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This is a list of games and software available on Steam that do not use any third party DRM (e.g GFWL, Uplay, etc.) or the Steamworks CEG ("Custom Executable Generation") component, making them effectively Launcher-free once installed. This means that you can copy the game folder anywhere you want and launch the .exe program directly without being online or having Steam or a third party software running.

Trivia

Q: How do you determine if a game or software is launcher-free on Steam?
A: Install the game or software and run it online the first time (this step is important as this finalizes the installation). Shut down Steam and temporarily move all the files in the root Steam folder somewhere else, and rename/delete Steam.exe to something else temporarily. Locate game folder, find the program launcher .exe and run it. If the game doesn't start, then it requires the client to be running; if the game starts, the game is launcher free.

Q: I did that, but it still won't work.
A: If you have already tried the above, then try deleting steam_api.dll and SteamworksNative.dll, if present, from that game's folder. NOTE: Some Steam DRM-free games (99 Spirits, War of Human Tanks) work only when steam_api.dll is present, so delete it only if the game doesn't work with it present.

Lists of DRM-free games and software on Steam

Launcher-free games and software

The games or software on this list do not have any DRM once they are installed which means that they do not require the Steam client to be played. Typically, you don't have to tweak the games or software in order to run them wherever you want; the list will make notes of any exceptions.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
100% Orange Juice n/a n/a
140 ?
404Sight n/a n/a
7th Guest ? ?
11th Hour ? ?
8BitBoy ? n/a
8-Bit Commando ? ?
99 Levels To Hell ? ?
99 Spirits n/a n/a
1000 Amps ? ? n/a
10,000,000 ? ?
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome ?
AaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity n/a n/a Delete steam_api.dll and acksteam.dll
Abducted n/a n/a Currently an Early Access title
A Bird Story ? ?
3079 -- Block Action RPG ?
3089 -- Futuristic Action RPG ? ?
Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action! n/a n/a
A Story About My Uncle n/a n/a
A Valley Without Wind ? n/a Previously required CD Keys. As of version 1.500 that is no longer the case.
A Valley Without Wind 2 ? n/a
A Virus Named TOM ?
Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden ? ? ? Create a 'steam_appid.txt' file in the game directory and write the number '284710' in it.
Actua Soccer 3 n/a n/a
Adam's Venture Episode 1: The Search For The Lost Garden n/a n/a
Adam's Venture Episode 2: Solomon's Secret n/a n/a
Adam's Venture Episode 3: Revelations n/a n/a
Adventures of Shuggy n/a n/a
Aeon Command ? ?
AI War: Fleet Command ? n/a Plus all DLC's.
The game needs to be activated with a CD key. The Steam client provides at startup this key so after activating the game once in Steam all DRM is technically gone.
All Zombies Must Die! n/a n/a Run ShippingPC-Bzb2Game.exe
Alpha Protocol™ n/a n/a Run ~\Binaries\APGame.exe, NOT APLauncher.exe
Alum ? ?
Always Remember Me ? ?
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Anachronox n/a n/a
Analogue: A Hate Story ? ?
Anna - Extended Edition ? Windows version requires both Steam (game will freeze before title screen without it running) and Kalypso account login (can be blocked through Windows Firewall, but Steam will still be required); Linux version requires neither
Anodyne ? ?
Antichamber n/a Run ~\Binaries\UDK.exe or ~/Binaries/UDKGame-Linux. Note: It was reported that several users have serious issues with the Linux build.
Antisquad ? ?
A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda n/a n/a Error message can be dismissed
ARMA: Cold War Assault n/a n/a
ARMA: Gold Edition n/a n/a
ARMA II n/a n/a
ARMA II: Operation Arrowhead n/a n/a
ARMA Tactics ?
Arsenal of Democracy: A Hearts of Iron Game n/a n/a Steam has outdated v1.07 because Paradox dropped support. Download v1.08 patch and apply it. It is highly recommended by developers. After patch, game is DRM-free.
Assassin's Creed™: Director's Cut Edition n/a n/a Run game via DX9 launcher.
Assault Android Cactus
Astebreed n/a n/a
Atom Zombie Smasher ? n/a Run atom_net.exe, NOT atomzombiesmasher.exe
Avadon: The Black Fortress ?
Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche n/a n/a
Aztaka ? ? n/a
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition ? Linux: i386 version of libjson.so.0 must be included in shared libraries.

Open a terminal and enter the following command with your Linux username added:

sudo cp /home/YOURUSERNAME/.steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libjson.so.0 /usr/lib

Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition ? ?
Ballpoint Universe - Infinite ? ? Delete steam_api.dll and SteamworksNative.dll.
BANZAI PECAN: The Last Hope For the Young Century n/a n/a
Bardbarian ? n/a
Barter Empire n/a n/a
Bastion ?
Battle Group 2 ? ?
Battle Mages n/a n/a Not linked to Steam services at all (initially DRM-free)
Battle Mages: Sign of Darkness n/a n/a Not linked to Steam services at all (initially DRM-free)
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition n/a n/a

Run "ShippingPC-BmGame.exe -nosteam" in a Command Prompt (without quotes); " -nosteam" (without quotes) can also be added to the end of the Target field if you make a shortcut to ShippingPC-BmGame.exe


Save data will now save to Documents\Square Enix; Challenge maps may crash the game.

