not really, but you can just zip them if you want to archive them?

While I don't doubt that this works for most of the games in that list, it's not a given that it works for all. Steam doesn't just install the files into the Steamapps directory, it also sets up registry entries for the games, which a simple ZIP archive couldn't handle.

I imagine with the vast majority of the indie titles there that registry entries are not necessary, but it's possible that games like Thief or Worms Pinball will trip up when unpacked directly from a ZIP archive onto a PC that has never been touched by Steam.

Every steam game includes dependency installers if those are necessary, and they can be ran without Steam. Every game in this list that I've been able to check works fine without Steam. I've checked every single one of them on a FRESH INSTALL of windows without ever installing Steam. I don't know why this concept that some games don't require Steam to run is so difficult for some people imagine. The games in this list have been tested extensively, so I really wish people would stop making speculative posts about how this list is wrong even though it's already been proven to be right! Test them out for yourself if you wish, but there's no reason to muck up this thread with unwarranted doubt. Make a separate thread for that ;p

As far as Hexen goes, and this is true for every single dosbox based game sold on Steam - they are all 100% DRM free, but you must run them through Dosbox yourself, because the executables that Steam provides which are self-contained with dosbox do require Steam.

Well, I'm glad you've checked it, because back when I established the problem with Legend of Grimrock, this was not the case - people were simply copying the folders out and running them without Steam.

My point is that a game being DRM-free in Steam does not necessarily entail that it will run straight out of a ZIP file. There are other problems that may arise other than DRM - including the aforementioned registry problems, which are often handled by the Steam install script. I have no idea what you're being so fucking defensive about.

I consider this first step, launching the game via Steam, to finalize the installation as DRM.
It's an online activation.


No DRM means:
Buy and download the game.
Copy the downloaded file over to your other PC that is offline and not connected to the internet and still be able to install and run the game on that computer.

So, what you mean with DRM free, is NOT DRM free.

Oh dear lord...

Nobody cares. If people don't want to use Steam, they won't even watch this topic. And those who are watching it will certainly welcome a list of games which can simply be copied out of the Steam directory and played as standalone if bundled with proper registry keys. They will most certainly not welcome the 'This bit of Steam is DRM' argument for the ninth bazillion of times.

edit: Sorry for lashing out on you like that.

I still think it's a nice bit of information to have. There have been times lately that I was scrambling to find out whether or not a Steam game was DRM free before I bought it there and not somewhere else like GamersGate, where it was DRM free (Sword of the Stars: The Pit). I'd considered making a new thread myself but I've just had too much going on lately. I may try to get around to it before too long if nobody else does. I'm sure there are people who appreciate it, but don't feel obligated to remake the thread if you don't really want to. A very small percentage of Steam games are truly DRM free, and most of those that are, are probably already in this list, so new additions will most likely be slowly added over time. The need for a whole new thread isn't super critical because of that.

It's nice information, it's just somewhat useless for most larger games because they usually aren't DRM free and when they are they don't reliably work without the install process.

It's a nice list, but... just not essential really.

I surely appreciate this list. It's a pit of all the games I own on Steam (many because I got forced to use Steam to even run them, like Skyrim and LotR War in the North) only Divine Divinity made it to the DRM-free list.

I found out I had to run it in Steam once to update and configure, before I could run it straight from the Div.exe. Can anyone who tried this out tell me if all I needed do now is backup the complete folder? Will it run on a possible internet-less steam-less future computer if I just keep the folder?

I don't have DD on Steam so I can't test it out to confirm for you, but if when you run the game from the executable with Steam closed, the game does not force Steam to re-open before it launches, then it is in fact DRM free. If the game didn't run when you tried it the first time, but then did run after you allowed steam to do the first time install, that just means that the game needed some dependencies installed (for example, things like directx, visual studio stuff, XNA, etc.). These things can be installed without Steam. Typically with Steam games, there is a folder inside of the game folder called vcredist or redist or something along those lines, which contain dependency install files that are required for the game to function. These are often already installed from other game installations, but not always.

Also, some games on Steam can be patched DRM free. I don't mean using cracks, but rather if the retail patches for the game are DRM free, then you can usually download a retail patch for the game and either install the patch or, if the patch won't install for registry reasons, then you can extract the patch files with something like Universal Extractor and simply copy over the exe from the patch into the game directory.

I found some that work
Age of empires 3 and its expansions
Arma 2 and Operation arrowhead
Assassin's Creed (1 but not 2)
Batman Arkham Asylum

That's what I have so far I'll keep looking

Appreciate the post, but you're forgetting the DRM free part ;p Even though those games work without Steam, they still require third-party DRM like securom and such. I'm not sure about Arma or AoE 3, but I know Batman has third-party DRM and I think AC1 does as well, but I can't recall -- I don't have it installed at the moment.

According to the developers, the Steam version of Starbound will be DRM free when it comes out. Worth keeping an eye on.

Surgeon Sim 2013 is DRM free, at least as far as the Mac build goes.

Edit: Yeah, the PC version looks DRM free, too.