The safest offline backup is a complete, local archive: every GOG offline installer part, patch, DLC and bonus file, plus your saves and any required runtimes or configuration files. In your GOG account library, open the game and choose DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS. Keep all downloaded parts together, make multiple copies using the 3-2-1 rule, and test a clean installation with the network disabled.
GOG Galaxy is optional for DRM-free single-player play. You can install and launch a compatible game locally without Galaxy authentication or an Internet connection, but multiplayer, friends, leaderboards and other online-only features still require connectivity.
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What DRM-free means for offline play
“DRM-free” means the game does not require a copy-protection check before it runs. GOG’s developer documentation says DRM-free releases should work regardless of Galaxy authentication, whether the Galaxy client is installed, or whether an Internet connection is available. That promise applies to the game’s local executable and does not turn online services into offline features.
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A single-player campaign, local settings and a locally stored save can generally be used from an offline installation. Network-dependent functions remain exceptions: online multiplayer, matchmaking, friends lists, cloud saves, leaderboards, achievements that require a service, and any game server the developer still operates. Plan your archive around the part of the game that must function without a network.
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Offline access also depends on having the whole install set. A shortcut, a partial download or a copy of only the game’s installation directory may omit the installer, a language pack, downloadable content, a patch or a runtime. Those omissions become a problem when the original download is no longer available.
Build a complete backup from your GOG account
Download the offline installers
- Sign in to your GOG account in a web browser and open your library.
- Select the game you want to preserve.
- Choose DOWNLOAD OFFLINE BACKUP GAME INSTALLERS, rather than relying only on the Galaxy client.
- Download every setup file shown for the game. This can include a main executable, numbered installer parts, language files, patches, DLC installers and bonus-content archives.
- Wait for each file to finish and confirm that the files are present before moving them to archival storage.
Numbered files are one installation set, not separate games. Keep them in one folder and do not rename their extensions or alter the numbering. The installer normally expects the parts to be in the same directory; separating them can produce a missing-part error during setup.
Preserve a known version
Create a small text file beside the installers with the game title, edition, version or build number shown by the store, download date and the name of each downloaded file. If GOG later replaces the offline set with a newer build, keep the original archive when you need to reproduce a known version for compatibility with an old save or mod. Download the newer set as an additional archive instead of overwriting the only copy.
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Check the game’s download list for every expansion and language option you purchased. A base-game installer is not a complete backup of an edition that includes DLC. Bonus soundtracks, manuals and artwork are not required to launch the game, but storing them with the release preserves what you bought and makes the archive easier to identify.
Copy local saves
Cloud synchronization is not a substitute for a local save archive. Find the game’s save folder using its documentation or support page, then copy the saves while the game is closed so that the latest file is not still being written. Preserve the folder structure and record which profile or character each save belongs to. If a game has separate configuration, key-binding or controller files that matter to your setup, include those as well.
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Do not assume every game stores saves in the same place. Some use a user-profile directory, some use a documents folder and some keep data beside the installation. Check for more than one profile or slot and copy the complete save directory rather than selecting a single file whose purpose is unclear.
Save dependencies and permitted modifications
GOG’s quality-assurance guidance says offline installers package required Windows redistributables for the game. Preserve those redistributable installers when they are included, because a future Windows installation may not have them. The Digital Preservation Handbook also recommends saving additional software dependencies with the game. Record any runtime, patch, codec, controller driver or compatibility setting that the game needed during your last successful launch.
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Organize the archive so it can be restored
Use one top-level folder per game and edition. A practical layout is:
Game title - edition - version - YYYY-MM-DD/
Installers/
Patches/
DLC/
Bonus content/
Saves/
Config and notes/
Mods (if permitted)/Keep the installer files together inside Installers, including all numbered parts. Put the text record in Config and notes and list the download date, version, language, DLC, save location, required runtimes, last successful offline test and any known launch options. This turns a pile of files into a recoverable package that someone can understand years later.
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For large libraries, use a consistent folder name and a simple inventory spreadsheet or text index. Record the archive’s total size and the storage locations of its copies. If your backup software supports checksums, generate one for each installer or for a compressed archive and keep the results in the notes. A checksum can reveal accidental corruption even when a file still appears to open normally.
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Choose storage for the role it must perform
| Medium | Strengths | Limitations and handling | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| External hard disk drive | Low cost per terabyte and practical for a large library. | Mechanical parts are vulnerable to shock and wear. Keep it disconnected between backup sessions and handle it carefully. | Primary offline archive or one of the two local backup copies. |
| Portable solid-state drive | Fast, quiet and more resistant to movement than a mechanical drive. | Usually costs more per terabyte; it still needs regular integrity checks and safe storage. | Frequently updated archive or a portable recovery drive. |
| Cloud storage | Provides an off-site copy and may offer version history. | Restoring requires Internet access. Security, retention, account access and regional availability vary by provider. | Off-site copy in a 3-2-1 plan, not the only offline source. |
| Optical discs | Can serve as cold storage without remaining connected to a computer. | Capacity is limited, long-term readability varies and every disc must be verified after writing. | Smaller archives or a supplementary cold copy. |
Use an external drive for the practical bulk of a modern game library, but do not treat any one device as permanent. Drives can fail, be lost or be encrypted by malware while attached. Label the device, keep it in a dry, stable place and disconnect it when the backup job is complete. CISA recommends encrypting removable media, especially when it contains personal information or account data.
Apply the 3-2-1 backup rule
The 3-2-1 rule gives an archive several independent ways to survive. CISA’s guidance defines it as three copies of the data, on two different media types, with one copy stored off-site. The numbers are a resilience target, not a promise that a game will remain compatible with every future computer.