BEEP n/a n/a
Bejeweled 3 ? n/a
Ben There, Dan That! n/a n/a
Beyond Divinity n/a n/a
Bik - A Space Adventure ? ?
Bionic Dues Lack of DRM was stated by the developer.
Bionic Heart ? ?
Bit Blaster XL ? ?
bit Dungeon II ? n/a
Black Mirror ? ?
Black Mirror 2 - Reigning Evil n/a n/a
Black Mirror 3 - Final Fear n/a n/a
Blackwell Bundle n/a Achievements disabled
Bleed ? ?
Blocks That Matter ? ? n/a
Blood Bowl® Legendary Edition n/a n/a
Bloop n/a n/a
Bob Came in Pieces ? ? n/a
BOMB n/a ? Multiplayer can be played with direct IP connections outside of Steam
Borderlands 2 ?

LINUX:

Run in terminal with " -nosteam" (space; no quotes)

Example:

'/home/[USERNAME]/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/common/Borderlands 2/Borderlands2' -nosteam

Or, open a Terminal in the Borderlands 2 directory and type:

./Borderlands2 -nosteam

DLC DOES NOT WORK; only the base game is recognized

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! ?

LINUX:

No special terminal commands required

DLC DOES NOT WORK; only the base game is recognized

Bravada ? ?
Breath of Death VII n/a n/a
Broforce ? ?
Broken Age ? Only Act 1 was tested.
Broken Sword: Director's Cut ?
Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror ?
Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons n/a n/a
Brutal Legend ?
CAFE 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid ? ?
Cannon Fodder 3 n/a n/a
Card City Nights ? ?
Carmageddon Max Pack n/a n/a
Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now n/a n/a
Castle In The Darkness n/a n/a
Cat Goes Fishing n/a n/a Remove/rename steam_api.dll to run.
Chernobyl Commando n/a n/a
Cherry Tree High Comedy Club n/a n/a
Cities in Motion ? DLC's should work fine as they are only "plugins"
Close Your Eyes n/a n/a
CONSORTIUM The Master Edition n/a n/a
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller, Episode 1 - The Hangman n/a n/a Game does not save.
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller, Episode 2 - The Wise Monkey n/a n/a Game does not save.
Cogs ? ? On some 64-bit Linux distros you need to install 32-bit sdl version of sdl. It also works if manually copying library to the game dir.
Condemned: Criminal Origins n/a n/a
Containment: The Zombie Puzzler ? ? n/a
Contradiction ? n/a
Cortex Command ? ? n/a
Costume Quest 2 ? ?
Crayon Physics Deluxe ? n/a
CrossCode n/a n/a Currently an Early Access title (Tested version: 0.4)
Crow n/a n/a
Cthulhu Saves the World n/a n/a
Cubetractor ? n/a
Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble!™ ? n/a
Dangerous Waters n/a n/a
Danmaku Unlimited 2 n/a n/a
Darkest Dungeon ? n/a Windows: Run from _windowsnosteam folder
Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game n/a n/a
Dark Fall: The Journal n/a n/a
Dark Fall 2: Lights Out n/a n/a
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition n/a n/a English only?
Data Jammers: FastForward n/a n/a
Dawn of Discovery n/a n/a AKA Anno 1404. Venice Expansion is also DRM-free.
Daylight n/a n/a
Dead Sky ? ? Start the executable 'DeadSky.x86' instead of the shell script.
Death Rally n/a n/a Offline only
DEFCON ? ? ?
Déjà Vu: MacVenture Series ? n/a
Delver ? ?
Demigod n/a n/a
Deponia ? ?
Deponia Doomsday ? ?
Descent: Underground ? ? Currently an Early Access title (Tested version:

Mickey 1415)

Desktop Dungeons ? n/a
Despair n/a n/a
Detective Grimoire ? n/a
Dex ? ?
Digital Combat Simulator: Black Shark n/a n/a
Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition n/a n/a
DLC Quest ? n/a
Dungeon Defenders ? DRM-free if you switch it to GameSpy multiplayer mode before launching. Should just work on Linux.
Divine Divinity n/a n/a
Divinity II: Developer's Cut n/a n/a Free upgrade for owners of Divinity II: Ego Draconis or Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga.

