Thanks again. I've added the ones you guys have already got. I'll work on what I have as time is free.

One of your entries is wrong. Spectromancer requires you to register your CD Key through their proprietary license system. You can activate on 5 PCs.

What about Mirror's Edge. Anyone can test that?

Running MirrorsEdge.exe on the machine it was downloaded on (Steam currently shut down) launches Steam.

Copying the "mirrors edge" folder to a virtual machine without Steam, installing the bundled helper applications (DirectX, PhysX, and .NET Runtime), and running the same exe gives me an error dialogue titled "Steam Error" saying "Application load error 5:0000065434".

From this testing it doesn't seem to work.

Got another one: A shmup called Ether Vapor Remaster is also DRM-free, as well as being available pretty much everywhere, too.

Not sure where this fits into the mix so I'll let the smarter folks here figure it out.

Mount & Blade Warband can be played without Steam running, and also purchased without Steam. It does require a key to activate the game but that key is a Paradox thing and not a Steam thing. So it does have activation. The retail box version comes with Steam and you're stuck installing the client if you get the disk. However, Steam is not required in order to PLAY the version with Steam built-in. From what I can tell, most of the e-tailers sell a version without Steam built-in so you're only dealing with the Paradox key.

This was confirmed after the ruckus over Steam's change in terms, EULA, whatever, and I chose not to agree but got the game going anyway simply by changing the shortcut to point straight to the executable. The only difference I see is that I don't get "achievements" <rolleyes> and I'll have to look for updates periodically myself. No big whoop. Oh, and it starts up a little faster since I don't have to wait for Steam to do its thing.

If I missed the point of the thread, my apologies.

That's odd. I remember testing Warband myself, and it wouldn't launch without Steam at all. Maybe it used to but they patched it in later?

Well, I got ticked-off about the the EULA, looked up some crap online, and finally just changed the shortcut to point straight to mb_warband.exe. Let me double-check real quick by uninstalling the Steam client. Not sure why I left it on my system....

Edit: yep, it works. Client is gone and the game started and played as normal.

I simulated uninstalling Steam by removing the files from its root folder for Warband. But I might have been trying to launch the wrong .exe, if there is more than one. I don't have the game installed any more, so I cannot try.

Regardless, I can confirm that if you make an account and register your serial key for Warband on Taleworlds' website, you can proceed to download a DRM free version. That's not the traditional DRM free set-up that this list describes but it still sort of counts, yeah?

Yeah, I think it does. I'll add it to the list after GOG fix the linebreak bug, because I sure as hell am not adding them to the whole thing manually. I'll download the game to check it again in the meantime.

So I went and downloaded it, and it really won't run without Steam. I've even uninstalled the client, and I'm always getting the same error (attached).

It's mb_warband.exe, 6 294 528 bytes, internal version number 1.0.0.0. The game identifies itself as version 1.154.

Okay, let me take a look at what I have. Be back shortly.

Edit:
My file size is 6,518,272 bytes (NOT size on disk), also identified as version 1.0.0.0 (how in the world does THAT work? LOL). BTW, I'm getting that info from right click -> properties on the executable. The version on the game's launch screen shows 1.153.

To fix the problem I had (Steam on the retail disk), I downloaded the complete game file (615,036,714 bytes) on 05 August 2012 from taleworlds.com, and it looks like this is the version still available on their site; note that I did not get the patch, but instead the full installer zip.

Maybe try this link, in case you're getting a different version somehow: http://download2.taleworlds.com/mb_warband_setup_1153.exe I just DL'd again and got the same zip as last time.

But yeah, Steam isn't nagging me at all (it used to, until I reinstalled and then changed the shortcut), Steam is definitely no longer installed, and the game works. Not sure why you and I are seeing differing results.

According to the Steam changelog, the patch to 1.154 was published on 6 September and the release notes only say "Executable is patched for fixes related with Napoleonic Wars DLC". So those "related fixes" apparently included adding in CEG. I don't know how they handle the DLC; maybe it's a Steam exclusive?

EDIT: No, it apparently isn't. Doesn't matter. I'll add a note to the main list that it used to be DRM-free, but currently isn't. Thanks for spotting this.

I got another setup with a serial key on the taleworlds website called 'mb_warband_setup_1131.exe' two years ago.
No Napoleonic Wars; Mb_warband only. As far as I remember I had to
enter a Steam- key, which could be found if you rightclick
mb_warband-->properties.
No more need to go into 'steam' to play it since then.
Maybe it still works if you have no 'Napoleonic wars'? Probably worth a try.

I don't have Napoleonic Wars, actually. Should have said that.