Guest Passes Guide

General Information

What are Orange Box gifts?

Orange Box gifts are allocated to users who own either 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' and then go on to purchase The Orange Box, which includes these two games. An Orange Box gift allows users to give either or both 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' to a friend who does not already own the game. An Orange Box gift is an easy way to let your friends enjoy 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' for free.

Giving Orange Box Gifts

How do I get Orange Box gifts to give away?

If you own either or both Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One and then install The Orange Box using the Steam account that contains those games, you will automatically receive Orange Box gifts you can give to friends. You can receive Orange Box gifts by purchasing The Orange Box on Steam or at any retailer.

When will I be able to give Orange Box gifts?

Orange Box gifts will be available to give when the Orange Box officially launches. If you pre-purchase the Orange Box and are eligible for the Orange Box gift, you will still have the gift, you will just have to wait until the release date of Orange Box to give the games to a friend.

How do I know when I have Orange Box gifts available to give away?

You will receive a message through Steam when your Orange Box gifts become available to give away. You will also see gift links beside your previously purchased games in your My games list. You can also find your gifts under the Games menu listed as Manage gifts and guest passes.

Will my Orange Box gifts expire if I don't give them out quickly enough?

No, you can give your Orange Box gifts at any time, as long as your Steam account remains active.

How many gifts will I get when I purchase The Orange Box?

You will receive one gift for each previously released Orange Box game in your Steam account. For example, if you already own both Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One, you will receive two gifts you can give to friends: one gift of each game.

What will my friends see if I send them Orange Box gifts?

If your friend does not currently have a Steam account, your invitation will be sent to his or her email address with information on installing Steam and accepting your gift. If your friend already has a Steam account, your friend will still receive an email, but the gift will immediately be linked to his or her account.

I already own both Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One. Can I give my Orange Box gifts to two different friends?

Yes, you can give your two gifts to either the same friend or two different friends.

How can I tell if my Friend already owns one of these games?

If your friends are members of your Steam Friends list, you can learn whether they already own the game you'd like to give. Your Steam Friends who already own this game will automatically be filtered out of the potential list of recipients.

May I Buy, Sell or Trade gift subscriptions?

No. This violates the Steam Subscriber Agreement and may result in having your account disabled.

Receiving Orange Box Gifts

How do I use an Orange Box gift given to me by a friend?

If you do not already have Steam, follow the link in the email you received to download and install Steam. Once you have Steam installed, you will be prompted to create and account or login to an existing account. If you do not have an account, create one. A pop-up message will notify you that you have received a gift. Once you have accepted the gift, you can download the game and activate your subscription from the My games list.

I sent an Orange Box gift to a friend, but that person never received it. What now?

You can resend gifts in case your friend's email gift message was lost. If you are resending to a new (or corrected) email address you should be able to resend immediately. If you are attempting to resend it to the same email address the Steam system requires that you wait 24 hours to prevent the spamming of users. When you resend a gift the previously generated email will become invalid and the “accept” link within it will no longer work. Your friend must use the latest version of the email when accepting the gift.

I sent an Orange Box gift to a friend using their email address, but it turns out that person already owns this game. Can I give this Orange Box gift to someone else?

Yes, provided your friend has not already accepted your gift using a different Steam account. To give your gift to a different friend, simply find your gifts under the Games menu listed as Manage gifts and guest passes. From the Gifts and Guest Passes dialog, highlight the gift in question and select Resend to give your gift to a new recipient.