Steam always sells games at higher prices than in the retail stores. However, many retail copies of games contain serial keys that can be registered on Steam. By comparing Steam Store prices with retail prices, it is possible to find a Steam serial key that costs much less than buying directly from the Steam Store. For example, Order of War is available from the Steam Store for £29.99, but can be bought on Amazon for £2.60 including delivery. This retail copy can be registered and played on Steam without ever using the disc.
The following page is a list of every possible retail Steam key with a Metacritic rating over 60 that can be bought from retail. Each game title contains a link to its Steam Store page. My list includes a price from Amazon which is generated dynamically, as well as a link to Camelcamelcamel, a site which generates graphs of Amazon prices to track the decrease in price of a game over time. An explanation of how the graphs work is available in a previous article: Buy New Games For Less Using Graphs. The source of games that this article is based on is from Steam Support which lists the serial key formats of the games.
Last Updated: 18th January 2011.
Please comment if there are any new additions that I have missed.
(All versions linked are for Steam PC versions of games, even if the correct box art is not displayed).
Alien Vs Predator
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Audiosurf
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Civilization V
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Commander: Conquest of the Americas
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Dark Messiah Might and Magic
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Dark Messiah CD Keys may also have been printed incorrectly, please see the Dark Messiah article.
Darksiders
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Dawn of War II: Gold
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Defense Grid
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Empire: Total War
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Fallout: New Vegas
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
FEAR 2: Project Origin
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Football Manager 2010
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK
Football Manager 2011
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK
Front Mission Evolved
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Global Agenda
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Keys purchased directly from the Global Agenda website cannot be registered on Steam.
GTR Evolution
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Half-Life 2: Orange Box
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Just Cause 2
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Please input all O's and 0's as Q's for Just Cause 2.
Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Killing Floor
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
King Arthur
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
The Last Remnant
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Left 4 Dead
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Left 4 Dead 2
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Lost Planet: Colonies Edition CD Keys are not accepted on Steam
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Metro 2033
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Mount & Blade
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Mount & Blade: Warband
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
NBA 2K9 (no Steam Store UK link)
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Empire & Napoleon Total War GOTY Edition
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK
Order of War
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Prey (no Steam Store UK link)
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
R.U.S.E.
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Race 07: The Official WTCC Game
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Rag Doll Kung Fu
This game is not readily available via retail, and any retail copies left are more expensive than from Steam Store.
Railworks
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK
Red Orchestra
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Saints Row 2
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Shattered Horizon
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
The Ship
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Silent Hill Homecoming
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK
Sniper: Ghost Warrior
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Speedball 2 - Tournament (no Steam Store UK link)
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Supreme Commander 2
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Torchlight
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Note: Only keys purchased directly from Runic Games or Perfect World prior to May 19th, 2010 can be registered on Steam.
Unreal Tournament III
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
X3 Gold Edition
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
Zeno Clash
Camelcamelcamel - Amazon UK - Amazon US
