What is a game key, and how does it work?
By Andalu team · · Updated · 3 min read
A game key is a product key: a code that adds a game, or an add-on, to your account on one platform, such as Steam or Nintendo eShop. You redeem it once on that platform's store, and the game is added to your library. Whether a key works for you comes down to three things you can check before you pay: its platform, its region and its edition.
What a key actually is
Every key on Andalu is a product key for the platform and region named on its listing. The platform itself checks the key when you redeem it, so you know straight away whether it worked. More in Are the game keys on Andalu genuine?
Redeeming works the same basic way everywhere: open the platform the key is for, find its redeem option, and paste the key exactly as it arrived. The game then appears in your library, and you download it from there. How to redeem a game key on any platform compares every platform side by side.
Three things decide whether a key works for you
- Platform. A key only works on its own platform: a Steam key on Steam, a Nintendo key in Nintendo eShop.
- Region. A Global key works on an account in any region. A region key, such as a Europe key, needs an account in that region. See What is region lock?
- Edition. A full edition is the whole game. An upgrade or DLC adds to a game you already own, and needs the base game on the same account. See Standard, Deluxe or DLC.
Every Andalu product page names all three before you pay. The tags under the game's name show the platform and the region, and the line next to Change in the buy box ends with the edition you're buying.
Where keys come from, and why prices are lower
Every game key on Andalu is the platform's own product key, for the platform and region shown on its listing, and Andalu sells it to you. The platform checks it when you redeem it, so you know straight away that it's real.
Why prices are lower: Andalu shows one all-in item price, with payment processing included, and some publishers price a region lower. In short, the price you see includes currency conversion and payment processing, so nothing is added at checkout.
What happens after you pay
Instant delivery: your key arrives by email, and your order page shows its progress. Keep that email, because it's your copy of the key, then redeem it with your platform's activation guide.
If a key doesn't work
Stop, and don't keep trying it: retrying won't fix a region mismatch, and some platforms block redeeming for a while after several failed attempts. Buyer protection covers a key that doesn't work, a key that never arrived and a key for the wrong region, as long as you tell us within 24 hours of delivery. See What is buyer protection?
Where to start
Browse Steam keys, Nintendo keys or every game, or read your platform's activation guide first.