- Three copies: retain the working library or primary archive and two additional backups.
- Two media types: combine, for example, an external drive with a cloud copy or optical media so one failure mode does not destroy every copy.
- One off-site copy: keep a copy outside your home or primary facility, such as a vetted cloud service or a drive stored at another location.
A practical arrangement is the original computer or primary archive, a disconnected external HDD or SSD, and an encrypted off-site copy. If the cloud copy is your only off-site option, verify its retention policy and maintain access to the account needed for restoration. Cloud storage cannot provide an immediate offline reinstall, so retain at least one complete local installer set.
Install and play without the Internet
Prepare the offline computer
- Disconnect the computer from Wi-Fi and unplug Ethernet, or disable its network adapter.
- Copy the complete game folder from the external archive to a local drive. Do not run the installer directly from a removable drive if you can avoid it; a local working copy reduces interruptions if the drive is disconnected.
- Open the installer folder and confirm that every numbered part and required language or DLC file is present.
- Run the main setup executable locally and install the game to a location with sufficient free space.
- Install any redistributables or other dependencies included with the offline package when the installer requests them.
- Apply the archived patch that matches your chosen version. Keep the original installer untouched so you can repeat the process.
- Launch the game from its installed executable or shortcut, select its single-player or local mode, and load a restored save.
Galaxy is not required for a DRM-free single-player launch. If the game presents an online-service prompt, cancel it and choose its local mode where available. A prompt for authentication can indicate that you are trying to start an online feature, not that the DRM-free offline executable is invalid.
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Restore saves safely
Launch the freshly installed game once before replacing its save directory. This creates the expected folders and confirms that the executable works. Exit the game, make a temporary copy of the newly created folder, then place the archived saves into the correct profile location. Start the game again and verify the expected character, campaign or slot. Keeping the temporary folder gives you a way back if an old save uses a different version or profile format.
Test the backup before it becomes an emergency
A backup is only useful if it can be restored. CISA recommends regularly testing backup availability and integrity. Schedule a recovery test after the first archive and repeat it when you replace installers, move storage or update the operating system.
- Select one representative game, preferably one with DLC, multiple installer parts or a mod-free baseline.
- Use a spare partition, secondary computer or clearly separated test folder so you do not overwrite your working installation.
- Disable the network before installation.
- Install from the archived files, including the saved redistributables and the intended patch.
- Launch the single-player mode, create or load a save and exit normally.
- Re-enable the network only after recording the result and any missing dependency.
Write the test date and result in the game’s notes. If the test fails, record the exact symptom: missing installer part, runtime error, black screen, controller failure, absent save or an online-only prompt. That detail tells you whether to replace a corrupt file, add a dependency, restore a different patch level or accept that a particular feature cannot work offline.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common failure points and recovery steps
The installer says a part is missing
Move all numbered setup files into one folder and check that their names and extensions are unchanged. Re-download the missing or corrupted part from the GOG browser library and compare its size with the original record. Do not rename a part to make numbering appear continuous; the installer relies on its expected filename.
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The game asks for Galaxy or a sign-in
Confirm that you launched the offline installer’s executable, not a web shortcut or a Galaxy-only entry. Start the game with the network disabled and choose single-player or local mode. If only an online mode is available, that feature is not part of the DRM-free offline capability.
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The game launches but a save is absent
Close the game, check that you copied the complete profile directory and verify the edition and patch level. A save created by a newer build may not load in an older build. Restore the archived version that matches the save, or keep the newer installer set as a separate archive.
A runtime or driver is missing
Review the notes and the redistributables included with the installer. Install the archived dependency locally and repeat the test. Drivers and operating-system components can change over time, so document the last environment in which the game worked and keep a clean, unmodified copy for troubleshooting.
The archive itself is damaged
Restore from another 3-2-1 copy instead of repeatedly copying the same damaged file. If checksums are available, compare them with the values in your archive notes. Replace the failed storage device and update every copy after verifying the recovered files.
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Saving an installer protects you from losing access to a download, but it cannot guarantee that every future operating system, graphics driver, controller, launcher dependency or online service will remain compatible. The Museum of Play handbook recommends backing up the installation directory for DRM-free versions and preserving additional software needed to run the game. That is why an archive should include dependencies, patches, configuration notes and a record of the last successful test, not just the main executable.
Some online services may shut down even while the local campaign remains playable. Conversely, a future operating-system update can break an old executable even though the installer is intact. Keep the original version, avoid overwriting a known-good archive, and consider maintaining an older offline test environment when a game is especially important to you. An archive preserves the files and the information needed to attempt recovery; it does not freeze the surrounding technology.
Maintain the archive over time
- Review the GOG library periodically for updated offline installer sets, patches or newly purchased DLC.
- Download updates into a new versioned folder and keep the original set when you need historical compatibility.
- Copy changed saves after important play sessions rather than waiting for a full-library backup.
- Reconnect the external backup drive only during a controlled backup or recovery session, then eject it and disconnect it.
- Check that the off-site copy still exists, can be downloaded and is covered by the provider’s current retention terms.
- Repeat an offline installation test at a sensible interval and after major operating-system changes.
- Update the archive notes with runtimes, patches, controller requirements, mods and the date of the last successful launch.
With the complete installer set, local saves, dependencies, multiple storage copies and a tested recovery procedure, a DRM-free PC game can remain playable even when the Internet, Galaxy or a store service is unavailable. Online functions remain dependent on their servers, but the single-player software you archived is ready to install locally.
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