Back up a DRM-free game as a self-contained preservation set: every installer part, patch, language or bonus file, a manifest, your save and configuration data, and a second copy on independent storage. Then verify the set by installing and launching it on an offline machine. GOG exposes dedicated offline backup installers, while itch.io provides transaction-specific downloads and an app that can operate offline, but neither archive can recreate a game server or an online-only service.
What a complete offline backup contains
A launcher download or a copied game folder is not automatically a restorable archive. Treat each title as a small software-release project and preserve all of the parts needed to identify, install, patch and play it.
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- Installer files: Download the complete set, including every numbered setup part, language pack, patch and bonus file that belongs to the release.
- An inventory: Record the storefront, exact title, edition, version or build date, target operating system and architecture, installer filenames, patch order, language choices, downloadable content and any serial or activation information supplied with the purchase.
- The installed directory: Preserve a copy when practical. The Museum of Play Digital Preservation Handbook recommends backing up the install directory because it may support future play if a storefront disappears.
- Personal data: Save games, configuration files, screenshots, mods and other user-created data must be copied separately; an installer archive does not include them automatically.
- Recovery notes: Document the installation sequence, prerequisites discovered during testing, and whether the title launches without a network connection.
Keep the original filenames. Renaming files can make a multi-part installer impossible to assemble later, and a manifest is useful only if it maps the recorded names to the files you actually stored.
Download the complete installer set
GOG: use the offline-backup option
Open the game in your GOG library on the website and select “DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS”. Download all necessary setup files, not merely the first executable shown. A large game may be split into several numbered installers; a title may also have separate patches, language files, bonus content or downloadable content.
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GOG’s developer documentation says offline installers are generated after a build is published. GOG describes its Galaxy client as optional and states that it hosts offline installers and bonus content on GOG.com. Its quality-assurance guidance requires games to be playable offline and without Galaxy and does not permit DRM. GOG’s developer documentation characterizes the design this way: we conceived GOG GALAXY as a completely optional and DRM-free experience.
- Open the purchased game’s library page in a browser.
- Choose DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS.
- Download every setup part shown for your operating system, plus listed patches, language packs, DLC and bonus files.
- Place the files in a title-specific folder without changing their names.
- Compare the downloaded filenames with your manifest before disconnecting from the internet.
A launcher cache is not a preservation plan: it may omit older builds, optional languages, bonus files or the installer parts required for a clean reinstall. Keep the browser-downloaded files as the authoritative archive.
itch.io: preserve the transaction download page and files
Each itch.io purchase has a unique download page listing the files included with that transaction. If you lose the link, itch.io can resend it by email. Save the page address in your manifest and download every compatible build, installer, archive, patch and extra that the transaction makes available.
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That is a description of many releases, not a guarantee that every file in every project is DRM-free or that online features will remain available.
- Open the purchase-specific download page and save its address with your manifest.
- Download all files offered for the operating systems and architectures you may use.
- If you use the itch app, note whether the game was installed through the app or copied manually; this determines whether scan-based re-import can identify it automatically.
- Store the downloaded files outside the app’s cache so the archive survives an app reinstall or account-access problem.
Make a manifest that can rebuild the game
Create a plain-text or spreadsheet manifest beside the installers. One row per file is more useful than a note saying only “Game backup.” Include:
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| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront and transaction | Storefront name, account identifier or purchase reference that you are allowed to retain, and the itch.io transaction page address when applicable | Identifies where the files came from if you later need a replacement download. |
| Title and edition | Exact product name, edition, DLC bundle and language | Prevents mixing files from standard, deluxe or regional releases. |
| Build information | Version number and build or release date shown by the storefront or installer | Lets you distinguish updates and reproduce a known working state. |
| File inventory | Every filename, extension and size; note numbered installer parts | Reveals a missing part before you need to reinstall. |
| Platform target | Operating system and architecture for each file set | Stops a Windows installer being mistaken for a macOS or Linux build. |
| Patch sequence | Which patch applies first and which build it expects | Some updates are cumulative; others require a particular base version. |
| Keys and dependencies | Any serial, activation information, runtime or redistributable supplied with the purchase | Documents requirements that may not be obvious from the game folder. |
| Verification notes | Install date, offline launch result, missing-runtime messages and the machine used for testing | Turns an untested file dump into a known recovery procedure. |
If your storage system supports checksums, record one for each installer and archive. A changed checksum tells you a file changed; it does not prove that the original was correct, so retain the source filename and version as well.
