Got any Steam games in your library that you want to hide from your friends? The latest Steam Client beta lets you do just that!
So, be honest with me here, do you have any games in your Steam library that you'd rather not have your friends know you play? Or are there games you've been eyeing on the store that you haven't bought only because they would show up on your profile? Don't worry, I won't tell — and neither will Steam itself now, if you tell it to keep quiet.
A recently released Steam feature now lets you mark any game you purchase or already own it as Private, meaning that your friends won't be able to tell in any way that you own it! This does have some side effects, however: Your friends can potentially gift you Steam games you already own but set as private. Also, you won't be able to earn any Steam Trading Cards while playing a private game, if you care about that sort of thing. A full explanation of how Private games work can be found in the official FAQ.
Less Peer Pressure, More Purchasing Power
In a way it was kind of inevitable that Steam would implement this kind of feature eventually. The Steam store has been offering all sorts of new games of late that potential customers might be too, shall we say, embarrassed to actually pick up, too afraid of what their Steam friends might say if they spotted them playing those kinds of games.
I'm talking about games like Rise of Kong, of course. ...What? What kind did you think I meant?
Anyway, this new feature gives users more privacy and freedom in their purchasing decisions and could cause a sales boom for the games that have suffered from this peer pressure effect. It's a win-win for everyone involved! Right now, the easiest way to set a game as private is to opt into the new Steam Client Beta, but you can also try it out in your Steam Community Games list online and when purchasing a new game.
I can't imagine it's a coincidence that this feature was released just in time for the annual Winter Sale. And to be perfectly honest, it has me tempted to take this opportunity and pick up a few games I usually would've passed on! Which ones? Well, wouldn't you like to know?