That is true, you don't have to personally agree with what general public agrees upon.
Personally I cannot give a single S about things such as "trends", "mainstream" and such.
I have opinion of my own, and even tho general public tries really hard to shove their opinions down my throat, I still make a high effort to form an opinion of my own.
I didn't mean to suggest that you should care about general public's opinion.
Perhaps you misunderstood what I've said.
I meant that I stated that general world population seems more or less biased (generally depicting Valve as "the big bad pro DRM") and majority refuses to see and acknowledge the fact of Steam actually having pretty broad selection of true DRM-free games (after installing) as well as even greater amount of games that can easily be made DRM-free with minimal efforts (be it steamappid txt file trick, Steam emulator, or other methods).

(isn't GOG installer dead btw? Also - it's a prioretary [as in non open source] piece of software - that doesn't run on same selection of systems as a generic web browser itself)
This only proves my point.
GOGrepoc is a community-made software iirc running on Python - that makes it exceptionally portable - *almost* as portable as browser-based downloads.
Whereas Steam requires a piece of software that will work on uncomparably less amount of platforms due to dependency reasons.

The thing is, it's not even remotely the same level of convenience, and it's undeniable.
On GOG or itch or for that matter any DRM-free specialized platform you get an installer file, a batch of (often compressed) files wrapped in installer (often from InnoSetup), that is meant to not only unpack files to a location but also create registry entries - not every game is able to create those by itself if an issue appears and so they may break if install-related creation of those gets omited for whatever reason.
Meanwhile Steam, not being DRM-free platform PER SE (it is, quite literally, pretty much DRM agnostic platform that requires authentication for downloading and usage - this by itself is seen as DRM by some and not by others - personally it's somewhere in a greyzone in between for me) - has content delivery network that is extensive and heavily optimised, with things such as bandwith saving as well as install time optimisations in mind - this creates certain technical predicaments:
- you don't get an installer file, a game is downloaded in chunks that look nothing like those from a standalone installer, then it is all joined together/unpacked from not-standarized file format that Steam uses into "normal files"
- Steam software itself handles registry entries creation and any required dependencies deployment - that means if you get the files using semi-official (SteamCMD - official - but not meant for general games fetching) or unofficial (DepotDownloader) tool for file obtainment (instead of "normal" Steam software) you are likely to miss the manifest and not know about the required registry entires - ergo - packing your downloaded files into an installer of your own or perhaps just backing them up may not be sufficient for a working game (missing registry entries and lack of info on that in public websites)

You can make vast majority of games on Steam DRM bypassed with enough manual effort.
But that only happens after you obtain the files using platform-constrained software (again: browser based downloads can work on pretty much ANYTHING whereas a standalone sofware is far more restricted).
And that is not even remotely comparable to the convenience of standalone installers.
I'm not saying it's bad. All I'm saying it's far less convenient and requires more manual work and is thus less ootb ready.

Then someone needs to create the page for them on PCGW since it's clearly missing.

I'm sorry, I don't follow - what risk? - what I said about Steam is literally a fact.
Also, something exceptionally overlooked:
Steam never pretended to be 100% DRM free platform (I mean the DRM in games themselves part).
Valve never promised that to be a thing, therefore they did not break any promises and they didn't betray their customers in that regard.
Meanwhile GOG was boasting about it's "DRM free superiority" ever since it's creation, having "100% DRM free" all over the place, even creating very in-your-face dedicated website to mock their competition.
And then they ditched their sworn principle - it's not a risk - it has already happened, and it's no mistake, it's a deliberate (on GOG's part) betrayal of customers.

I have been digging through Steam's technical ins and outs for ages.
I have vast info on the matters not generally known by an average customer, including info outside of official channels, such as directly from HQ (Valve, I asked some questions in priv communication).
I have dug through large number of SteamDB data over the span of many years.
And let me tell you this:
1.Valve does not ENFORCE or FORCE the use of ANY DRM, even the few casual ones developed by themselves, therefore calling them "pro DRM" would be a lie
2.They are not responsible for product cards, that's the responsibility of a developer/publisher, so if a product card misses the info of a product containing for example Denuvo it is entirely 100% fault of the developer/publisher - it's a lenience on their part - and I saw multiple examples of such games and could give you many effortlessly - and inbefore someone comes in saying "Valve should do that" - it's beyond unreasonable to expect Valve to *manually* (as this cannot be automated except for maybe neural networks usage) check each and every game from their few DOZEN THOUSAND games catalouge *after each update* to check if dev has changed the DRM and to what extend - dev's themselves are responsible for accuracy of product card info for a reason.
3.Vast majority of indie games' developers haven't properly read Steam developer technical documentation or they don't understand it properly.
I see f-ups on a regular basis in SteamDB - indie games are profoundly frequent in this regard - but it also happens A LOT with big companies (being lazy and refusing to learn documentation properly is apparently a thing there).
What it means is that *many* indie devs don't understand how to make their game use Steamworks while not using "Steam running" checks - in fact it (the lack of understanding leading to inclusion of the checks when it's not intended) happens so often that general population has gone to false conclusion that "Steamworks == DRM".
Steamworks is NOT DRM. It is a toolset for various functionality (for example achievements, multiplayer, etc) and is not DRM by itself. Steam running check is separate, but since many devs don't understand what they are doing it is often included by them in their code even when they don't intend it to be.
Therefore many indie games actually require various bypasses simply because their developers didn't know what they were doing.

