Steam is the go-to marketplace for many gamers. It has a vast library of games for PC, with more released every day. Players can easily end up with more than they could ever play on Steam. However, not every game finds its way there. Despite the platform's ubiquity, some developers still don't release their games on it.
In some cases, there's exclusivity at work. Many games get released on the publisher's own storefront, or on one of Steam's competitors. Sometimes it's an age issue, with older games not yet updated for modern systems. For whatever reason it happens, some excellent PC games simply cannot be purchased on Steam.
Updated 5th of October, 2022: Steam is still the go-to for many when it comes to buying PC games. However, people who use Steam may be increasingly limiting their market access. This list has been updated to include even more great games that players need to go elsewhere to find.
12 The Fortnite Juggernaut Remains Epic Exclusive
Steam is the most popular storefront for PC gaming. It's a household name, and one most players are familiar with. However, one of the most popular and iconic games ever has never appeared on it. Fortnite is notorious for its impact both inside and outside gaming.
However, Fortnite is developed by Epic Games, which runs its own storefront. Epic is serious about its competition with Steam, and heavily in favor of exclusivity. As such, Fortnite isn't available on Steam, and it's unlikely that it ever will be.
11 A Good Chunk Of The Anno/A.D. Games Are Excluded From The Lineup
Anno is a classic real-time strategy city-building series that tasks players with building up a city in a specific time period, ranging from the past to the far future. The games have a distinct economic focus, with development, war, and diplomacy all done to further the city's economy.
Unfortunately, much of the Anno series isn't on Steam. A number of games are, but classic entries like Anno 1701, Anno 1503, 1602, and 1800 are all missing. Many of Steam's available Anno/AD games are its futuristic entries. Players hoping to explore the entire series won't be able to do so wholly on Steam.
10 Assassin's Creed Valhalla Will Never Get A Steam Port
Most Assassin's Creed games are available on Steam. It was the storefront of choice for all the franchise's PC ports, all the way back to the original Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is a break with tradition, however, as it isn't available on Steam. Instead, players can find it on competitor Epic Games.
In addition, players can purchase Assassin's Creed: Valhalla directly from the Ubisoft store. However, in terms of more general storefronts, it remains exclusive to Epic. This shows no sign of changing, with there being no hint of the game becoming more broadly available.
9 Magic The Gathering: Arena Is Its Own Free-To-Play App
Some games aren't on Steam because they simply don't need to be bought. Magic: the Gathering Arena is an online version of the classic card game. Although it has some unique touches of its own, Arena is designed to let players play Magic: the Gathering wholly online with friends or strangers.
Magic: the Gathering Arena isn't available on Steam. Instead, a player can simply pick it up from Wizards of the Coast's website and download it for free. Magic already has a massive fanbase, so it doesn't really need the publicity provided by Steam.
8 Dauntless Is Still An Epic Games Exclusive
The Epic Games store has tried hard to set itself up as Steam's competition. To create some room for itself in the market, it's gone for two main approaches. One of these is game exclusivity, and another is liberal use of free-to-play games.
Dauntless is an example of both. It's a game that takes after the Monster Hunter franchise, pitting players against enormous behemoths that they need to hunt. Dauntless is completely free to play, with Battle Pass microtransactions for cosmetics. It's also exclusive to the Epic Games store and unavailable on Steam.
7 When Kingdom Hearts Made The Leap To PC, It Wasn't On Steam
The Kingdom Hearts games were initially PlayStation exclusives. Over the years, they became available on more and more platforms. However, they were still very slow to come to PC. For a long time, they remained on consoles. Players couldn't find them on Steam or any other marketplace.
The Kingdom Hearts games have been available to PC gamers since 2021. However, they're still not available on Steam. Instead, Kingdom Hearts for PC is exclusively sold by Epic Games. There is no word on how long this exclusivity will last, or whether the franchise will ever make its way to Steam.
6 Any Of The Diablo Trilogy Have To Be Found Elsewhere
The Diablo franchise is a gaming classic. For over twenty years, the series has provided unique, loot-focused hack-n-slash gameplay. There are three Diablo games, all of which are considered staples of PC gaming. Despite their prestige, none of them are available on Steam.
It's an unusual omission, given that many older games have made their way to Steam. Those who want to play any of the Diablo games instead have to go to Battle.net to purchase them or acquire a disk version of the game.
5 Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Doesn't Join The Civilization Games
Steam has four entries in the Sid Meier's Civilization series. Every game from III to VI is available through its storefront. However, a notable cousin to the franchise isn't available. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is a more futuristic strategy game that has the player attempt to colonize a new planet. They have to build cities on this planet, and do battle with wildlife and other factions.
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is highly acclaimed and considered an excellent companion to its parent series. However, it's very hard to get ahold of. A large part of this is likely technological. The game is old and uses the same engine as Civilization II, which is also not on Steam. Most storefronts don't have Alpha Centauri, making it a struggle to acquire.
4 Fable II & III Get Left Out
Fable is a classic RPG, and its sequels are just as popular. Unusually for Steam users, only one of the series is available on the market place. The original Fable exists in multiple forms on the Steam marketplace, including Fable: The Lost Chapters and Fable: Anniversary. But neither Fable II nor Fable III can be found.
At least part of this is actually console exclusivity. Fable II has never seen a PC release. It's only available on the Xbox. However, Fable III is available on both platforms. Players can use a Steam key to run Fable III through Steam. However, they cannot actually buy it from Steam and no new keys are being created, making it surprisingly hard to acquire.
3 The Bulk Of Heroes Of Might And Magic III Is Unavailable
Heroes of Might and Magic is a beloved turn-based strategy franchise. In particular, Heroes of Might and Magic III is an iconic entry in the franchise, often ranked by fans as a firm favorite. The base game actually is available on Steam. However, this is not nearly enough for die-hard Heroes of Might and Magic fans.
A large amount of Heroes of Might and Magic III's content is in its expansions. The base game is surprisingly short. Other platforms have the option to buy the game with its expansions, but not Steam. Any gamers looking to get the full Heroes of Might and Magic III experience would be better served going elsewhere.
2 Immortals Fenyx Rising Is Another Epic Exclusive
Immortals: Fenyx Rising is an action-adventure game that draws heavily on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The player controls a hero named Fenyx, and travels the world to battle the evil Typhon. It's received positive reviews, noted for its engaging world design, fun writing, and intuitive combat.
However, it's reached a smaller audience than it might. The game is another Ubisoft title that isn't available on Steam. Instead, players have to get it through the Ubisoft store, or through the Epic Games Store.
1 Overwatch Isn't On Steam Either
Blizzard Entertainment doesn't tend to put its games on other storefronts. It has its own Battle.net launcher and store, which it uses to both run and sell its games. This applies to all Blizzard games, and the Overwatch series is no exception.
Despite its huge popularity, Overwatch was only ever been available through Battle.net. The same is true of its sequel, Overwatch 2. The game is free-to-play, but it can only be acquired from Blizzard's own store. The Battle.net launcher is a far cry from competing with Steam, but it has just enough titles to keep dedicated fans around.