If you’ve played a game on Steam, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered Steam Trading Cards. You earn them by playing a game for a set amount of time, and you only get a limited amount — certainly not enough to craft a badge with. That means you would need to get the rest through collecting booster packs, trading with friends, or buying them off the Steam Market. And where there’s a market, there are price hikes.

Most Steam Trading Cards can be found for a low price, or moderate at worst, so collecting badges is not too difficult. However, there will always be those outliers that defy logic. In this case, those are usually certain ‘foil’ cards from obscure games. The concept of the foil card itself in a digital space is funny in the first place, but the simple fact that it’s rare is what drives those with a collecting inclination into a frenzy.

What are the most expensive Steam trading cards?

Most of the extremely priced cards are either at that price as a jest or to test the waters. Some may be a humble brag or a way to look to get an offer that they wouldn’t get otherwise. And lastly, these prices change at an hourly rate, so what’s most expensive now might be overtaken in just a matter of hours. But, if you are looking for the most expensive Steam Trading Cards, read on as we list the top 10 most expensive cards on the market.

Li Chengsong (Foil) — 1.856,23$

Game: Chaos Galaxy
Card Description: Faction leader of Northsky Fleet.

Funnily enough, this card, while currently the most expensive on the market, has previously sold for a range of 2-4 dollars. There are buy requests at a median of about $0,45, but since there is only a single copy of it on the market, the price is this ludicrous sum. The game itself is a pixelated anime-style strategy game from 2020, so it’s not too bad to play if you want to try your luck.

Italy (Foil) — 1.855,50$

Game: PURE
Card Description: Racing in the shadow of the Alps.

This card actually holds some value, though certainly not to this degree. PURE is a game that is difficult to find, and a search on the Steam store will yield no results. That’s because it is one of those games that is no longer available and can be played by those who already had it in their library. That’s why this card is normally sold for 6-8 dollars, and even the buy requests stay around the 2,50-3 dollar price range.

Athena (Foil) — 1.839,54$

Game: Running Gods
Card Description: Goddess of wisdom, reason, defense and strategic warfare.

Interestingly, this card has sold only recently for just 1$, and since then, two copies have been listed for a massively high price. The game itself is an indie side-scrolling adventure game from 2016, and there are not many cards on the market for it, so there’s a chance for anyone looking to try their hand at some manipulation.

Bulldozer (Foil) — 1.807,93$

Game: False Front
Card Description: Sunshine and muscles, time show of what a bulldozer can do!

One of the OG expensive foil cards, Bulldozer still holds his position as one of the most expensive and sought-after foils on the market. Even the buy requests start at around $6, and the most recent sale was for over $10. However, that’s not even close to the currently requested $1.839,54. You might be happy to hear that the game is a free-to-play shooter from 2019, so there’s an easy chance to try your luck.

Magical Purple (Foil) — 1.787,61$

Game: Please Fix The Road
Card Description: N/A

This card doesn’t seem to have been sold in the past either, even though the buy requests hover around a measly 0,25$ on average. For once, that might be proof of its rarity, though it’s not difficult to conclude that it’s hardly worth the asking price. Please Fix the Road is an indie puzzle game from 2022, so that might explain why the cards (and especially foils) from this game are so rare in the first place. 

Wizard (Foil) — 1.787,61$

Game: Cardinal Quest 2
Card Description: A wise sage, knower of secrets, worker of miracles, virtuoso of the arcane arts… and an extremely snappy dresser.

Coming from an older game, this card has few copies and many buy orders that average around 0,85$. There haven’t been any sales of this card for a long period, so that might explain the price hike, as there has been only this single copy on the market for a while. Cardinal Quest 2 came out back in 2015 and is a pixelated roguelike RPG game.

Garden gnomes (Foil) — 1.783.50$

Game: Garden Simulator
Card Description: Colorful garden gnomes made of clay.

New releases tend to create a hectic market during their initial days. This is true for Garden Simulator, as it’s a sim game that’s not even a full month old at the time of writing this article. So it’s no wonder players are trying to bait with high prices for fresh new cards that come with playing the game. The listed card is the only one of its kind that’s dropped, but as in most markets, we expect it to level out as more players put in the hours and get their cards.

The Goats (Foil) — 1.740,96$

Game: Adios
Card Description: A couple of Goats that offer both companionship and a hearty supply of milk.

This card has had some success on the market before, as it has been sold for between 6-7 dollars, while there are still plenty of buy requests for only 0,25$ on average. Strangely, however, there are currently 3 of these on the market, all with prices of over 1.700$. Not bad for a walking simulator game from 2021. It seems that what it lacks in excitement gameplay-wise, it makes up with a cutthroat market presence. 

Fast destroyer (Foil) — 1.605,15$

Game: Infinite Tanks
Card Description: Balancing speed and mobility with big fire power.

Related: How much have I spent on Steam? How to check Steam purchase history

This is another usual suspect when it comes to overpriced foil trading cards of Steam. It always seems to crop up, even though it’s coming from a 4$ indie tank game from 2017. Still, despite the high cost, the last time this card got sold, it was for a mere 1$ and certainly not for 1.605$. The buy requests reflect that, too, as they average around that 1$ mark, with a single outlier offering 5$. It seems that someone really wants to craft that badge.

Sumo Bot (Foil) — 1.524,06$

Game: Pierhead Arcade 2
Card Description: It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever.

Coming with the dubious honor of being the only VR title on our list, this game is a casual arcade sim that can only be played with a VR headset. It was released in 2021, so naturally, there aren’t too many foil cards floating around. Perhaps that’s why there is only a single foil Sumo Bot on the market with the huge asking price. Contrasting that, dozens of players are lining up with buy requests, though offering a much more humble 0,30$ on average for it. It’s a game of chicken to see who will break first — the buyers or the seller.

About the author

Miljan Truc

I have been into gaming since the days of Sega Mega Drive and Amiga. Over the years in gaming, I have raided at a high level, completed rare achievements, coached other players, and written about games since 2016. Whether it’s been clicking heads; developing cities, colonies, and empires; or commanding parties of adventurers; I’ve always prided myself on being able to understand the underlying mechanics of games. Outside of gaming, I enjoy a variety of activities and hobbies, including playing with my pup Astra, working out, as well as crafting, painting, and leatherwork.

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