Divinity: Dragon Commander

n/a n/a
Divinity: Original Sin ? n/a EOCApp.exe located in the shipping folder of the game's Steam directory.
Driftmoon n/a n/a
DROD RPG: Tendry's Tale ? ?
Dropsy ? ?
DuckTales Remastered n/a n/a
Dungeon Siege n/a n/a
Dungeon Siege II n/a n/a
Dungeons of Dredmor ? Mods installed through the Steam Workshop aren't available.
Dust: An Elysian Tail ? ?
Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos ? Linux: An exception screen occurs ingame. Simply ignore it to play the game.
Eador: Genesis n/a n/a
Electronic Super Joy ? ?
Eleusis n/a n/a Run Eleusis Game Launcher.exe
Elliot Quest ?
Elven Legacy n/a n/a
Emily is Away ? ?
Enclave n/a n/a
Endless Sky ? ?
ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West ? ? Access game from here {wherever you stored it within the Steam folder}\Enslaved\Binaries\Win32\Enslaved.EXE.
Enter the Gungeon ? ? Rename/delete "steam_api.dll" inside the game folder.
Environmental Station Alpha ? n/a
Escape Goat 2 ? ?
Eschalon: Book II ?
Ether Vapor Remaster n/a n/a
Eufloria n/a
Eurofighter Typhoon n/a n/a
Evochron Mercenary n/a n/a For a DRM-free version from the developers site see here.
eXceed - Gun Bullet Children n/a n/a
eXceed 2nd - Vampire REX n/a n/a
eXceed 3rd - Jade Penetrate Black Package n/a n/a
Fable - The Lost Chapters n/a n/a
Face Noir n/a n/a
Factorio For a DRM-free version, use non-steam installer.
Faerie Solitaire ? ? n/a
FaeVerse Alchemy ? ? Currently an Early Access title (Tested version: 1.0.15.10.10)
Fallout n/a n/a
Fallout 2 n/a n/a
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel n/a n/a
Fallout 3 n/a n/a You need FOSE. FOSE disables Windows Live and the FOSE launcher disables CEG.
Far Cry® 2: Fortune's Edition n/a n/a
fault milestone one ? ?
F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point n/a n/a Must have base F.E.A.R. game installed; base game is NOT DRM-free
F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate n/a n/a
Fearless Fantasy n/a n/a
Fester Mudd: Curse of the Gold - Episode 1 ? ?
FEZ ? ? Windows: Run "FEZ_LaunchOption.exe" to disable Steamworks so you can use DRM-free version.

Linux: Add --no-steamworks to the console when running it.

Final Fantasy IX n/a n/a
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster n/a n/a
Firewatch ? ? Steam.exe must be renamed, or the client will launch
Five Nights at Freddy's n/a n/a
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 n/a n/a
Five Nights at Freddy's 3 n/a n/a
Five Nights at Freddy's 4 n/a n/a
Floating Point ? ?
Ford Racing 3 n/a n/a
For The Glory: A Europa Universalis Game n/a n/a
Frozen Synapse ? ? ?
Freedom Planet ? ?
FTL: Faster Than Light ?
Full Mojo Rampage n/a n/a
Galactic Civilizations I: Ultimate Edition n/a n/a
Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition n/a n/a Base game Dread Lords ("GalCiv2.exe") and Dark Avatar ("GC2DarkAvatar.exe") expansion are DRM-free.
Game Dev Tycoon ? ?
Gang Beasts ? ? Currently an Early Access title (Tested version: 0.2.6c)
GemCraft - Chasing Shadows n/a n/a
Gemini Rue ?
Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island n/a n/a
Glacier 3: The Meltdown n/a n/a
Glare ? ?
Gnomoria n/a n/a
Goat Simulator n/a Game WILL NOT SAVE OR LOAD if run outside of Steam.
Gods Will Be Watching ? ? Rename/delete 'steam_api.dll' inside the game folder.
Gone Home ?
Goosebumps: The Game n/a n/a
Gothic 3 n/a n/a Download 1.75 beta update
Grand Theft Auto (?) n/a n/a
Grand Theft Auto 2 (?) n/a n/a
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ? n/a
Gratuitous Tank Battles ? ? n/a
Gratuitous Space Battles ?
Gravity Badgers ? ?
Gray Matter n/a n/a
Grimm n/a n/a
Grow Home n/a n/a
GT Legends n/a n/a
GTR - FIA GT Racing Game n/a n/a
GTR 2 FIA GT Racing Game n/a n/a
Guilty Gear Isuka n/a n/a
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload n/a n/a
Gun Metal n/a n/a
Hacker Evolution Duality ? ? ?
Half-Life 2 ?

Windows: Run
- "hl2.exe" for Half-Life 2
- "hl2.exe -game episodic" for Episode One
- "hl2.exe -game ep2" for Episode Two
- "hl2.exe -game lostcoast" for Lost Coast
- "hl2.exe -game hl1" for Source
in Command Prompt (without quotes)
Linux: Run
- "./hl2.sh" for Half-Life 2
- "./hl2.sh -game episodic" for Episode One
- "./hl2.sh -game ep2" for Episode Two
- "./hl2.sh -game lostcoast" for Lost Coast
- "./hl2.sh -game hl1" for Source
in Terminal (without quotes)

Half-Life 2: Episode One ?
Half-Life 2: Episode Two ?
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast ?
Half-Life: Source ?
Hammerwatch ?
Hate Plus ?
Hearthlands ? ?
Heavy Bullets ? ?
Hector: Badge of Carnage - Full Series ? n/a Only episode 1 runs without Steam, episode 2 & 3 do need the Steam client.
Heileen 1: Sail Away ? ?
Hektor ? n/a
Heroes of a Broken Land ? ?
Heroes Rise: The Hero Project ? The game executable uses CEG. However, you can play the game without Steam by opening the file 'index.html" with a web browser.
Heroes Rise: The Prodigy ?
Hero Siege ? n/a Rename/delete the 'steam.exe' in the steam directory or the 'steam_api.dll' inside of the game folder.
Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East n/a n/a Run H5_Game.exe from binDM folder, not from bin folder.
Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok n/a n/a Achievements disabled
HOARD ? ? Despite the description in the shop there is a Linux version of the game.
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! ? ?
Home n/a n/a
Hotline Miami ? ?

