One of the golden rules for a financial creative is always turning hobbies into income streams. If it is fun to do, it’s going to be much better when paid.
For the gamers out there, it’s public knowledge you spend money on games. Fortunately, you can earn money while gaming. This article covers how to make money on the Steam market, so read on for elaborate strategies.
You can make money on the Steam market by collecting valuable cards or gaming products and selling them when the demand is high. The Steam marketplace operates on demand-supply dynamics. Scarcity makes collectible items valuable to the community of gaming enthusiasts.
What is Steam?
Do you have a gaming addiction or a burning passion for strategy and fun? Well, there are nearly 30,000 games from which you can make profits. All you need is to join this community of over 150 million gamers. Even if you’re not looking to make profits, this community will help you discover and dominate the hottest games.
Steam is a digital platform that distributes online gaming products. Steam was developed by Valve, the game makers behind Counter-Strike. It was designed as a community forum for chatting about Counter-Strike. Then, it evolved to accommodate over 30,000 games from other publishers.
Can Steam Money Be Converted to Real Money?
Steam evolved into a full-fledged gaming distributor from a simple chat platform. You can download games from famous publishers like EA and Ubisoft, though Indie releases also feature on Steam. The platform is so versatile that you can view other member’s gameplay.
Steam money cannot be converted to real money, but you can use it to purchase valuable gaming products from third-party game makers. You can also use the Steam Community Market to trade some of your money on Steam for real money.
Can You Make Money Off Steam Market?
You can make money off the Steam market by trading gaming content. With $ 4.3 billion in games sales, there is plenty of money for grabs on Steam. The following are the best ways to make money on Steam.
Top 6 Steps on How to Make Money on Steam Market
1. Sell Your Original Game
Producing original games is the best way to make money for gaming publishers. Essentially, there are two opportunities, selling games and in-game products. Create your indie game, and design in-game sales.
This strategy is capital intensive, but it’s the most profitable. The more people download your game, the more revenue you get.
If you’re good at producing gaming content, this is your chance to earn passively on Steam. You only need to pay $100 for Steam to distribute your game. The game must meet all the community standards imposed by Steam.
The platform then markets your game and supports sales. Your chances of selling are high as you’ll access ISO million gamers. In return, the platform takes a 30% cut on all sales. Also, you must earn a minimum of $1,000 to withdraw the proceeds.
Python developers enjoy a head start in the gaming world. All you need is to create an original game is creativity, time, and a mastery of the Python language.
Developers can have an easy time creating original games on Steam Direct. The program, coupled with Steamworks, gives you tools that make the development much more effortless. Afterward, you can submit the original game to Valve for review.
If you are not a coder, you can still design and sell your freelance art and design. The platform has various forums for developers and gamers looking for designers and artists. In-game content is lucrative on Steam, and graphic designers can earn impressive revenues.
Gamers are always looking for unique profile art and beautiful backgrounds. You can use the Community Market to sell your design skills for real money or Steam Wallet funds.
2. Earn Steam Gift Cards
You can boost your Steam Wallet with free Steam codes for games through the following ways.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers free Steam codes when you participate in different activities. You can earn points by:
- Taking online surveys
- Watching video ads
- Watching movie trailers
You can redeem Swagbucks points at Steam, Walmart, and Amazon.
PointsPrizes
This app works just like Swagbucks. It rewards you for taking surveys and interacting with digital ads.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie specializes in collecting data for online brands. It pays to take surveys.
You can also earn Steam points by shopping online at Rakuten or Ibotta. Use the free Steam codes to buy games and other products on the Steam Community Market. Remember, you can’t cash in your Steam Wallet Funds.
3. Sell Modifications on the Steam Workshop
Game developers design the experience for fans, and most appreciate that gamers will suggest modifications. Gamers know what they want more than developers. They freely express their opinions on Steam and talk about desirable changes.
