Saving games from a Steam account and returning to your original account
Saving games from a Steam account and returning to your original account
He has a Steam account, and we're playing games on each other's accounts. I'm wondering if I can log in to his account and download the games, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep them or just play them. We can't use the family account because his parents might get upset.
You may enjoy those games as long as you remain logged in, and the opposite is true. After logging into your account, you will no longer be able to play them.
Steam will check the game installation online periodically when you begin playing it occasionally. If they detect any issues, they may restrict your account.
It won't function at the same time. According to their help page,
if he isn't logged in it should still work.
You can simply turn on "family sharing". It will provide you with complete access to his library if he logged in on your device and granted your account permission for his games.
Steam > Settings > Family > Authorize Library Sharing on this computer.
Don't rush to assumptions, take the time to read the post carefully. You have two choices: log into his account when playing the downloaded games or enable family sharing, which is the only solution. You won't be able to play if you're not logged in, because Steam can't verify the game. I also don't see why his parents would be upset if he turns on family sharing. If they paid for the games and don't want him to share them, that makes sense. But if he bought them with his own money, it's his choice, not theirs.
I did it and completely disregard it since it's an absurd excuse. His parents probably won't find out about this, and even if they do, it's no worse than exchanging physical copies of console games among friends while parents save money by not purchasing the same titles. If any parent gets upset, they're just being unreasonable.
It's not always the case. Some parents can be very difficult when they don't grasp it or simply seek to regain control.