In game options 'Steamworks' must be disabled. Only works with original version (old engine) of the game.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ? ?
Humanity Asset n/a n/a
HuniePop ? ?
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream ? ? Comes with ScummVM but you need to load the game into it
Incoming Forces n/a n/a
Insanity's Blade n/a n/a
Interstellaria ? ?
Jack Orlando: Director's Cut ? n/a
Jamestown ? n/a
Jet Gunner n/a n/a
Kairo ? ?
KAMI ? ?
Keen Dreams ?
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes ? n/a
Kerbal Space Program ?
King Arthur's Gold ? ?
Kingdom ? ?
Knights and Merchants ? ?
Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition ? ?
Killing Floor ? Steamworks is used for multiplayer. Solo works without Steam.
King Arthur - The Role-playing Wargame n/a n/a

The following DLCs work as well: The Saxons, The Druids, Knights and Vassals, Legendary Artifacts

Legend of Dungeon ? ?
Legend of Grimrock ? ? Will launch Steam if it can be found, but runs if it cannot.
Legend of Grimrock 2 ? ? Will launch Steam if it can be found, but runs if it cannot.
Legendary n/a n/a
Lightfish ? ? n/a
Lilly and Sasha: Curse of the Immortals n/a n/a
Long Live The Queen ? ?
Lost Chronicles of Zerzura n/a n/a
Lost Civilization n/a n/a
Lovely Planet ? ? Deleting steam_api.dll prevents the game from trying to start Steam, but is not required to make the game run
Lucid n/a n/a
Lucius II n/a ?
Lugaru HD ? ?
Lunar Flight ? n/a
LYNE ? ?
Magical Diary ?
Majesty Gold HD n/a n/a

Run "MajestyHD.exe" from the HD folder.

Majesty 2 n/a n/a
Malebolgia n/a n/a
Marauder n/a n/a Also known as Man of Prey.
Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure n/a n/a
Mars: War Logs n/a n/a
Mega Coin Squad ? ? Tries to start Steam, but runs without the client
Memoria ? ?
Mercenary Kings n/a n/a Confirmed to be DRM-free by developer.
Might & Magic X - Legacy n/a
Mini Ninjas n/a n/a
Missing Translation ? n/a
Momodora III n/a n/a
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine ?

Confirmed DRM-free by developer here.

No multiplayer, updates or leaderboards without Steam

Monster Loves You! ? ?
Monstrum n/a n/a
MoonBase Commander n/a n/a
Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock ? n/a
Motte Island ? ?
Mountain ? ?
Muffin Knight ? n/a
Multiwinia ? ? ?
Muri n/a n/a
Narcissu 1st & 2nd ?

Linux: Copy the libs libSDL2-2.0.so.0, libSDL2_image-2.0.so.0 and libSDL2_mixer-2.0.so.0 from ~/.steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu to /usr/lib (You may have to copy the libs with extened suffix and rename them accordingly).

NaissanceE n/a n/a
Neighbours from Hell Compilation n/a n/a Both games work
Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart ?

Create a 'steam_appid.txt' file in the game directory and write the number '259740' in it.
Linux: Then change in the console to the game directory and run one of the game executables (32/64 bit).

Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren`s Call ? ? ? Create a 'steam_appid.txt' file in the game directory and write the number '284790' in it.
Nimbus n/a n/a
Ninja Pizza Girl ? ?
Noitu Love 2: Devolution n/a n/a
No More Room In Hell ?

Copy "nmrih" folder into "sdk" folder;
Windows: Open command prompt and type "hl2.exe -game nmrih" (without quotes)
Linux: Open terminal window and type "./hl2.sh -game nmrih" (without quotes)
Only setting max players to 1 will work; disable v-sync to increase framerate

Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi n/a n/a
Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy ? n/a
//N.P.P.D. RUSH//- The milk of Ultraviolet ? ?
Nuclear Throne ? ?

Delete the 'steam_api.dll' inside of the game folder

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits ? ? n/a
Octodad: Dadliest Catch The level editor (Windows only) is also DRM-free.
Odallus: The Dark Call n/a n/a
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee n/a n/a
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD n/a n/a
Omikron: The Nomad Soul n/a n/a
One Finger Death Punch n/a n/a No Achievements - Steam not runnning message in loading screens.
One Ship Two Ship Redshift Blueshift ? ?
OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood ? ? You shouldn't remove steam_api.dll, or it won't open. I was able to play it while I was on my alt, just changing the text in steam_gameid.txt was enough.
Orbital Gear ? ?
Orborun ?
Ori and the Blind Forest n/a n/a Delete or rename SteamworksNative.dll in the installation folder
Original War n/a n/a
Outlast n/a n/a Whistleblower DLC untested
Painkiller Redemption n/a n/a
Papers, Please ? Delete steam_api.dll and steamwrap.ndll
Particula ? n/a
Party of Sin n/a n/a
Perils of Man ? ? Delete steam_api.dll
Penguins Arena: Sedna's World ? n/a
Penumbra Overture ? ?
Pillars of Eternity
Pineapple Smash Crew n/a n/a
Pink Heaven n/a n/a
Pink Hour n/a n/a
PixelJunk Eden n/a n/a Will launch if Steam is not installed. Alternatively, rename steam.exe
Pixel Piracy ? ? Rename/delete the 'steam_api.dll' inside of the game folder.
Planetary Annihilation ? ?
Planetbase n/a n/a
Portal ?

