Author's note: I was nominated and collected a steam key from this scheme. I have also nominated another for a free key.

With December fast approaching, it is the season of giving, and some gamers have a lot to give. A few guys idea to share their extra steam keys with others over twitter, has spiraled out of control, and the list of donated keys runs to almost one thousand.

However, after huge waves of donations from those wishing to help others, including over one hundred keys donated by Postal developers Running With Scissors, the scheme is now receiving 3-4 new keys for every game they give out, and are looking to register as a not-for-profit. The group has now expanded past steam keys and also has GOG, Desura, Xbox Live and sometimes Ouya.

They are desperate for Twitter users to nominate their friends and make others aware of the scheme, which hopes to make gaming more accessible. It is extremely simple to nominate others and to pick up your free steam keys. The venture which runs under the hashtag #GameItForward, simply requires you to make a tweet such as: "@ShrekBane I nominate @(handle) for a free game."

Once nominated, users will be followed by @ShrekBane and can choose from this self-updating list of available games. Then all they have to do is direct message @ShrekBane their choice, and they will receive their key. It's really that simple. Due to the huge number of games available, the group are now working on setting up an automated bot for this service.

You can also donate keys to the cause using the form at the bottom of this page. The document also describes the motivations behind the scheme which hopes to help those who are not in the current financial situation to buy new games, and to make gaming a more inclusive environment for all. The idea has been a huge success so far, with hundreds of people receiving their free games. If you have a large number of keys to donate you can do so by sending the list to [email protected]

The venture which is now in its sixth day, allows you to nominate others for free keys as many times as you like, meaning that this really is the gift that you can keep on giving. Why not gift a free game key today?

Edit: The article was edited to include the other form of game keys available.