01
How the shared library works
After joining a Steam Family, a member sees eligible games from other family members next to their own. The developer may exclude the game from family access, and projects with an external account, key, or subscription may not be supported.
Progress is not mixed: each user retains their own saves, achievements, and Steam Workshop items.
02
How many copies are needed to play together?
The number of simultaneous runs depends on the number of copies in the family library. If a family owns one copy, one person can use it at a time. With two copies, two people play at the same time.
| Copies in the family | Concurrent players |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Up to 2 |
| 3 | Up to 3 |
03
How to understand how many copies of a game there are in a family
Check which family member owns the desired game. If there are multiple owners, Steam allows you to select a copy of a specific member at startup. The game's overall library line does not itself indicate the number of individual purchases.
Consider only family-friendly copies: the publisher may prevent the game from being shared, and an external subscription or regional restriction may also prevent the launch.
04
Children's accounts and restrictions
Adult members can control a child's access to games, store, and community features. The restriction for a specific game is configured separately from the general access to the library.
It is better to think about the composition of the family in advance: after an adult user leaves and the space becomes available, Steam applies a waiting period before a new shift.
Steam Families is intended for close members of the same household; the system can take into account the activity of accounts when inviting.