Adult only games on steam for germans

[GreatTS]

Hey Guys,

as many of you may know, steam has banned many adult only games for Germans.
Its not possible to buy, or even view the store page of many of the adult games sold on steam.

One example that currently bugs me is "Karryn's Prison" (

You must be registered to see the links

).
For me this page just shows the error-message "This item is currently unavailable in your region".

I know the game is available here and in other places on the internet (i actually got it from here and played it), however.
This is one of the games, that i want to have in my steam library (and support the developer at the same time).
I realize i can usually get the games and support the developer by using something like Patreon or Subscribestar.
But this does not bring the games into my steam library. I know, its silly.

Steam does not seem to want to implement an age verification system, that actually verifies your age in a somewhat satisfying way.
So it used the easy way out to satisfy the german goverments youth protection act, and simply doesn't make adult only games available in Germany anymore.

Long story short, has any German here found an easy way to get these adult only games into your library?

For example:
- Is it possible to gift these games to a german account?
- Are there shops that sell steam gifts / keys of adult games?

Google did not really bring a satisfying answer, so i thought the F95 community might know more.

PS: I know that writing in english to find germans that answer this question might be weird in a way, but yeah .. F95 is english after all
PS2: Hmm, i just realized this is my first post, i am the introverted lurker type ... hey everyone

 

[fitgirlbestgirl]

Gifting Steam games definitely used to work to get around region restrictions in the past, though it's been years since I last did that, so idk if they somehow managed to put a stop to that.

 

[Droid Productions]

Steam keys work; I know I automatically give Steam keys to any .de account that signs up on Patreon.

That would mean Steam key resellers would work, but honestly a lot of them are scum (G2A and the rest of them. As a creator on Steam I get a lot of review requests from Curators, and while initially I was super happy to send them review keys, watching those same keys go up on key reseller sites hurt the soul.


These days I tend to end the message with something like this:
" All I ask is you don't sell the key to key-resellers, like G2A; I would much rather people pirated the game than they grabbed it from places like that (which makes money, but pays nothing to developers). At least a pirate forum like F95zone provides feedback, a community and exposure, and makes more or less nothing in return. G2A takes a paying customer, and cuts out the developer, making it less likely future games are made."

 

[GreatTS]

Steam keys work; I know I automatically give Steam keys to any .de account that signs up on Patreon.

That would mean Steam key resellers would work, but honestly a lot of them are scum (G2A and the rest of them. As a creator on Steam I get a lot of review requests from Curators, and while initially I was super happy to send them review keys, watching those same keys go up on key reseller sites hurt the soul.


These days I tend to end the message with something like this:
" All I ask is you don't sell the key to key-resellers, like G2A; I would much rather people pirated the game than they grabbed it from places like that (which makes money, but pays nothing to developers). At least a pirate forum like F95zone provides feedback, a community and exposure, and makes more or less nothing in return. G2A takes a paying customer, and cuts out the developer, making it less likely future games are made."

I know a few people that only buy from these resellers, just because ist so much cheaper (usually).
Its sad that the creators don't see a dime of the sale, when the key ends up on these key-reseller sites.

Thank for the info though.
So keys work, now i have to find a way to get one

 

[GreatTS]

Gifting Steam games definitely used to work to get around region restrictions in the past, though it's been years since I last did that, so idk if they somehow managed to put a stop to that.

I have a few games in my library from the time, where steam still did allow to buy these games in germany.
I guess it will stay in your library, if you are able to get it somehow.

 

[Droid Productions]

I know a few people that only buy from these resellers, just because ist so much cheaper (usually).
Its sad that the creators don't see a dime of the sale, when the key ends up on these key-reseller sites.

It's actually worse than that, because a pirate very often become a paying customer to support the game (I've had a lot of people here at F95 say they bought the game on Steam after playing it through here), but someone who bought it from G2A feel they've "already paid". So they've taken someone that WAS willing to pay for the game (although maybe not at full price, though that's why we have sales), and "taken them away from" the creator.

