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
7 years ago*

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2 years ago
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Bump and thanks!

2 years ago
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2 years ago
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Dishonored: Death of the outsider, L2+, delete "D" from link

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/1UDRz2/dishonored-death-of-the-outsider

2 years ago
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Thank you!

2 years ago
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2 years ago*
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SGTools appears to be down at the moment. At least the giveaway links lead to error 500.

2 years ago
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Second that. Tried other GAs to just to be sure. Same issue.

2 years ago
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Same...500 error. Hope that giveaway lasts at least a day, or else there may be no entries ;-)

2 years ago
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If not fixed until Friday EOD I will delete giveaway.

2 years ago
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Which game is it if I may ask?

2 years ago
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Brutal Legend.

2 years ago
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Good game, but then I don't have to wait since I own it. ^^

2 years ago
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It is working now. It has reminded me that I'm on your blacklist. I'm fine with that. On the other hand you'll see that I am now giving away better games if you choose to reconsider. Wishing you a healthy and happy year.

2 years ago
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Sgtools is back up.

2 years ago
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plus my backlog is pretty big

Then you shouldn't have bought that package then lol.
Honest, buying discounted games are so addicting that I have decide to stop buying games completely for the last 2 years. Still haven't been able to clear my backlog yet.

2 years ago
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A couple 1 hour quickies!

For the winners: If you mark as received within 15 minutes, you get a mystery bonus game. 😎

Level 0: https://www.steamgifts.com/giveITawayNOW/rHdTD/rebel-galaxy

Level 1+: https://www.steamgifts.com/Quickiegiveawayyyy/ETrdE/riot-civil-unrest

2 years ago*
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2 years ago
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A handful of 1 hour quickies! All level 1+.

For the winners: For each winner that marks as received within 15 minutes, I will create another giveaway right after. So if 3 of you mark as received within 15 minutes, I'll create 3 more giveaways. You get the idea.

Also, whoever I decide has the coolest avatar will get a bonus mystery game. Again though, you have to mark as received within 15 minutes to qualify for that.

2 copies: https://www.steamgifts.com/givvveITaway/InvTB/slain-back-from-hell

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveITaaaaway/Ge5lm/hotshot-racing

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveITawwway/hYjwC/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveITawayyyy/qqmir/trapped-dead-lockdown

2 years ago*
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Anxiety-inducing, but I'm glad I caught the right window this time - thank you for the quick GA's :)
Here hoping you were a Sparkster fan back in the SNES days 😂

2 years ago
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Rocket Knight is badass, so you're definitely gonna be high on the list if you win.

2 years ago
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More 1 hour quickies! Level 1+

For the winners: This time, every winner that marks as received within 15 minutes will get a mystery bonus game.

Winner of the coolest avatar is fernandopa. I just really love Rocket Knight.

3 of you marked as received within the 15 minutes, so here's 3 more giveaways as promised:

https://www.steamgifts.com/ggiveITaaaaway/iXzae/interplanetary-enhanced-edition

https://www.steamgifts.com/giiveITawwway/K9dWd/going-under

???

2 years ago*
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thanks + bump!

2 years ago
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You're welcome + bump.

I really like your avatar too BTW. Makes me think of a young David Bowie.

@s4k1s - You're welcome. :)

2 years ago
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Thank you!

2 years ago
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2 years ago
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Ok, so let me get this straight...

Someone (probably accidentally) links from their community train giveaway cart to your invite only giveaway. I enter it, thinking it would just be the next cart. I then realize, it has no description and it runs until Sep 30 so it would also not fulfill the rules for the community train. I post that on your giveaway as well as on the according community train giveaway so it can get fixed asap. After it got fixed minutes later, I delete my post in your giveaway to not confuse people there.

And then you blacklist me? For having entered or for what? You could have just told me to leave it, you know that, right? And now you post it here making it a semi-public giveaway anyways? Care to explain your reasoning?

2 years ago
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After it got fixed minutes later, I delete my post in your giveaway to not confuse people there.

I think an option for such problems is to just add your reply in spoiler tag. People who shuffle automatically won't be bothered by the tag and people who are curious will read it and understand the situation at hand.

2 years ago
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Maybe, but I don't think it would have made a difference in this case. They haven't replied yet although they have been online multiple times in the meantime and I am still blacklisted, so they're either unwilling or unable to explain their train of thought here. Oh well, not a big loss. I am just disappointed that that's what you get for trying to help.

2 years ago
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I am just disappointed that that's what you get for trying to help.

Pretty much that. :(
But I wish you a great weekend! Cheers!

2 years ago
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Same! 🍻

2 years ago
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A heart for helping.

2 years ago
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Appreciated! I hope it doesn't come off as sympathy baiting though. I'm just honestly stumped how it went down. ^^

2 years ago
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I don't know what sympathy baiting is and honestly I am bored to search!
I just think that a nice gesture should be rewarded, and I did so. :)

2 years ago
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Thanks! :)

2 years ago
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I am not sure if posting a SG discussion link is acceptable, so posting the jigidi.com link instead.
The link is /solve/uvqtuaey/syberian-express/.
(Level 3+, 12 pieces jigidi)

2 years ago*
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I wish you would've shared the level 3 requirement. I had to figure out what jigidi was, then I had to figure out how to use the link, and finally I had to solve the admittedly easy jigsaw puzzle, just to find out I couldn't enter the giveaway because I'm only level 2.

2 years ago
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I have mentioned the level in the main thread. I forgot to do that here. Sorry about that.
Just a tip for the future, you can visit the GA creators profile to figure out the Level requirements.
Updated the comment too.

2 years ago
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hmm, just curious - why wouldn´t you just post a complete link to jigidi ??

2 years ago
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Minor bot protection. Not sure how effective it would be though.

2 years ago
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ah, I didn´t think of that!
looking at the entry numbers it seems to have been quite effective tho... ; D

2 years ago
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Np :)
I hope so. Bots are getting smarter everyday it seems.

2 years ago
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