done it before as there some now-obvious gaps in the instructions.

And also, what does PEBKAC mean?

[Aluvard]

Originally posted by michael.hersee:

And also, what does PEBKAC mean?

PEBKAC - Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by michael.hersee:

Originally posted by Vaemer-Riit:

This seems to be less PEBKAC and more a weird edge case where you can activate DLC without the base game activated.

Normally if you try to activate a DLC key without owning the base game on steam it will throw an error and not activate.

It's certainly unexpected for me. I only tried to redeem the package I had purchased, which was the 15-pack bundle. It didn't seem to make sense to try the other ones, and indeed I thought it might interfere with the one I wanted if I tried to do it. There were no instructions on the Humble Bundle site that you need to activate all the levels up to the one you've bought. There were no warnings or other messages that redeeming the $15 package alone was insufficient and the whole process was somewhat confusing. It was very poorly described for someone who has not done it before as there some now-obvious gaps in the instructions.

For future reference, even if doesn't give you pictures, or words explaining you need to redeem the base game in order to own the base game, should redeem the base game so then you would own it.

It basically like trying to make a grill cheese sandwich, you bought the cheese, the butter, but you completely forgot the base component which was the bread, can't make a grill cheese sandwich without the bread.