# A couple of Steam gifting questions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [December 12, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049 "2014-12-12T18:49:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049/1 "2014-12-12T18:49:55Z")

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1. Is it possible to buy a gift game for someone who doesn’t currently have a Steam account?

2. How are those Train Simulator games? Easy to play for an old timer, say someone who has played the MS Flight Simulator games in the past?

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**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049/2 "2014-12-12T18:54:30Z")

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You can buy a gift game for someone not on steam but they won’t be able to play it unless they set up the steam client.

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**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049/3 "2014-12-12T20:06:06Z")

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As **Inner Stickler** says, to play a Steam game, your intended target will need to set up a Steam account. There is an option on purchase of a gift to send the gift code through email, and I would like to think that that email would talk someone through installing Steam and entering the code.

The Train Simulator games are excellent. There are two setting - one a very easy “Stop/Go” style control, the other using more realistic controls. Electric and diesel engines are also pretty easy in this mode, although steam engines are more involved.

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**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-steam-gifting-questions/707049/4 "2014-12-13T22:17:11Z")

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Thanks!