Why can't I play my steam games offline?

[Gauzl]

So I have no internet at the moment apart from my phone service and am trying to play a game I have on steam which I am logged into and in offline mode but whenever I try to start a game I get an error saying "Failed to contact server key".

[Scionyde]

It depends on the game, and I imagine the part of the reason it works or not in offline mode depends on the developer/publisher's decision. Still, sometimes it seems pretty random...for example, Crysis 1 doesn't seem to work in offline mode, but Crysis 2 will.

[colonel_mortis]

So I have no internet at the moment apart from my phone service and am trying to play a game I have on steam which I am logged into and in offline mode but whenever I try to start a game I get an error saying "Failed to contact server key".

If that particular game requires 3rd party DRM, and it has to validate it before you can launch the game, then you won't be able to play. I think that is the issue rather than a steam issue, so try another game and see if that works (ideally from another publisher).

[Sauron]

Because DRM is stupid. If you had pirated the game you wouldn't have this problem (#logic). Why is it that only paying customers get the annoyance of drm when it should be the opposite?

[rhysearl]

So I have no internet at the moment apart from my phone service and am trying to play a game I have on steam which I am logged into and in offline mode but whenever I try to start a game I get an error saying "Failed to contact server key".

It normally reserves 14 days for you to launch steam games without Internet Connection. This will only work if you have recently launched the game though.

[MunsonedForLife]

Isn't this why a lot of people are starting to buy games from GOG?  Aren't all their games DRM free?

[T6kke]

Blame DRM.

 

Some games on Steam doesn't use it's DRM, some do. Try all your games in offline mode to know what will work. Or start buying games from GOG.