Steam now requires age verification to view mature content in the UK

Valve is enforcing age verification checks on Steam for some users. If you're in the UK and you want to check out a game that's rated mature - intended for people over the age of 18 - you'll need to provide Valve with proof of your age. Steam is the latest in a swathe of websites to implement similar measures in order to comply with the UK Online Safety Act, which aims to "protect children and adults online."

Valve won't require you to submit scans of your passport or driving license, however, and nor will it automate the process by checking how old you look through your webcam - a system that was thoroughly undermined by Death Stranding 2's photo mode.

Instead, Steam will rely on credit checks to verify your age. Due to the fact that you must be 18 to own a credit card in the UK, adding one to your account will prove you're old enough to view the games and communities you want. Whether you're after one of the best PC games or a niche indie, if it's rated-R, you'll need a credit card to view the store page or its forums.

Presumably, this also means that, unless you already own a mature game (a rating that includes titles like Call of Duty and The Witcher 3), you won't be able to purchase without a credit card attached to your account. You can pay using a different payment method, but the credit card needs to be added to your account in order to access the store page in the first place.

You can read the full ruling in Steam's support pages here, which also details the steps you need to add a credit card to your account. Some players have theorized that accounts may be automatically verified if they're more than 18 years old, as has been the case on other websites, but this has not been confirmed by Valve at present.

While some of our picks for the best indie games may fall foul of the age verification laws, there are plenty appropriate for under-18s, too. The best Steam Deck games are also great to browse, too.

You can also sign up to our community Discord server to get great recommendations from readers and staff.