No "Play" button

[Sicstix]

Hi, I'm kind of new to Steam, well at least new enough to not know why some games in the store don't have a download option, that is, there is no "Play" button for me to get the game. I've noticed that every Big Fish game is like this and I've encountered it for a few other games too. Why would the games be in the store if you can't get it through steam??

[crunchyfrog]

Sometimes they just aren't available for your region, so rather than messing about removing the whole game page, it's far simpler to have the same page there, but remove the buy option.

[ReBoot]

Games you haven't bought yet don't have a play button, that's normal. There are also, shucks, games that aren't released yet.

[Kargor]

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

Sometimes they just aren't available for your region, so rather than messing about removing the whole game page, it's far simpler to have the same page there, but remove the buy option.

Actually, all those games that are not sold in Germany have no shop page in the German Steam store.

If something else links to these pages (like a weekend special or a daily deal), clicking on these will take you back to the frontpage of the store.

So, no -- they DO completely hide the shop pages for games that they don't want to sell to you.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Kargor:

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

Sometimes they just aren't available for your region, so rather than messing about removing the whole game page, it's far simpler to have the same page there, but remove the buy option.

Actually, all those games that are not sold in Germany have no shop page in the German Steam store.

If something else links to these pages (like a weekend special or a daily deal), clicking on these will take you back to the frontpage of the store.

So, no -- they DO completely hide the shop pages for games that they don't want to sell to you.

Thank you for that - I wasn't aware. You live and learn every day.


In any case, I think the problem boils down to the user conflating playing games for free with playing games that are bought.

So, just to clarify, OP:
If you buy a game on Steam and have downloaded it, going to the store page of that game will show a PLAY button.
If you have bought a game on Steam but HAVEN'T downloaded it, going to the store page will show a DOWNLOAD button (and then PLAY once done).
If you haven't bought the game at all, it will show a PURCHASE button.

[Sicstix]

Ok well... You sit there and say that games I haven't downloaded or bought won't have a play button but instead a Download or Purchase button respectively yet that is not the case at all. If I look at something like Lord of the Rings Online, I have not downloaded ever, haven't even seen any gameplay at all, yet there is a Play button, I am not confusing buy to play gmes with F2P games I mean when I go to the store there is NO button whatsoever, again every Big Fish Games (no play/purchase/download) has been like this along with a few others including (@ReBoot) some games that were released over a year ago.

Thanks for the replies though and trying to help me find out this is the case I really do appreciate it.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Sicstix:

Ok well... You sit there and say that games I haven't downloaded or bought won't have a play button but instead a Download or Purchase button respectively yet that is not the case at all. If I look at something like Lord of the Rings Online, I have not downloaded ever, haven't even seen any gameplay at all, yet there is a Play button, I am not confusing buy to play gmes with F2P games I mean when I go to the store there is NO button whatsoever, again every Big Fish Games has been like this along with a few others including (@ReBoot) some games that were released over a year ago.

Thanks for the replies though and trying to help me find out this is the case I really do appreciate it.

I never said that at all. I said "ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT...." NOT you ARE doing this.

When a person asks for help on forums, and there's more information that is missing, one can pose certain scenarios to cover as many bases as possible - that's what I did.

And of course Lord of the Rings Online has a play butting - it's a F2P game.

In that case, I really don't know what to say except to repeat that it just might be those games are unavailable on your region - that's how it manifests when that happens. The store page is still there, but the button is gone.

[Gana]

You don't have an "add to cart" button? Is it the same if you look at the game page in your browser? If you aren't logged in on your browser and the button is there, then you need to contact steam. If there isn't a button to buy there either, then it's a regional thing I'd guess. It would be strange if Canada was blocked though.

[ItzLachy]

Ive realised that if your on a mac computer and purchase a windows only game, they will not have a play button

[Cathulhu]

No reason to necro a thread from 2014 to post this rather obvious piece of information.

[Abyssal Lagiacrus]

I just bought Jurassic World Evolution and I'm having the same problem. I really don't want that 24 dollars to go to waste.

[bunny_bomber34]

plz help i have purchased teardown but it said install altho i already have yet there is no play button to start up the game plz help

[Glimmer]

Originally posted by bunny_bomber34:

plz help i have purchased teardown but it said install altho i already have yet there is no play button to start up the game plz help

What does it say instead of Play?
What Operating System are you using? 32 bit or 64 bit?

[bunny_bomber34]

@Glimmer it just said install but when i press on it nothing happens and ive been here for 35 mins and today ismy first day on steam

[bunny_bomber34]

or my like 13 yr old mac has shat its self

[bunny_bomber34]

fecking great i have just spent 50 fecking dollars on a useless game