Windows: Run "hl2.exe -game portal" in Command Prompt (without quotes); Common install location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Portal
Linux: Run "./hl2.sh -game portal" in Terminal (without quotes)

Postal 2 ? ? Linux: Run "steamapps/common/POSTAL2Complete/System/postal2-bin"
Power-Up n/a n/a
Primordia n/a n/a Achievements disabled
Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt n/a n/a
Project Zomboid ? ? Rename/delete 'steam_api.dll', 'steam_api64.dll', 'steam_appid.txt', 'steamintegration.dll', 'steamintegration64.dll' inside the game folder.
Proteus ? ?
Psychonauts ?
Punch Club ? ?
Puzzle Quest 2 n/a n/a Steam client must be installed but login is not required.
Quest for Infamy n/a ?
Q.U.B.E ? ?
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut ?
Rack N Ruin ? ?
Ratz Instagib ? n/a Custom servers only
Ravensword: Shadowlands ? ?
Rayman® Origins n/a n/a
RC Mini Racers ?
Real Boxing n/a n/a
Really Big Sky n/a n/a
Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny ? ?
Receiver ? ?
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 ? ?
Redshirt ? ?
Relic Hunters Zero ? n/a Delete steam_api.dll
Reprisal Universe ? n/a
Resonance n/a n/a Achievements disabled
Retrovirus n/a n/a
Return to Castle Wolfenstein n/a n/a Single player only
RC Mini Racers ? n/a
Ring Runner: Flight of the Sages n/a n/a
Risk of Rain ? ? Rename/delete 'steam_api.dll' inside the game folder.
Rock of Ages n/a n/a
Royal Bounty HD ? n/a
RUNNING WITH RIFLES
Saira n/a n/a
Sakura Spirit ?
Sanctum ? n/a

Run with the following command:

"SanctumGame-Win32-Shipping.exe -nosteam"

GAME WILL NOT SAVE OR LOAD IF RUN OUTSIDE OF STEAM (a past update moved save data from SanctumSave.ini to the Steam Cloud folder)

Sanctum 2 ? n/a (✔) Sign up for the linux-beta in the game options in Steam. There is only a demo (no full game) in early beta status available.
Sang-Froid - Tales of Werewolves n/a n/a
Satazius n/a n/a
Saturday Morning RPG ? ?
Savant - Ascent ? ? Linux: Execute runner instead of run.sh
Screencheat ? ? Save data will be found in the game folder if run outside of Steam
Scribblenauts Unlimited n/a n/a
Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis n/a n/a Secret files 1 does *not* work
Secret of the Magic Crystals ? ?
Serena ?
Serious Sam 2 n/a n/a But neither of the Serious Sam HD Encounters.
Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter n/a n/a HD version has Steam DRM.
Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter n/a n/a HD version has Steam DRM.
Septerra Core ? n/a
Shadowgate ? ? Delete steam_api.dll
Shadowgate: MacVenture Series ? n/a
Shadowrun Returns ? ?
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut ? ?
Shadows on the Vatican Act I: Greed n/a n/a
Shadows on the Vatican Act 2: Wrath n/a n/a
Shannon Tweed's Attack Of The Groupies n/a n/a
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut n/a n/a
Shardlight n/a n/a
Shatter ? ?
Shattered Haven n/a
Shelter ? n/a
SHOGUN: Total War n/a n/a
Shoppe Keep ? ? Currently an Early Access title
Shovel Knight
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Currently in early access. Confirmed by developer to remain launcher free come release.
Sid Meier's Railroads! n/a n/a
Sigils of Elohim ? ?
Silent Hill Homecoming n/a n/a
Sinking Island n/a n/a
Skyward Collapse ? n/a Plus DLC
Slain! ? ? Will launch Steam if client is installed; rename Steam.exe or uninstall client to run DRM-free
Snapshot ? ?
Sniper Elite n/a n/a
Snuggle Truck ? ?
Solarix n/a n/a
SOL: Exodus n/a n/a
Sol Survivor n/a n/a
Sonic Adventure DX n/a n/a Will launch Steam if client is installed; rename Steam.exe or uninstall client to run DRM-free
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 - Episode I n/a n/a

But not Episode II

Sora n/a n/a

steam_api.dll is required for the game to start, but nothing else.

Sound of Drops - fall into poison - n/a

Ren'Py game.

Space Empires IV Deluxe ? ?
Space Hulk ? DLCs might work, it seems to be related to a bug.
Spacebase DF-9 ?
Spectraball ? ?
Splice ? ?
Spooky's House of Jump Scares n/a n/a
Stacking ? ?
Starbound
Stardew Valley n/a n/a
Star Ruler ?
Star Ruler 2 ? ?
Starwhal ? ?
Stellaris ? ?
Stones of Sorrow ? ?
Street Racing Syndicate n/a n/a
Strike Suit Zero ? Save data DOES NOT LOAD OR SAVE without Steam running
Stronghold HD n/a n/a
Stronghold Crusader HD n/a n/a
Summoner n/a n/a
SUNLESS SEA ? n/a Delete or rename steam_api.dll in the game's directory.
Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius It's mentioned by the dev to be DRM-free.
Sunrider: Academy
Super Crate Box n/a n/a
Super House of Dead Ninjas n/a n/a
SUPERHOT ?
Super Laser Racer ?
Super Meat Boy ?

