We’re happy to announce we’ve just started rolling out new web installers for all GOG games. What is it, you ask? Web installer is a small file (around 1MB) that makes it easy and fast to download and install your GOG games. After downloading and launching the web installer, it triggers the process of installing or updating (if needed) GOG Galaxy on your computer, and afterwards it automatically launches the installation of the game on your machine. This way we’re minimizing your engagement in the whole installation process, and you can focus on enjoying playing the game!

Introduction of web installers means a few additional changes. First, from now on the main game view in your "Library", you will see two options to install your game - with GOG Galaxy via new web installer, and the „classic installers” without GOG Galaxy, which are now called "offline backup game installers”. So if you don’t want to use our optional client, you don’t have to look for the classic installers through „More” option, just download the installer files from the second section.
Second change means, we’re removing entirely the previous GOG Galaxy game installers. So if you want to take full advantage of all GOG Galaxy features in your games, just use the new web installers.

Hope you like the feature, and it will expand your experience of using GOG.com the way you want.

Yes, if you have GOG Galaxy installed the game will just be added to the download queue. You will also get the game installation screen in GOG Galaxy to set the installation path.

When you launch the new web installer you will get the game installation screen in GOG Galaxy, which clearly shows both the download and installation size, and allows you to change the game installation path,

You get a very small download (1MB) that always installs latest version of GOG Galaxy and latest version of the game itself in one click.

Yes, it installs latest version of GOG Galaxy and than GOG Galaxy downloads and installs the latest version of the game. If GOG Galaxy is already installed, it proceeds directly do the game installation.

Thanks for spotting that. We're on it.

Thanks for letting us know! This is fixed now (it was an error in the filename). :)

Thank you all for the feedback! We're glad to see most of you like this update.

As for false positive virus warnings - we're already on it and hope this will be fix quickly.

Now, regarding some users stating that this is the next step to make GOG GALAXY mandatory. It's not :) GOG is 10 years on the market now, and we've been strict about our DRM-free policy. We stated multiple times that the client will remain optional, and we're not going to strip you from the option to download backup installers.
Yes, we do believe that playing games through GOG GALAXY gives you the full experience, as you can enjoy multiple features like auto-updates, cloud saves, achievements, etc., and we'd like to give users the best experience possible, BUT if you don't care about the above and want to stick to the classic way of downloading the installer and playing your games without the client, you're welcome to do so! :)

Actually Galaxy doesn't fetch the installer, because it is the installer. :P It fetches the (compressed) game directly, and when it updates - it updates the game files directly (with a diff patch when possible).

You can then still launch the game directly with Galaxy turned off, or remove Galaxy - if you wish - and still play the game with no issues and no Galaxy features. There should be no real difference when installing through "backup installer" (maybe shortcuts or installation folder suggestion). You just have the backup installer then. :)

Just to be clear: you can download backup installers through Galaxy too.

Yes, you are. :) Actually the post I wrote is more directed to others that might be reading this topic.

Also I can chip in to the fact that shortcut control is not perfect, and we'd love it to be fully controllable per game. :) There are some technical obstacles though. Option to create the shortcut with a button would be also nice.

I am not very competent in this area, but the rollbacked version might be an "old type" of a game build. Downgrading might trigger off some features.
Also, I have heard about an existing process of "degalaxification" of shortcuts, and numerous discussions about start menu shortcuts.

I don't know more unfortunately. :(