So you want to create public GAs, but you don't want bots and auto-join scripts to enter? Good. Just post a comment in this thread with a link to an invite-only giveaway. The idea is very simple and is really not different from many (most?) of the other threads in the forum, except that you don't need to invest much time or thought into it. Just post the link in a comment, and you're done :-)

A few additional guidelines:

  • Feel free to obfuscate the link to make it more difficult for bots/scripts to enter. This is completely optional and may not make much of a difference, because the forums are probably not as infested with bots and auto-join scripts as public giveaways (see example).
  • You may use itstoohard.com, sgtools.info or other sites as filters to the link, but do try to keep things easy (for humans) to enter.
  • Don't feel obligated to write anything to accompany the giveaway link. If you have stuff to share beyond just the link, you probably should create a dedicated thread for it. Needless to say, you can also write it here, but it's not required.
  • Cross-posting giveaways your posted in other threads is fine, as long as they are your giveaways.
  • If you want to add a dynamic signature showing the game name, giveaway end date and current number of entries, but without revealing the URL to bots, you can use this tool created by Reforced. It takes the signature created by SG and provides you with a new URL that hides the original giveaway address. Just add it to your comment using the regular format for posting images: ![](URL)
  • Just like public GAs typically have a lot of entries, there's no need to maintain a low number of entries in GAs posted here. If you want to give especially good odds to people who enter and still get CV, you may want to instead consider posting the link here (and then remove it when you have your 5 entries). This is not needed here in this thread. The more (humans) the merrier :-)
  • The best way to bump this thread is by posting a link to your own invite-only giveaway. With that said, if the thread drops from the first page a regular "Bump" would also be appreciated.

I'm trying to find how serious the issue with bots really is. So far the results don't really prove things one way or another. Here are some stats from my latest experiment:

Game: Space Trader: Merchant Marine
Number of giveaways: 5
Period: 3 days

Giveaway # Level Type Number of entries Winner's Sent:Won Reroll needed?
1 Level 0+ Public 891 0:82 No
2 Level 0+ Invite only, direct link 55 4:47 No
3 Level 0+ Invite only, SGTools (no restrictions) 48 6:71 No
4 Level 0+ Invite only, shortened URL, captcha-free 50 1:205 No
5 Level 0+ Invite only, shortened URL with "I'm not a robot" captcha 54 162:86 No

Yet some more stats:

Giveaway game Period Level Type Number of entries Winner's Sent:Won Reroll needed?
Tales from the Void 5 days Level 0+ Public 755 0:37 No
Tales from the Void 5 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 183 42:514 No
Hyper Box 4 days Level 0+ Public 554 0:32 No
Hyper Box 4 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 193 178:188 No
Ace Combat Assault Horizon 3 days Level 0+ Public 1596 0:28 Yes
Ace Combat Assault Horizon 3 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 234 88:107 No
8 years ago*

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Do you hate bots? I hate bots. So much, really. I also hate region locked keys, but not so much as bots.
Level 3, runs until 19th, not for RU, obvious antibot measure.
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/ssmTHISISANOBVIOUSANTIBOTMEASURE,REALLYqt/paw-patrol-grand-prix

1 month ago
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I do so hate bots!
I feel bad though because botism is bad but we do not hate bots, we hate people who use bots so it's ok right?

1 month ago
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Bebump!

1 month ago
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'bots'

paw paw TY bump!

1 month ago
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bump

1 month ago
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bump

1 month ago
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Titanfall 2 :) 🌍Ukraine 🎚️lvl4+

View attached image.
1 month ago
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6hrs remaining bump:!

1 month ago
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Hello, I could use a few entries on this NA (US + CA) only giveaway due to Humble's region locks on Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (First game, not more recent one)

? = SUPAH MARIO BROTHERS 2 BABY!

Gib here

1 month ago
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bump a bump

1 month ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 1 month ago.

1 month ago
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/42670/Singularity/
EU region only, level 4, one day

https://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/b6cf7cd1-c6dd-4c97-8d40-fab82fe9eac4

You will receive a link to a Steam gifting service. After entering your Steam ID the game will be sent as gift to the winner.

1 month ago
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Bumping!

1 month ago
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boop

1 month ago
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It's odd this isn't availalbe in my region on Steam, and yet on GOG is all good...

1 month ago
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That's weird only reason I could think of: Steam want's to protect you from Soviet influences.

1 month ago
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Maybe, cos I also have a DVD version of the game in my collection.

1 month ago
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Is it completely unavailable or does it just lack a price? Because if it's the second one there's a chance that the publisher just forgot to add a price for your region after some change, wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen.

1 month ago
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No store page available.

1 month ago
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There you have it. Ownership of means of production (the DVD with the game code) is pure socialism :)

1 month ago
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Gravity Circuit

Level 1
Ends March 26
The first digit after the decimal point of the gravitational acceleration value
In Metric Unit

1 month ago*
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bump!

