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Run Steam As Game & Tracking Gaming Hours [Retired but still old-skool]
By SgtFopper™ and 3 collaborators
An easy and short step-by-step guide to run Steam as game and to track gaming hours! Additional you can find a very nice guide with a link at the end of my guide where you can set Steam into your favorite game showcase!
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Created by
SgtFopper™
Online
thrillerの空
Offline
zocker.exe
Offline
uniQ
Offline
Category: Modding or Configuration, Secrets, Walkthroughs
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
14 Jun, 2014 @ 8:46am
22 May, 2021 @ 4:04am
36,140 Unique Visitors
1,520 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Configure Steam as game step by step 
Further details 
How to do it for Steam 
Closing words 
Comments
Configure Steam as game step by step
  • Choose a game (for this guide "Super Hexagon")


  • Open the game folder


  • Open the steam_appid.txt file (Or create it, if there isn't one)




  • Change the existing APPID to your new one, that was listed in the guide


  • Save the file

  • Restart Steam

  • IMPORTANT: Create a shortcut on the desktop

  • Start the game {just the shortcut one / NOT via your Steam library} now as Steam
Further details
  • To your friends it will appear as if you were really playing this game, similar to IdleMaster. Therefore people will not notice, if you're online or afk.

  • If you start a second, or even more games at the same time, your friends will see the first one. Some exceptions are games like CS:GO, that will show up as soon as you join a server.

  • You can view in someone's profile the tracked gaming hours under games or in the last played games history below the Showcases.
How to do it for Steam
This method used to work for Steam as well. However Valve patched it some time ago so you have to use a workoround. You can use HourBoostr instead:
https://github.com/Ezzpify/HourBoostr
Closing words
250 Comments
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Bradly105 27 Nov, 2024 @ 9:44am 
Just add a random exe file like Wordpad as a non-Steam app, then head to where that exe is and create the steam_appid.txt, put in 753, save the changes, launch Wordpad or whatever exe you added via your Steam library.
AKcharlie 24 Sep, 2024 @ 9:57am 
Can someone help me to get this up and running to run Steam (AppID=753)?. I've been using ASF, but I want to be able to idle while also playing and using my account. Ideas?
1caruxx 18 Sep, 2024 @ 3:53pm 
Im not really sure if we can still tracking hours for games that can not be installed with this method, so i'll leave this alternative: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3333531083
COMMANDER STEFFA™ 2.5 16 Jul, 2024 @ 7:09pm 
:DonaldToad:
:DonaldToad::Speech_Love:
:lovermu:
Luko 1 Mar, 2024 @ 6:20am 
Sry, but what is the sense of this ? :D
kami 21 Feb, 2024 @ 1:23am 
Still work in 2024. Reed me in DM
󠀡󠀡      󠀡 19 Jun, 2023 @ 9:37am 
It still doesn't work for me, after many tries. Did they fixed it or is there any other way to run Steam as a game? Thanks for all answers. :brflash:
Psi❌opat 24 Oct, 2022 @ 4:26am 
:behind:Rated & Faved:behind:
Rated :orb:
xzymo 30 Jul, 2022 @ 5:37am 
NOT WORKING
T45OFP5 16 Feb, 2022 @ 1:17pm 
No it doesnt work anymore. most people use SteamTimeIdler to idle hours for steam. I perosnally use it as well and it's very safe to use !