Linux: Copy the library libSDL2-2.0.so.0 from

  • 32bit: /home/[username]/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32 to the x86 folder, where Super Meat Boy is installed.
  • 64bit: /home/[username]/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/amd64/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu to the amd64
    folder, where Super Meat Boy is installed.
Super Panda Adventures n/a n/a
Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe ? n/a
Super Trench Attack! n/a n/a
Super Win the Game ? ?
Surgeon Simulator 2013 Achievements are not saved
Sword of Asumi ? ?
Syder Arcade ? ?
System Shock 2 ?
Taimumari n/a ?
Take On Helicopters n/a n/a
Takedown: Red Sabre n/a n/a Single player only; GAME WILL NOT SAVE OUTSIDE OF STEAM
Tales from the Borderlands ? n/a
Tales of Monkey Island - Episode 1 ? ? n/a But not the remaining episodes!
Technobabylon n/a n/a
The 39 Steps ?
The Albino Hunter n/a n/a
The Bard's Tale ?
The Banner Saga ? ? Delete or rename steam_api.dll
The Book of Unwritten Tales ? ?
The Bridge n/a ? If Steam is present, it will launch; Rename main Steam program or uninstall Steam to launch The Bridge without it.
The Cat Lady n/a
The Cave
The Curious Expedition ? n/a Currently an Early Access title
The Detail ? ?
The Deer God ? ?
The Dream Machine n/a
The Fall ? Delete libSteamworksNative.dll (Windows) or libSteamworksNative.so (Linux)
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing ? n/a
The Journey Down: Chapter One ? ?
The Last Door - Collector's Edition ? n/a
The Last Door: Season 2 - Collector's Edition n/a n/a Currently an Early Access title
The Maker's Eden ? ?
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom n/a n/a
The Path n/a n/a
The Polynomial - Space of the music ? ?
The Purring Quest n/a n/a
There Came an Echo n/a n/a
The Samaritan Paradox n/a Achievements disabled
The Secret World ? ?
The Shivah ? ? Achievements disabled
the static speaks my name ? ?
The Swapper ?

Must delete/rename the following from the game folder:

  • Windows: CSteamworks.dll
  • Linux: libCSteamworks.so
The Walking Dead n/a MAC ONLY; 400 Days DLC doesn't seem to be recognized.
The Ables: Freepoint High ? n/a Currently an Early Access title
The Yawhg n/a n/a
They Bleed Pixels n/a n/a
Thief™ Gold n/a n/a
Thief™ II: The Metal Age n/a n/a
Thomas Was Alone ? Despite the description in the shop there is a Linux version of the game.
Tidalis ? n/a The game needs to be activated with a CD key. The Steam client provides at startup this key so after activating the game once in Steam all DRM is technically gone.
Timber and Stone n/a n/a Currently an Early Access title
Time Gentlemen, Please! n/a n/a
Tiny Barbarian DX ? n/a
To the Moon ? ?

Linux: The free Minisode is missing in the installation files due to a lacking Linux port. The Windows version can be downloaded here and played with WINE.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory® n/a n/a Multiplayer works, Singleplayer unknown.
Tomb Raider II ? ?
Tomb Raider III ? ?
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation ? ?
Tomb Raider V: Chronicles ? ?
Towns ? ?
TrackMania Nations Forever n/a n/a
TrackMania² Canyon n/a n/a Doesn't launch Steam if not detected. The game must be installed, updated and played once through the Steam Client. For playing the game on another PC you need to repeat the steps above.
TrackMania² Stadium n/a n/a
Trainz Trouble n/a n/a
Transistor n/a n/a Confirmed by Supergiant Games to not require Steam after initial download.
Trapped Dead n/a n/a
Trine 2 ? Windows version requires Steam
Triple Town ? n/a
Tropico 5 ? ?
Tsukumogami n/a n/a
Turbo Pug n/a n/a
Turmoil n/a n/a Currently an Early Access title
Two Brothers n/a n/a
UFO: Afterlight n/a n/a
Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge ? ?
Undertale ? n/a Delete steam_api.dll; DRM-free version also available on Undertale website
Unrest ? n/a
Uninvited: MacVenture Series ? n/a
Unstoppable Gorg n/a
Uplink ? ? You may need to copy 'Steam.dll' from your steam installation folder to the game folder
Valdis Story: Abyssal City n/a n/a Delete the 'steam_api.dll' inside of the game folder
Vertex Dispenser ? ? n/a
Vertical Drop Heroes HD ? n/a
Vertiginous Golf ? ?
Victor Vran ? Windows version requires Steam
Viscera Cleanup Detail n/a n/a

VVVVVV

?
Waking Mars ? ?
War of the Human Tanks n/a n/a
WARMACHINE: Tactics ?
Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic ?
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut ?
Windosill ? ? n/a
Windward ? ?
Wings of Vi n/a n/a
Wizardry 8 n/a n/a
Wizorb ? n/a Save data doesn't work unless Steam is running
World War I n/a n/a
World of Goo ? ?
Worms Pinball n/a n/a
World Basketball Manager 2010 n/a n/a
WORLD END ECONOMiCA episode.01 ? ?
Why Am I Dead At Sea ? n/a
Zigfrak ? ?