Back up the installed game, saves and settings separately
Installer archive versus installed directory
Installers are the reproducible source, but an installed directory can preserve a working state, older patches, bundled runtime files and modded content that a later installer may not reproduce. Copy the complete installed directory into a clearly labeled folder containing the title and build. Do not treat that copy as a substitute for the installers: a future operating system may require a fresh installation, and a copied directory may omit registry entries or runtimes.
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Locate the title’s save and configuration paths using its documentation or the developer’s support information. Copy those folders alongside the installer set, preserving their directory structure. Include local profiles, key bindings, screenshots and mod load orders when they affect the ability to resume a game. Cloud-only data is not present in an installer; export or copy it while the original installation can still access it.
Keep user data in a separate subfolder such as Saves-and-settings and date each snapshot. This prevents a later restore from silently overwriting a newer save with an older archive. If a title stores saves in more than one location, list every path in the manifest and restore them only after the base game launches.
Use two independent copies
Maintain at least two copies on different physical media. A practical arrangement is an external SSD or hard drive as the working archive and a second drive or write-once optical set as the independent copy. Keep one copy disconnected except during updates; a permanently attached backup can be damaged by the same accidental deletion, ransomware event or power problem that affects the main computer.
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| Storage choice | Best use | Trade-offs to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| External SSD | Fast restores and frequent updates | Portable and convenient, so protect it from loss and keep a second copy elsewhere. |
| External hard drive | Capacity-focused archive of large installers and installed directories | Mechanical hardware should be handled carefully and disconnected when idle. |
| Recordable optical discs | Write-once second copy that cannot be casually overwritten | Requires compatible discs and a USB optical drive; split large archives across labeled discs. |
Use a stable folder layout on both copies, for example Storefront/Title/Build/Installers, Installed, Saves-and-settings and Manifest. Label each physical device and note its location. Update both copies whenever you add a new build, but reconnect the offline copy only for the controlled update and verification.
Verify a restore before you need it
A backup that has never been restored is an assumption. Test the complete procedure on an offline test machine, a separate user account or a separate folder so you cannot overwrite the working installation.
- Disconnect the test environment. Disable network access before starting. This reveals whether the game or installer is relying on an online check.
- Read the manifest. Confirm that every required installer part, patch, language pack and DLC file is present and that the target operating system matches.
- Install the base build. Run the archived installer from local storage and record any request for a serial, runtime or elevated permission.
- Apply patches in order. Use the sequence documented in the manifest; do not assume the newest patch can be applied directly to every base build.
- Restore user data. Copy saves and configuration files only after the game creates its expected folders. Preserve a test save before replacing anything.
- Launch offline. Start the game, load a save, open any locally installed DLC and confirm that the main menus and essential controls work without a network.
- Record failures. Write down missing runtime names, error text, unsupported operating-system messages and features that require a server. A failed test is useful evidence for improving the archive.
- Repack the verified set. Add the successful installation date, tested build and recovery notes to both copies.
Testing in a separate folder also exposes hidden dependencies. A game may be DRM-free yet still expect an operating-system component, a bundled runtime, a controller driver or a service that is no longer available. Record what is required rather than implying that “DRM-free” means “works on every future computer.”