The actual number of "DRM by ootb readiness" division is impossible to calculate.
There's only so much info you can get through Steam API calls - and those will not tell you if a developer was inexperienced - Steam API calls don't report on file *contests* and therefore it's impossible to tell what extend of Steam-related DRM is in place without manual checkup - as in: calculating the numbers would require checking EVERY single game by HAND.
Which is obviously impossible.
50%?
I don't think so.
For one it's way to abstract and round number.
For second I think it's much larger.

If you want to dip into the world of Steam DRM forms bypass I encourage you to start reading various technical docs to get a better understanding of the situation ;)
Just know this - using Goldberg and various Steam emulators usually isn't plug and play as people are left in the dark needing to blindly check what works and what doesn't - as in: don't expect everything to get bypassed equally easily.

This should be easy decision if you care about DRM-free and NOT the platform.
It's available on 2 platforms 100% DRM-free?
You don't approve of actions of one of them?
Then get it from the other one.
It's really that simple ;)

I'm talking about the GOG installer (a.k.a. offline installer) that comes with every game, not the dead GOG downloader. The GOG installer is a custom piece of software needed for installation, just like SteamCMD.

The risk that a specific game I buy on Steam (e.g. Ancient Enemy) ends up not being client-free.

The installer can be used offline, for steam you have to be online to install.

Problem is that, Valve does:
* Encourage the use of DRM and provide assistance to those developers that choose to use it
* Provide said DRM

In other words, money that goes to Valve goes to support DRM, and that is where I draw the line here.

(Note that, if Valve were to produce something interesting that did not involve any sort of DRM (and this includes things like being on a storefront like Steam that encourages DRM) then I would consider that acceptable. It's similar to the way I decided the mini NES Classic Edition was acceptable; it does not involve any DRM, even if Nintendo's other distribution platforms involve it. (Note that the fact that the NES Classic lacks a way to connect to the internet or purchase new games for it is relevant here.))

You should check itch.io next time, as Ancient Enemy is available there:
https://greyaliengames.itch.io/ancient-enemy

Also, Regency Solitaire:
https://greyaliengames.itch.io/regencysolitaire

For completeness, here's Shadowhand, even though you already have the GOG version:
https://greyaliengames.itch.io/shadowhand

(Replying to this post specifically):
* Check to see whether the game is available DRM-free somewhere else, like on itch.io , first. (In this case the game is.)

I agree.

That's not what B1tF1ghter and I were talking about, though. We were talking the need for a custom piece of software for installation, as far as I understand.

Anyhow, for me, in practical terms, the difference between the GOG offline installer and SteamCmd is simply one of storage space saving. As soon as I buy a game on GOG, I download the offline installer and back it up. As soon as I buy a game on Steam, I download and install and back it up using SteamCmd. In both cases, I end with a DRM-free game available offline from that point on, except that on GOG the game is compressed to some degree, whereas on Steam it's fully installed. So the only real difference is wasted storage space on Steam. I can live with that.

Not my business mrkgnao, but why did you skip the itch.io option? Offline installer, 10% itch cut, it even includes a Steam key...

Edit 19Jul21: Nothing. just adding this note to see how this thread behaves on the General discussion listing (right now it says updated 4 days ago)

I did check itch.io. The game was on sale on Steam ($8) and not on itch.io ($15), which is why I bought it on Steam.

Unlike some, I have no crusade against Steam. Although I respect your opinion, saying that Valve promotes DRM and not saying the same about CDP (who have added client-only single-player items to CP2077) makes no sense to me.

More expensive (see above).

Plus, having to manage three accounts (GOG, Steam, Humble) is more than enough for me.

Amazing

Workaroung over workaround, a bit of technical knowledge, a hobby to spend time, and let's play to see if a game is DRM post installation on Steam at random, all of this mixed with a bit of cynism and voila! we have the best DRM free platform and also the biggest! Steam!

The art of manipulation at its best.

Buy where you want, boycott at will what you consider boycotteable, but don't treat people like stupids. Even to the people of the OP.

Gotcha.
There's a bunch of resources that have incomplete lists of DRM and DRM-free tho.
So the risk is lowered after research.
One example is PCGW (beware tho, it's heavily incomplete and mistakes do exist).
There's also this:
https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games

For the sake of completion and relevance, for DRM NOT-free games on GOG there's this list:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/drm_on_gog_list_of_singleplayer_games_with_drm
as well as some other lists (there's lack of list for certain discrepancies tho such as games missing offline version-to-version patches thus requiring either Galaxy usage or full reinstall on each new version [instead of just using small patches] - example being - Ghostrunner).

