How to Complete the Steam Discovery Queue

Completing the Steam Discovery Queue is a quick way to earn Steam Trading Cards and discover new games tailored to your tastes. Each queue shows you a handful of games based on your play history and wishlist, and you simply click through them. You need a Steam account and the Steam client or website; no purchase is required. This guide walks you through the entire process, from starting your first queue to troubleshooting common issues.

What You’ll Need

• A Steam account (free to create)
• Access to the Steam store via the desktop app, mobile app, or web browser
• Steam Trading Card eligibility (your account must have a non-limited Steam account, which means you’ve spent at least $5 in the Steam store or added $5 to your wallet)

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Steam Store. Launch the Steam desktop client and click on the “Store” tab at the top of the window. If you’re using a web browser, go to store.steampowered.com and log in.
2. Navigate to the Discovery Queue. On the store homepage, scroll down until you see a section titled “Discovery Queue” (usually below the main carousel). Alternatively, you can hover over “Your Store” in the top menu and click “Discovery Queue” from the dropdown. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select “Discovery Queue.”
3. Start Your First Queue. Click the “Start Browsing” or “Start Queue” button. Steam will present you with a set of games, typically 10 to 15 per queue. Each game appears as a card with a title, image, and a brief description.
4. Review Each Game. For each game, you have several options:
   • Click the game’s image or title to open its store page for more details.
   • Click the heart icon to add it to your wishlist.
   • Click the “Not Interested” button (the X icon) to remove it from future recommendations.
   • Click “Follow” to follow the game’s developer or publisher.
5. Advance to the Next Game. After you’ve interacted with a game (or simply looked at it), click the “Next” button (the arrow on the right side of the card) to move to the next game. You can also press the right arrow key on your keyboard.
6. Complete the Queue. Continue clicking through until you reach the end. Steam will show a summary screen with a button that says “Finish” or “Complete Queue.” Click it to finalize the queue.
7. Earn Your Reward. After completing the queue, you’ll receive a notification that you’ve earned a Steam Trading Card. This card appears in your Steam Inventory. You can collect up to three cards per day (one per queue, three queues total).
8. Repeat for More Rewards. To earn additional cards, start a new queue by returning to the Discovery Queue section and clicking “Start Browsing” again. You can do this up to three times in a 24-hour period.

Common Mistakes

• Clicking through too fast: Steam may detect rapid, uninteractive clicking and invalidate the queue. Make sure to pause on each game for at least a few seconds and interact with at least some of them (e.g., click the heart or X).
• Not clicking “Finish” at the end: If you close the tab or window before clicking “Finish,” the queue is not counted, and you won’t receive a card.
• Expecting cards without a qualifying account: If your Steam account is limited (you haven’t spent at least $5), you won’t earn trading cards from the queue. The queue will still work, but you’ll get no reward.
• Using the mobile app incorrectly: The mobile app has a slightly different layout. Ensure you’re tapping the correct buttons (the heart, X, or next arrow) and that you’re not accidentally exiting the queue.

Tips

• Use the queue to discover hidden gems: The queue is designed to show you games you might like but haven’t heard of. Take a moment to read the descriptions and check the tags.
• Wishlist games you like: Adding games to your wishlist improves future recommendations and can alert you to sales.
• Complete queues daily: Since you can earn up to three cards per day, doing the queue daily is a reliable way to collect cards for badge crafting.
• Check your inventory after each queue: Sometimes the card appears immediately, but if not, wait a few minutes. If it still doesn’t show, restart Steam.
• Use the web browser if the client is glitchy: If the desktop client is slow or unresponsive, try the website version—it works just as well.

Troubleshooting

Queue doesn’t appear on the store page: If you can’t find the Discovery Queue section, try clearing your browser cookies (if on web) or restarting the Steam client. Also, ensure you’re logged in and your store region is set correctly.

I completed a queue but didn’t get a card: First, check if your account is limited. If it is, you won’t earn cards. If your account is fine, wait a few minutes and check your inventory. If still missing, restart Steam and try again. Sometimes the queue might not have been registered if you didn’t click “Finish.”

The queue keeps showing the same games: This can happen if you’ve already interacted with many games. Try using the “Not Interested” button more often, or clear your Steam cache (Steam > Settings > Downloads > Clear Download Cache).

I get an error when starting the queue: This is often a temporary server issue. Wait a few minutes and try again. If it persists, check the Steam status page for outages.

My queue is shorter than expected: The number of games in a queue can vary. Steam may show fewer games if you’ve already seen or interacted with many recommendations. This is normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many discovery queues can I complete per day?
A: You can complete up to three queues per day, earning one trading card per queue, for a maximum of three cards daily.

Q: Do I have to buy anything to earn cards?
A: No, but your account must have spent at least $5 in the Steam store (or added $5 to your wallet) to be eligible for card drops. This is a one-time requirement.

Q: Can I skip games without interacting?
A: Yes, you can click “Next” without clicking any buttons, but interacting (heart, X, follow) improves your recommendations and reduces the chance of Steam invalidating the queue for being too fast.

Q: What are Steam Trading Cards used for?
A: They can be crafted into game badges, which increase your Steam profile level. You can also sell them on the Community Market for wallet funds.

Q: Can I complete the queue on my phone?
A: Yes, the Steam mobile app supports the Discovery Queue. The interface is slightly different, but the steps are the same.

Q: What if I accidentally click “Not Interested” on a game I actually like?
A: You can go to the game’s store page and click “Not Interested” again to remove that preference, or simply ignore it. Steam will still show similar games in the future.

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