You can "borrow" games?

[test]

I was visiting someone who had Steam on their computer. One of the games they had listed as "borrowed". But they themselves did not know what that was about. What does it mean?

[FFL2and3rocks]

Steam Family Sharing.

https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing

[Roy]

Originally posted by FFL2and3rocks:

Steam Family Sharing.

https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing

Yes

[test]

If you have multiple copies of a game, can you share those extra copies with someone to play with them in the case of multi-player game? I mean if you are sharing your library and you got two copies of a game and they are playing that game, can you also play that game to play with them?

[Bee🐝]

Originally posted by test:

If you have multiple copies of a game, can you share those extra copies with someone to play with them in the case of multi-player game? I mean if you are sharing your library and you got two copies of a game and they are playing that game, can you also play that game to play with them?

Nope, Steam does not allow multiple copies of one game on an account. Also, if the account in use for family share only one person play “online”.

[test]

Originally posted by Bee:

Nope, Steam does not allow multiple copies of one game on an account.

But it does. The extra copies go into your inventory and can be traded or given away. I know this for a fact since I got extra copies of two different games, they came with purchase for extra cost.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Bee:

Nope, Steam does not allow multiple copies of one game on an account.

But it does. The extra copies go into your inventory and can be traded or given away. I know this for a fact since I got extra copies of two different games, they came with purchase for extra cost.

Those are 2/4 packs and are made for that exact purpose, to give away copies to your friends.
But 99,99% of games on Steam dont fall under that exception.
You cant have the same game multiple times on the same account and you also cant store extra copies in your inventory with the above exception of 2/4 pack bundles that a very small selection of multiplayer focused titles may offer.

[Bee🐝]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Bee:

Nope, Steam does not allow multiple copies of one game on an account.

But it does. The extra copies go into your inventory and can be traded or given away. I know this for a fact since I got extra copies of two different games, they came with purchase for extra cost.

The extra “gifting” copies? Yes, but their not “tied/activated” on the account. Better to just gift those and play with family and friends that way - no real need for to share (in the Steam sense) if you both have a copy and a steam account. Go wild!

[Bee🐝]

Originally posted by Ogami:

Originally posted by test:

But it does. The extra copies go into your inventory and can be traded or given away. I know this for a fact since I got extra copies of two different games, they came with purchase for extra cost.

Those are 2/4 packs and are made for that exact purpose, to give away copies to your friends.
But 99,99% of games on Steam dont fall under that exception.
You cant have the same game multiple times on the same account and you also cant store extra copies in your inventory with the above exception of 2/4 pack bundles that a very small selection of multiplayer focused titles may offer.

Way better explanation. Thanks Ogami!

(Edit: Did I just double post? Ok, I think the coffee is wearing off...)

[test]

Originally posted by Bee:

Originally posted by test:

But it does. The extra copies go into your inventory and can be traded or given away. I know this for a fact since I got extra copies of two different games, they came with purchase for extra cost.

The extra “gifting” copies? Yes, but their not “tied/activated” on the account. Better to just gift those and play with family and friends that way - no real need for to share (in the Steam sense) if you both have a copy and a steam account. Go wild!

The problem is that I have more people I could potentially play with than I have copies. If I give a copy to one person and another is willing, then I got nothing to give them and we can't play.

[Supafly]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Bee:

The extra “gifting” copies? Yes, but their not “tied/activated” on the account. Better to just gift those and play with family and friends that way - no real need for to share (in the Steam sense) if you both have a copy and a steam account. Go wild!

The problem is that I have more people I could potentially play with than I have copies. If I give a copy to one person and another is willing, then I got nothing to give them and we can't play.

Then you either need to buy more to gift them or have them buy their own.

Family sharing may allow others to play you games but you can't play at the same time. 1 game required per user.

[test]

Do you need to have a game owned by another account in question installed to make a request for family sharing? If not, how do you send a account loan request without any of those games installed?

Can one install new games from the borrowers library or just play existing games installed from that account?

If you get approval for borrowing from one account and system, do you need a separate loan approval for another system with the same account?

[The Giving One]

It seems that from your last questions, you have not read the FAQ on family sharing, so I suggest you do that if you have not yet :

Originally posted by FFL2and3rocks:

Steam Family Sharing.

https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing

Also this, just in case that helps, because if for example you family share a VAC protected game, and someone cheats using your library, then your account gets the VAC ban also :

http://steamcommunity.com/app/730/discussions/0/364040166674275905/?tscn=1461890195#c364040166674344702

EDIT..............

Here is another FAQ :

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3784-QLBM-5731#faq

[Azeldan]

I have the Dragon Age series in my Steam Library, but not downloaded onto my desktop.
They are Downloaded on another desktop, and I have created another Steam account for my family to use.
I am trying to set up Family Sharing, so that they can play the DA games on the Family Account while I can be logged on to my account playing something else.
They all show up in the Library, as intended, but they only see the "Play" button for DA: Origins. For DA2 and DA:Inquisition, they see the "Purchase" button (not even an option to borrow).
Any advice?

[Ogami]

Originally posted by Azeldan:

I have the Dragon Age series in my Steam Library, but not downloaded onto my desktop.
They are Downloaded on another desktop, and I have created another Steam account for my family to use.
I am trying to set up Family Sharing, so that they can play the DA games on the Family Account while I can be logged on to my account playing something else.
They all show up in the Library, as intended, but they only see the "Play" button for DA: Origins. For DA2 and DA:Inquisition, they see the "Purchase" button (not even an option to borrow).
Any advice?

The later Dragon Age games ( DA 2+ Inquisition) can not be Family Shared. The reason is they use "Origin" as a 3rd party login. Any game that uses 3rd party servers to login like UPLAY, ORIGIN or ROCKSTAR SOCIAL CLUB are exempt from the Family Share service.

Also what you are trying to do would not work even with Family Share working.
Only A SINGLE user can use any library at a given time. If you share games from your account with someone else they can not play any of your games if you use your library at the same moment.
Does not matter if its another game. Only one user per library at the same time.

Family Share is more meant for multiple users in the samer household that use the same pc so they can play each others games. But only one at a time.