Flash Games

The games on this list are games using Flash, Adobe Air or .NET (for simplicity bundled in this list for Flash games). All games using Flash, Adobe Air or .NET on Steam, including those not on this list, are Launcher-free.

Note - Multi-Platform: To play Flash games on platforms not officially supported by Steam, you can sometimes extract .swf files from the .exe of the Windows installation and use one of these .swf files to start the game on every platform with a flashplayer on it. A tool for extraction is e.g. exe2swf.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Anodyne
Auditorium n/a
Botanicula n/a
Deadly 30
Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten
Flight Control HD n/a
Intrusion 2 n/a
Lilly Looking Through n/a
Lone Survivor n/a
Machinarium n/a Multi-Platform: Use the extracted "00000004.swf".
Offspring Fling! n/a
Samorost2 n/a n/a Multi-Platform: Use the extracted "00000003.swf".
The Basement Collection n/a Doesn't show unlocked content.
The Binding of Isaac n/a
The Inner World n/a
The Last Door - Collector's Edition
Trauma n/a

Paradox Development Studio Games

Every Paradox Development Studio game is DRM-free and even some they publish (Paradox Interactive).
Paradox stated many times their developed games are and will be DRM-free like this one post or by their CEO.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Crusader Kings Complete n/a n/a
Crusader Kings II
Europa Universalis III Complete n/a
Europa Universalis IV
Europa Universalis: Rome - Gold Edition n/a n/a
Hearts of Iron 2 Complete n/a n/a
Hearts of Iron III n/a
March of the Eagles n/a n/a
Sengoku n/a n/a
Victoria I Complete n/a n/a
Victoria II n/a n/a

DOSBox Games

The games on this list are using DOSBox, an x86 emulator. All DOSBox games on Steam, including those not on this list, are Launcher-free.

Note - Multi-Platform: All DOSBox games can be played on various platforms and OSs by using the game data of the Windows installation and DOSBox itself. A simple DOSBox frontend in Java is e.g. DBGL (it contains DOSBox, too).

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Commander Keen series n/a n/a
Doom Classic series
Eradicator
Heretic + Hexen series
King's Quest™ Collection n/a n/a The launcher uses CEG, the individual games are DOSBoxed
Nam
Space Quest™ Collection n/a n/a The launcher uses CEG, the individual games are DOSBoxed
Spear of Destiny
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Wolfenstein 3D
Worms
X-COM: Apocalypse n/a n/a
X-COM: Terror From the Deep n/a n/a
X-COM: UFO Defense n/a n/a

Patchable Games

The games on this list do have the CEG component of Steam and won't run without Steam. However, the games can be made technically DRM-free after patching them.
Following criteria must be met for the games on this list:

  • The game must be published DRM-free outside of Steam
  • The DRM-free version must have the same directory structure as the Steam version
  • There must be at least one patch from the developers or an almost official patch from the community available (cracks are not tolerated on this page)
  • The patch must override the .exe/.sh so that the CEG component will be erased

Note: It is recommended to move the game to another directory before patching. If not, updating/checking the game files in Steam will remove the patch again. Sometimes it is necessary to replace just the .exe instead of patching the whole game.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Chantelise - A Tale of Two Sisters n/a n/a Official website of Carpe Fulgur
Darwinia ? ? ? Official website of Introversion Software
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition n/a n/a Retail Patch archived here
Doom 3 and Resurrection of Evil n/a n/a

Official website of id Software

YOU WILL NEED YOUR CD KEYS FROM STEAM! Right-click the games in your Steam library and save the CD keys in a text file for easy access!

Doom 3: BFG Edition n/a n/a

No official patch exists, but the engine was released as open source very shortly after the game's release. Precompiled binaries for Windows of the RBDOOM-3-BFG fork are available on GitHub, and it can be compiled+played on Linux and Mac OS X too. You need to copy the "base" folder from the game folder and put it next to the RBDoom3BFG binary.

HeXen II n/a n/a

Use Hammer of Thyrion from here:

http://uhexen2.sourceforge.net/

(The HeXen II source code has been released to the public)

Quake n/a n/a

Use the DarkPlaces mod from here:

http://www.icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/

(The Quake source code has been released to the public)

Quake II n/a n/a

QuakeWiki

Alternatively, use KMQuake II from here:

http://www.markshan.com/knightmare/

(The Quake II source code has been released to the public)

Quake III Arena n/a n/a

Use ioquake3 from here:

http://ioquake3.org/

(The Quake III source code has been released to the public)

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale n/a n/a Official website of Carpe Fulgur
Tropico 3 - Steam Special Edition n/a n/a Download Patch 1.17 but don't install it. Extract with an archive program just the "Tropico3.exe" and replace the .exe in the Steam version.
Two Worlds Epic Edition n/a n/a

A fanmade patch for simplifying the patch procedure (because of altering registry keys) is available as setup and source code.
There are also manual instructions and MD5-Hashes for the patch files.

Note: The patch procedure has to be repeated on every PC the game is played.