It’s trendy to create modifications for existing games. The Steam Workshop makes it possible for you to sell revamps. Thus, you can collect data on desirable modifications. Use it to sell such improvements on the platform’s digital workshop.
Some of the most popular modifications include:
- Characters
- Maps
- In-game items
- Missions
- Story plot twists
This strategy is the best practice for up-start developers. It helps you hone your development skills, earn money, and make a name in the developers’ community.
4. Sell Steam Trading Cards
Steam rewards you for playing a wide range of games, and it uses trading cards to do it. Trading cards are collectible items with unique artwork that improves the gameplay experience. Some trading cards are part of collections, which means they are more valuable as a complete set.
You can view your entire collection of trading cards for every game you play. You only need to click on your profile name and pick the badges option. The Steam Community Market allows you to buy and sell these trading cards, and you can make a profitable venture.
Every game allows you to pick up 2-3 cards, and you can play over 30,000 games. You only need an average of two hours and 30 minutes of play to pick up multiple trading cards.
Trading cards have the resale value of cents. Rare cards, which are on-demand, can go for several dollars. Depending on demand-supply dynamics, trading cards gain value and become profitable for collectors.
You can make profits by buying low and selling high with the ease of predicting these price changes. For example:
- Trading cards from new games are more valuable.
- Games expose available cards, and you can target to collect the coveted sets.
- It’s more profitable to pick all three cards during one game. It yields ten times more value than three random cards from different games.
- Trading cards are more valuable when players collect all the available in-game drops.
- Generally, cards are cheaper during the year and become more valuable as December festivities approach.
Now let’s say you play for about four hours a day, frequently. It’s fun and cathartic. The Steam community also allows you to share successes with other members. Apart from the fun and social benefits, you can recoup the time spent with profits from trading cards.
It’s worth noting that Steam adds a 15% charge on your selling price to recoup platform fees. Thus, your buyers will buy your trading cards at a price 15% higher than what you set.
5. Profit on Pre-Release Items
With a library of 30K games, Stem is always hosting new game releases. New games always create a fuss in gaming communities, especially for well-marketed brands. You can preorder games before they are released. Developers offer exclusive in-game items for pre-release buyers.
Pre-release content includes crates and skins, which are not on offer after the official release of games. The scarcity makes pre-release items valuable as with resale value going into hundreds or thousands of dollars.
You can use your rare, pre-release items to dominate new games when they become available to other community members. Better yet, you can sell them on the Steam Community Market to turn in massive profits.
6. Trade Cosmetic Crates
Cosmetic crates are the rarest and most valuable in-game items on Steam. Global Offensive and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds are famous for dropping expensive crates regularly. You can even pick two crates per week playing Counter-Strike. Every crate fetches several dollars.
The trick with crates is earning them, not buying. Cosmetic games can help you to mass funds in your Steam Wallet. Play the right games, and you’ll even afford to purchase other games on the platform. Ultimately, cosmetic crates provide a free means to access other paid opportunities on Steam.
The Sky Is the Limit with Steam Profits
You can make quite a profit with any of these methods that we’ve listed above. If you find a way to make cents from in-game items, you can create a system to scale the profitability. However, don’t expect to become rich overnight via Steam.
For designers and developers, you must put in the time to research what 150+ million gamers like. You must hone your skills and produce a product that people will want to buy. If you aren’t a gaming enthusiast, such an achievement won’t come quickly.
You can make money on Steam, even if you don’t have the relevant design or coding skills. The Steam Community Market makes it easy for players to earn while enjoying their favorite games. All you need is to make earning fun. Make money your ultimate high-score rating.
Play like there’s no tomorrow while earning something to spend in the future. Just remember to follow our tips on how to make money on Steam market.
Selling trading cards will help you make money with Steam. Since, the platform rewards for playing using trading cards. There allows you to buy and sell these trading cards, and you can make a profitable venture with it.
One way to make money off Steam trading cards is by selling them on the Steam Community Market. Players can sell their cards and receive a percentage of the sale price in their Steam Wallet.