Thank for the info though.
So keys work, now i have to find a way to get one

Yupp. Most devs that are on F95zone, and use the patreon model, are aware of this situation. Support them on Patreon, and drop them a note going "I really would have loved to get it on Steam, but because I'm in Germany I can't buy it". Most devs would be happy to drop you a key (though some may ask you to subscribe at a higher tier, like $10 or $20, so it's closer to the retail price on Steam). For Love of Magic I'll give a key to any patreon who wants one, even at $1 tier (of which I see like $0.30 due to payment processors); for Paradise Lust Chase wanted to lock it behind the $6+ tier patreons, which I think is more common. Either works.

 

[Hadley]

I moved my Account to Holland. I just use a PrePaid Creditcard (Revolut) and in there I set my Adress to Holland and it works fine. Only problem is you can't pay with your (German) PayPal anymore, so either stock up on Wallet or use the Prepaid CC.

Early on you could still buy the Games if you added it to your Cart via SteamDB, but I dont think that works anymore.

 

[Thoran001]

You can buy all games in germany. A VPN is illegal, but if you have friends in other countries you can gift games on steam without it is in the german shopsite. Keys are necessary if they key have not a region locked. I live in germany and i have the Beta from "Operation Lovecraft". How: I subscribed the developer on patreon and get a key from him. Same is with Tame It!

 

[Cibo]

Friends of mine used to gift me adult games (really starts to suck living in germany as gamer ^^). Now it says games are not avaible for the person when he trys to gift me. Anyone else can confirm that?

 

[K3NJ1]

That actually sucks...
I mean the only game that makes sense to be banned in Germany on Steam would be

You must be registered to see the links

.
Actually to be fair... This game needs to be banned everywhere else...

 

[Droid Productions]

Friends of mine used to gift me adult games (really starts to suck living in germany as gamer ^^). Now it says games are not avaible for the person when he trys to gift me. Anyone else can confirm that?

I had a similar false warning with a Patreon (I give steam keys to any Patreon who asks, regardless of tier, but I make a point out of automatically sending one to anyone from a .de domain). He couldn't access it for a while, but then it resolved itself.

Dunno if it was a snafu on Steam side, or them trialing a new system.

 

[Cibo]

Would suck if they now have a system checking the country of the gift reciever.
So much effort into locking people out. Would be better to implemant a age check system and get money instead haha

 

[botc76]

The problem is that it isn't really based on any law, it is just based on the bureaucrats in one agency in one German federal state interpreting the law in one specific way and making a complaint about it. I even read it wasn't about the games themselves, but the pictures on the shop page.
That agency is responsible for several sites not being available for Germans at all, due to the same interpretation and as long as they find a judge willing to accept their idiotic interpretation, this will just go on.
Many corporations, obviously including valve, are so afraid of German censorship laws that they automatically remove content from their games or their shops, if they think it could go against German censorship regs.
It is baffling, though, that Valve really rather foregoes sales in the largest videogame market in Europe (4. or 5. largest in the world) instead of implementing a halfway decent age verification system. It's not really that hard, many shops manage to do just fine, and obviously it doesn't cost the world.
It would make much more sense to restrict these games via an age restriction than completely shutting out a big market.
You could even just use whether the customer has a credit card linked to the account. It's not valve's fault if a kid uses their parent's credit card, all the mobile games work with that logic.

I don't even know what pisses me off more, that steam cares so little for their customers that they would rather piss us off or my government, and its stupid laws leading to so many restrictions for me as an adult who should be able to decide for himself what to buy and play.

 

[cedfrex]

A friend from the US tried to gift me an adult game recently and the purchase was blocked by steam. Is this a general problem now or was it just bad luck on this occasion?

 

[Droid Productions]

A friend from the US tried to gift me an adult game recently and the purchase was blocked by steam. Is this a general problem now or was it just bad luck on this occasion?

Steam keys still work; I know I handed out a couple to Patreons in Germany recently. They may be tightening up the storefront specifically.