GOG and itch.io compared for offline preservation
| Criterion | GOG | itch.io |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone installers | Provides a DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS option; download all necessary setup files. | Each purchase has a unique download page containing the files included with that transaction. |
| Launcher after download | Galaxy is documented as optional; GOG’s quality guidance requires offline play without Galaxy. | The app can show compatible downloads and work offline, but manually downloaded folders may not be recognized automatically. |
| Operating-system and architecture coverage | Varies by title; record the operating-system targets shown for each installer. | Varies by project; the purchase page lists the compatible files. No universal coverage is stated. |
| Patches and DLC packaging | Download every setup part, patch, language pack and bonus file offered for the title. | Download every file exposed by the transaction page, including separate builds, patches or extras when supplied. |
| Save portability | Save locations are title-specific and are not automatically included in installers. | Save locations are title-specific and are not automatically included in downloaded files or app data. |
| Online and third-party dependencies | Offline installers support the documented offline experience, but servers, multiplayer and external dependencies remain title-specific. | Many releases include DRM-free builds, but online services and project-specific dependencies may still be required. |
The table describes storefront mechanisms, not a guarantee for every individual game. The title’s own installer, documentation and restore test determine what your archive can actually do.
What DRM-free does—and does not—preserve
For this purpose, DRM-free means the executable does not require the storefront client for the supported offline experience. It does not mean that every feature is local, that the software will run on an unreleased operating system, or that a deleted service can be reconstructed from files on a drive.
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- Usually preserved: the local executable, assets, installers and any included single-player content that launches without a client or network.
- Not recreated by an installer: matchmaking, leaderboards, account servers, authentication endpoints, hosted worlds, web-backed inventories and other services that live outside the game files.
- Still variable: third-party runtimes, operating-system components, hardware drivers, external launchers, multiplayer peers and title-specific activation requirements.
When an online feature is important, document its dependency separately instead of promising future offline access. A preservation archive can keep the client and local content while the service itself may eventually be unavailable.
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The installer stops and asks for another file
Check the manifest for numbered setup parts and confirm that every part is in the same folder with its original filename. Re-download the missing part from the storefront while it is still available, then update both independent copies and repeat the restore test.
The game launches only when the launcher is installed
Test the official offline installer rather than a launcher cache. If the title still requires a client, record that limitation. Some games include optional integrations while others have a real third-party dependency; do not remove files at random because you may create an invalid installation.
The itch app does not find a restored folder
Determine whether the original installation was made by the app. A manually downloaded folder may lack the .itch metadata used for automatic detection. Re-import it through the app’s scan feature when possible, or launch the files directly and keep the independent archive regardless of app recognition.
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The game starts but the save is missing
Restore the separately archived save and configuration folders to the title-specific locations recorded in your manifest. Verify that the restored user account has permission to read and write them, then launch again. Do not overwrite the only copy of a newer save during this process.
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An online feature fails during an offline test
Classify the failure as a service dependency rather than corrupted installers. Confirm that local or single-player modes work, record the unavailable feature and preserve any local data associated with it. No installer can recreate a server that is no longer operating.
Maintain the archive over time
When a storefront publishes a new build, do not overwrite the verified archive immediately. Create a new build folder, download its complete installer set, update the manifest and test it offline. Keep the older verified build until the replacement passes the same procedure; older versions can be valuable when a patch removes compatibility or changes mod support.
Review the archive periodically for readable media, intact filenames and a working restore path. Open each physical copy only long enough to inspect or update it, and keep the disconnected copy in a separate location. If you migrate to new storage, copy the entire title folder—including manifest, installed directory and saves—then perform a restore test from the new device before retiring the old one.
A practical folder layout
A consistent layout makes a future reinstall self-explanatory:
Storefront/
Title - Edition/
Build-identifier/
Installers/
Patches-and-DLC/
Installed-directory/
Saves-and-settings/
Manifest.txt
Restore-notes.txtUse the exact build identifier and date shown by the installer or storefront. If a title has multiple operating-system builds, place each in a clearly named subfolder and list the tested one in Restore-notes.txt. This structure is simple enough for a hard drive, SSD or set of labeled optical discs and does not depend on a particular launcher remaining available.
When this method is the right choice
Build a full archive when you own a game you may want to replay after a storefront changes, when your internet access is unreliable, or when a title has a large download that would be difficult to reproduce. For a game that is entirely server-side, an installer backup can preserve only the client and whatever local content exists; preserve screenshots, configuration and any locally exportable data as complementary records rather than treating them as a complete substitute for the service.
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