I am sorry but this is just plain incorrect.
GOG installers are based on industry-standarized installer software - mostly InnoSetup - which is used by broad variety of private and business projects, has fairly known documentation, and both official and 3rd party software for installer manipulation/modification.

Whereas Steam and SteamCMD are specialized, non standard software, mostly closed source - and the only place using those is Steam.

GOG intaller is just installer, based on known, industry accepted software (InnoSetup).
SteamCMD and Steam on the other hand is a specialized piece of software made by one company for the sole purpose of being used solely by customers of that one company for getting digital products delivered by that company's content delivery network and launched through that company's specialized dedicated software (Steam).

Also the very fundamental aspects of how those 2 work (InnoSetup typical installer vs Steam) are completly different.

There's just no comparison between the two.
And you cannot say the situation is "the same" because it's really not.

GOG installer you download through a browser, over HTTPS (standarized protocol supported by all kinds of even "dumb" devices, you could download such isntaller even on a smart fridge or a VERY old console or computer, also system agnostic support) after authenticating on a GOG website (ergo some problems would occur and usage of just plain curl is impossible for example, even for demos).
It's a standalone bin, often bundled with needed dependencies, it offers easy setup and it's purpose ends after installation process.
Also it's platform agnostic in a sense that you don't need another installer for each new computer you want to install it on - you download once and you keep it and move it around when neccessary.
It also has no reliance on online post the initial file retrieval.

Steam software retrieves a program (game) manifest from Steam's servers, it starts fetching a number of chunks, which are in profoundly-non-standard file format iirc btw (you would have trouble joining them together with external software by hand), then it uncompresses them directly into manifest-defined folder structure.
The install process is basically clicking an install button, accepting SSA, waiting for automated download, install, and verification and you're done.
The process is very heavily automated, and the software uses settings defined by user long before installation (those from Steam settings, based on reasonable defaults that many people don't change).
Both software retrieval and installation and handling differ from InnoSetup standalone installer setup flow.
The situation between the two is thus nowhere near comparable.
They are just, frankly, completely different.

Also, after install you can of course copy the files from Steam install dir and move them around "installing" them on other computers.
But these are just extracted files - it cannot be compared to having a dedicated standalone installer - one that also makes sure all neccessary registry entires are made upon install on each new computer (something you could easily miss manually doing when moving around Steam files).

The level of convenience is not even remotely the same.
Sure, Steam files can be moved around freely in most cases (exclusions being things like CEG protected games).
But it's nowhere near as convenient as having a standalone installer, both installer retrieval and installation wise.

I quite literally linked this very page few posts earlier.
I know you tend to do that but I would like you to already stop shoving my efforts into a garbage and pretending you are some sort of sole saviour of people providing them solutions "first".
It's kind of really distasteful when you do that :/
There's simply no need to repeat what was already said few posts earlier.
It makes your actions look awkward and forced.

Itch iirc provides optional launcher for developers to optionally implement.
GOG provides "optional" launcher / client.
GOG also provides actual means to check if the Galaxy is running and refuse to launch game or use some functionality if it is not.
You would know that if you would check their rather publicly-limited documentation.
So GOG basically does provide DRM too, client type, optional, not really used by many games so far, but IT'S THERE, available NOW to use ANYTIME.
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (GOG) launch day predicament says hello.

This is just hilarious and pathetic accusation, as the original creators of the very few forms of DRM Valve made themselves they ought to provide documentation for them to those interested in using it.
Getting offended by them providing said "assistance" is really petty.

That's a lie.
No matter how many times you repeat that it won't become reality.
Dude, we already talked about this.
I don't have time to deal with this BS again.
Go read my past posts many many many pages ago in this thread when I already talked to you about it, yet at the time you ignored my words entirely and instead cemented yourself in your belief.

I already pointed that out several times but most of Valve's (singleplayer) games contain a way to officially bypass DRM through a simple console cvar.
But of course you are touchy and ignore this line of argumentation, as usual.

Is it less locked than PS Classic?
Does it allow usage of user-owned ROMs without console firmware modifications and exploits?
Or are you just selectively seeing reality for your own convenience?

No offense (I mean it), but if you have only the 3 then you are very heavily behind :P
Also, password managers, I encourage you to use them ;)

edit: pasted what I forgot to paste (that I wrote) when posting the post

Steam has been supporting and encouraging DRM ever since its inception (not only their own, but also third party). When comparing the two, CDP's contribution to this despicable scheme looks like a drop in the ocean.

Cool story. But you know what? At least he stuck to his guns and didn't spend a single cent on gog! :-D

It was about Steam (and GOG downloader) being custom software. Learn to read related posts properly.

What is SteamCmd?

Until two months ago, I had only one (GOG). From 2009 to 2020 (12 years), I bought nothing but GOG.

I do use a password manager. That's not what I meant by managing an account. What I meant is installing applications (e.g. gogrepoc, SteamCmd) and writing my own scripts and batch files to automate backups.

A command-line application for downloading and installing Steam games without the need for the Steam client. A kind of dumbed down gogrepoc, if you're familiar with it.

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD