this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2024
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Which games from steam don't work? I've never had any issues at all and I have traveled internationally for years while playing my whole library. I think that might be something specific to some game and that game wouldn't be available on GOG anyways so it's a moot point. In other words games work or don't by their own stance on DRM, and I'm sorry to tell you but
That's a myth. They do allow DRM on their store, there's a huge thread discussing which games have DRM: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/drm_on_gog_list_of_singleplayer_games_with_drm/page1
And that's just focusing on SP, any MP game has DRM. So I'll ask again, which game didn't work on steam when traveling?
Note, if you actually look at that list you'll see it's a very loose interpretation of DRM. All of the games on that list work without any kind of phone-home security check, or unlock code, or anything like that. The list is stuff like "getting the DLC requires a third party account". It's definitely a list of things people don't like, but whether it is or isn't 'DRM' is not so clear cut.
GOG's official position is that the store doesn't allow DRM at all. They describe what they mean by DRM on that same page, and it sounds fairly reasonable; but its certainly understandable that some people would prefer a stricter set of rules.
You didn't scroll down the linked forum post, did you?
DEFCON - Linux: Game contacts a key verification server as described here. Win and Mac have offline executables that skip the verification. But under Linux there is no DRM-free offline executable.
F.E.A.R. - arguably a bug that stays unfixed. Securom remnants weren't removed and can cause the single player game not to start.
That's pretty DRM-y.
Yeah, but if you follow that DRM definition almost no game on Steam has DRM either.
Not the person you asked, but one game I had problems with on Steam that I did not on GOG was the OG Riven. It was still playable, but the various animations associated with pressing buttons and suchlike were completely broken. Very rare experience though and I have played many retro games on Steam.
Yeah a lot of retro games on GOG were fixed up with patches and stuff like that (often by GOG themselves) and sometimes regardless of any fixes applied, there are version disparities between the two platforms where usually the Steam versions is a slightly older release of an old no longer updated game compared to the GOG version though I’ve seen it happen the other way around, too.
Never heard of that game, but I can definitely believe it, old games are where GOG really shines. But that doesn't seem like a DRM thing, more like the game is abandoned on Steam but not on GOG, sometimes GOG patches some old games with their own runtime, curiously if that is the problem running the steam version on linux using proton (and especially proton-GE) is also very likely to work.
Well, that's not true either. I hate this trend of developers only relying on the platform-provided servers for multiplayer, but you have to find a game with LAN. That limits your selection a lot, but I for sure played Star Wars: Episode I - Racer from GOG in LAN without talking to their servers at all.
Sure, but those also are DRM free on Steam, so my point remains.
I can't say conclusively that every LAN game on GOG is DRM-free on Steam, but there are times where Steam's DRM has caused annoyances for me when trying to play offline on Steam Deck that I would not run into with side loaded GOG games, which I detailed in another comment here.
You can't also say conclusively that every LAN game on GOG is DRM-free on GOG either.
I read that other comment, that's an issue with the specific game. I've played dozens of games without connection and not putting it on offline mode, if that specific game tries to phone home on login that game is wrong. I wished Steam would have a DRM-free tag to be able to differentiate them easily.