1 month ago
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Bump! Nicely done :D

1 month ago
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1 month ago
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Damn! I missed this one! Thanks for being so forgiving of appalling RCV ratios ;)

1 month ago
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Meanwhile I'm quite hardboiled. I saw lots of accounts with hundreds of wins and a handful of gifts at best with the last gift half a dozen years ago. You want to do giveaways open to a larger part of SG? You better howl with the wolves.

1 month ago
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Haha I feel you. And tbh most days I'm ashamed at my ratio going deeper and deeper in the red but I see most accounts and think I'm not too bad as long as I keep participating not just by entering.

1 month ago
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I wouldn't be concerned in your place. You're well liked among the regulars which is demonstrated by your no less than 300+ whitelists.

1 month ago
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Heh looots of blacklists too. Not that I checked but I stumble upon a new one once in a while.
I still feel like I'm not giving enough back but hey I recently uncovered Humble keys so at least I'll have that to spread

1 month ago
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This just made me realize how overpriced the game is in Poland, WTF??? Fuck you EA.

1 month ago
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Poles are too fucking rich.

1 month ago
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Very true, even richer than Switzerland!

1 month ago
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Quick 2h giveaways!

Inua - A Story in Ice and Time:
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/A0Rrl/inua-a-story-in-ice-and-time

1 month ago
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The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales:
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/x213l/the-bookwalker-thief-of-tales
(region restricted ROW)

1 month ago
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bububump

1 month ago
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Thank you for not using SGTools! It’s getting rare these days in this thread.

1 month ago
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whats the problem with SGTools? usually the rules are not so strict... 🤔

1 month ago
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Before i can try any rules check i get the IP restriction blocking access to the website entirely. I believe it blocks known IP ranges from Russia and maybe some other countries.

1 month ago
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Oh, thats possible. Unfortunately I am not entirely surprised many sites are blocking russian IPs 😕😅

1 month ago
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You restrict all your giveaways to RU region and complain about others using SGTools to spot bad apples.

1 month ago
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I’m an average person and i don’t have access to buying Steam keys abroad (for PAYING there). With a Russian bank card i only buy keys with strict region locks. It’s understandable you don’t know that, that’s why i’m telling you, so you know now.

The other reason is very limited blacklist size and my desire to save some personal time when i catch systematic rules violators. I won’t go into details now, but i blocked quite a few, here and on Steam, and i’m no Support, i have the right to do other things in my free time than analyzing my entries, especially since i’m denied of access to SGTools automatization.

1 month ago
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I’m an average person and i don’t have access to buying Steam keys abroad (for PAYING there). With a Russian bank card i only buy keys with strict region locks.

to note your storefront may be lying to you about region locks, you can check steamDB for some of the games you given at least the titles have no region locks no matter where the key comes from.

1 month ago
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Vpn handles that, site works

1 month ago
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The website owner knowingly set the restriction, realizing it will also block access to some GAs. It’s only those GA creators who may not know. I’m writing this so a few more of them will know. What you’re suggesting is a kind of stealing. I don’t feel i need to steal of cheat to get another free game.

1 month ago
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I don't think, that there would be any stealing involved in simply using a VPN (as opposite to link sharing), because those are not restrictions imposed by the GAs creators, who could have easily region lock their GAs. As much as I care for SGTools and deeply appreciate knsys' work, those GAs are not their property. In this case I would have much more doubt about using VPN to put my own stuff on the site, than to access the stuff, that others put there.

1 month ago*
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Deleted

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1 month ago
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Deleted

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1 month ago
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Trying out sgtools for the first time, let's see how it goes. Quick train, goes for ~7hours since this post (Level 2)

https://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/6b69556f-a477-4f6c-9af7-1912247d5c6?
? -> 1+2

1 month ago
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Works just fine :)

1 month ago
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thank you for telling me!

1 month ago
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Can confirm, worked perfectly.

1 month ago
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Thanks for an interesting collection of giveaways.

1 month ago
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👍🏻

1 month ago
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Thanks I think it works as expected.

1 month ago
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BUMP, thank you!

1 month ago
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thanks

1 month ago
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let's see how it goes

it goes ChooChoo! :D

1 month ago
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Bump!

1 month ago
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Shameless ~1h left bump

1 month ago
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Final bump

1 month ago
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3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago*
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Final countdown bump!

3 weeks ago*
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/493200/RiME/

Warning: you'll have to use your brain not for everyone but a tentative recommendation.

https://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/c7f3baac-56cc-4708-b8c8-9af75414e9eb

one day, level 4

3 weeks ago
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bump!

3 weeks ago
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Bump!

3 weeks ago
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Bump!

3 weeks ago
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>12h left bump!