X: Beyond the Frontier n/a n/a
X: Tension n/a n/a
X2: The Threat n/a n/a
X3: Albion Prelude ? ? ?
X3: Reunion ? ? No need for a patch. In case of Linux, just needs 32-bit version of libxmu installed (else you get "error while loading shared libraries: libXmu.so.6")
X3: Terran Conflict ? ? ?

steam_appid.txt Games

These games normally require the Steam client to be running, but they can be made DRM-free by creating a text file called steam_appid.txt that contains the corresponding game's Steam app ID number AND NOTHING ELSE. The steam_appid.txt file should be placed in the same folder as the game's main program file.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek ? ? 284870
9 Clues 2: The Ward ? ? 369420
Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden ? ? 284710
Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink ? ? 284830
Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope ? ? 394280
Demon Hunter: Chronicles from Beyond ? ? 330990
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek ? ? 284750
Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood ? ? 284770
Fairy Tale Mysteries 2: The Beanstalk ? ? 403510
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride ? ? 284850
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan ? ? 279800
Left in the Dark: No One on Board ? ? 284890
Mind Snares: Alice's Journey ? ? 363330
Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart ? ? 259740
Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren`s Call ? ? 284790
Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones ? ? 284810
Queen's Quest: Tower of Darkness ? ? 390200
Steamworld Dig ? ? 252410
Time Mysteries: Inheritance - Remastered ? ? 350010
Time Mysteries 2: The Ancient Spectres ? ? 313650
Time Mysteries 3: The Final Enigma ? ? 319320

SEGA Emulator Games

The games on this list are run in an emulator and are therefore DRM-free.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
SEGA Mega Drive Classics Pack n/a n/a Pack includes: Altered Beast, Comix Zone, Crack Down, Ecco the Dolphin, Gain Ground, Golden Axe, Shadow Dancer, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master Space harrier II and Vectorman.
SEGA Mega Drive Classics Pack 2 n/a n/a Pack includes: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Bonanza Bros, Columns, Ecco Jr, Eternal Champions, Fatal Labyrinth, Galaxy Force II, Kid Chameleon, Ristar and Super Thunder Blade.
SEGA Mega Drive Classics Pack 3 n/a n/a Pack includes: Alien Storm, Bio-Hazard Battle, Columns III, Decap Attack, Ecco: The Tides of Time, ESWAT: City Under Siege, Flicky, Golden Axe II, Sword of Vermilion and Virtua Fighter 2.
SEGA Mega Drive Classics Pack 4 n/a n/a Pack includes: Alien Soldier, Gunstar Heroes, Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole, Light Crusader, Shining Force, Shining Force II, Streets of Rage, Streets of Rage 2 and Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair.
SEGA Genesis Classics Pack 5 n/a n/a Pack includes: Beyond Oasis, Dynamite Headdy, Golden Axe III, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom, Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium, Revenge of the Shinobi, Streets of Rage 3, Vectorman 2 and Wonder Boy in Monster World.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles n/a n/a
Sonic 3D Blast™ n/a n/a
Sonic Spinball™ n/a n/a
Sonic the Hedgehog n/a n/a
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 n/a n/a
ToeJam & Earl n/a n/a
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron n/a n/a

GFWL Offline Games

The games on this list do require Games for Windows - LIVE in order to be played. However, you can create an offline account (this requires no contact data and no internet connection) in order to play the game offline and on every machine that has the GFWL components installed on it.

Note: A full installation of GFWL is not required, only a few components are necessary for the games on this list. Despite a full installation of GFWL is not worse than a "partial" one. An example of an partial installation of GFWL for Mortal Kombat can be found here. Also, Steam will install GFWL at first launch of the game, so if a "partial" installation is wished, do not launch the game in Steam to finalise the installation.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Mortal Kombat Kollection n/a n/a

DRM-free game codes

The games on this list may have DRM, but you can get a DRM-free copy of the game legally from the developers, the publishers or in a sort of Promotion.

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Evochron Mercenary n/a n/a The "CD Key" from Steam can also be used on the stand-alone DRM free version that can be downloaded directly from the developer's site. The stand-alone version acts as a timed demo unless a Reference ID and a Key are entered. Right click the game in your Steam client and select view CD Key. The Product Code shown is the Reference ID and Key separated by a semicolon.
SpaceChem ? ? Download the installation files from the developer's site. Install the game and activate it with the key found in ~/Steam/SteamApps/common/SpaceChem/registration.key
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut ? n/a They have DRM, but you can use the CD key for a free DRM-free backup on GOG.com.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

? n/a
Don't Starve

Right click the game in your Steam Library, click View CD Key, then paste it behind the link 

https://www.humblebundle.com/s?key= [Your Key]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series n/a n/a Most CD keys that are provided when purchasing the game on steam can be redeemed at: http://www.gog.com/reclaim

However, not ALL keys will work. Most will though.

List of DRM-free software on Steam

Title Win Mac Lin Remark
Art Rage 4 ? ? n/a Steam requirements were removed in later updates.
Blender ?
Controller Companion n/a n/a DRM Free, Launch .exe from folder. Steam does not have to be running.
DisplayFusion n/a n/a DisplayFusion is standalone. Steam does not have to be running.
Portal 2 - The Final Hours ? n/a
You Need a Budget 4 n/a The license key from Steam can be used to turn the trial version from YNAB's official website here into the full version.

Sources

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