3 weeks ago
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5min bump

3 weeks ago
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SGTools Pegasus Expedition + Blue Fire, ends in 2h40m

3 weeks ago
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thanks for this opportunity!
but its wierd, getting an "Something wrong happened, please try again" error... network tools show that the get request to check returns an 500 internal server error...

3 weeks ago*
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Hm, I think you had this problem during the Gus event right? I thought it might have just been a network issue and it would have worked for you later but think about it now, it may actually just be the formula is dividing by 0 in the case of your profile. I'll adjust it so that error will hopefully not be thrown anymore. Just a note though, I have 69 entries in the Gus event for the set of rules that I had similar to these ones while 360 people joined the main cart.

edit: i've edited it to remove the divide by 0 and the same rules should still apply if you want to see if you get an error still.

3 weeks ago*
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yeah correct, had that same problem there but didn't want to bother you further.
error is now indeed fixed :)
thanks for the effort

let them secret rules remain secret :D

3 weeks ago
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already had game but i tried to sgtools and confirmed, tada blacklist :)
i assume for Piczle Cross Adventure. i couldnt play it, cuz of i have some backlogs. if you wanted give more chance to another players; its not big deal for me.
Have a good day.

3 weeks ago*
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There's lots of reasons for blacklists, but looking at your SG account, one obvious reason could be the exorbitant amount of wins.
Also, pointing out that you've been blacklisted will only garner more blacklists.

3 weeks ago
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maybe someone whitelist him instead

3 weeks ago
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there is bot section. So... just wondered. maybe they thought im bot :D . just wondered.

3 weeks ago
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Extraordinary amount of wins as a blacklist reason for Silentrets? Not, if you look carefully at their stats: not many more wins than GAs created and almost 1.7 real CV ratio. Much closer to SG pillar tan to a leach ;).

3 weeks ago
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But the full cv games are keys that he got, partly, over curation(s) and a other part is region locked to turkiye.
This could be a reason/point to not give much on the real cv ratio. That can ultra easily be cheated/exploited.

Besides this is Maya correct that it give a lot of blacklist reasons and we could try to figur reason out till we are 100 years old.
So i prefer not to jump into that part of the discussion :-D

3 weeks ago
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rfkWZ

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
LVL 3+

2 weeks ago
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Bump

2 weeks ago
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No Japan/Russia

2 weeks ago
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Modor Bump!

2 weeks ago
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Modor Bump!

Sauron will curse you if you misspell his lands!

2 weeks ago*
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lol bump

2 weeks ago
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🙈

2 weeks ago
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bump

2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
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1 week ago*
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The two costumes DLCs have already been taken by rude ninjas. Thank you for the not-a-train train, schmetti :3

1 week ago*
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Thanks for informing us/me! :) and you're welcome!

1 week ago
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You might even say it's...an odd train!

1 week ago
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Indeed! :D

1 week ago
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Thanks!

1 week ago
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You're welcome!

1 week ago
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Thank you! :)

1 week ago
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You're welcome! :) Good luck!

1 week ago
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not entering, but bumping just so i can get a nice and kind comment for myself🐒

1 week ago
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Ok here is a nice and kind comment just for you:
Thank you f🥚r bumping! ❤️

hope that was ok :D

1 week ago*
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<3

1 week ago
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Here's a crappy little train made of old Fanatical leftovers: TICKET (with obvious bot protection)

Lasts 3 days, no level or region restrictions.

1 week ago
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Bump! :)

1 week ago
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b00p

1 week ago
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Bump!

1 week ago
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bump!

1 week ago
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thanksbot thanks you

1 week ago
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Bump!

1 week ago
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Thannk you! Bump!

1 week ago
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Bump!

1 week ago
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Thanks and le bump!

1 week ago
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Thanks for the train!

1 week ago
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ᴛɪɴʏ ᵇᵘᵐᵖ :𝐩

1 week ago
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bump

1 week ago
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Paw Patrol Movie, Lvl 3, Ends Saturday

1 week ago
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TY Bump!

5 days ago
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Cricket: Jae's Really Peculiar Game, ~20 hours

Oh hey, first copy given away apparently. Neat.

Since people keep wondering about my secret rules, not looking to divulge them publicly since these are the same rules that I plan on recycling and improving for most of my high value games. It is real CV value and ratio based (which I more than double to just give you some context) along with some other more specific conditional rules of things that I personally am not a fan of. Based on my giveaways in the Gus March event, I have 360 people on my level 2+ cart and 69 (19%) people that satisfied the same rules I used for this giveaway.

5 days ago
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Thank you bump!

5 days ago
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Unfortunately I didn't pass the test.
But thank you.

5 days ago
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Pleasantly surprised to pass the test, thanks!

5 days ago
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5 days ago
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Bump

5 days ago
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Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, lvl 3 ends tomorrow
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/4GPuE/wolfenstein-the-old-blood

5 days ago
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