Playing offline PC games is one of my favorite things to do for several reasons. One, you can just disconnect from the real world and dive into a new, way more exciting one. Two, it’s so practical for when your internet is spotty (which mine is, too often). Plus if you have a Steam Deck you can play them on the go when you’re stuck in a car or a plane with no WiFi for hours (or when your power goes out, which also happens).
Unfortunately, a lot of games today sort of force you to be online for some god-forsaken reason. And almost every game that promises to be offline makes you connect for at least some amount of time.
And I got so tired of all of this that I decided to find some games you can actually (really, truly) play without WiFi. All of these have been personally tested by me, and I can confirm they work.
Quick Overview of My Favorite Offline Games for PC
If you don’t have time to read through the list, here are one-sentence overviews that can help you choose. And if any of the games on the quick list spark your interest, you can click on the link to skip forward to it without having to scroll.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 — The most epic game ever made (if you ask me); hundreds of hours fully offline, amazing story, 10/10, would recommend.
- GTA V — The icon, the legend. If you haven’t played it yet, what are you doing? (waiting for GTA 6?)
- Detroit: Become Human — Explore your own morality in a world where androids exist. It’s like a movie where you make the choices.
- Hollow Knight & Silksong — I don’t know which of these is harder, but both will give you a headache and you’ll say thank you.
- Fields of Mistria — The best cozy game you can play offline right now, so much fun, so lovely to play.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 — Best if you want an amazing open world, and to be a cowboy (howdy!)
- Subnautica — Starts as a relaxing exploration adventure, turns into horror so quickly.
- Witcher 3 — I mean… it’s lauded as one of the best games ever for a reason.
- Windrose — A perfect pirate game (sandbox survival, open world, so much fun!)
- Hogwarts Legacy — Be a wizard for more than 100 hours and explore the exciting world of Hogwarts.
- Hades — Genuinely one of the most fun games ever made.
- Crimson Desert — Amazing open world, beautiful graphics, such a great game (but needs a higher-end device).
- Black Myth Wukong — This one is super hard but beautiful.
- Celeste — Don’t let the pastel aesthetics and pixel art fool you, this one is hard as well.
- Palworld — Play if you want a large sandbox survival world and creature collecting
- Stardew Valley — The queen of cozy, the game everyone and their mum is playing. Give it a go if you want some relaxing fun!
- Frostpunk — Another game that will make you question your own morality, this time in a frozen wasteland.
- V Rising — A fun sandbox where you play a vampire that cannot be in the sunlight.
- Dragonsword: Awakening — Play this if you like gacha games but want a version of gacha games that just gives stuff away for free.
- Balatro — Poker but with a twist.
- Vampire Survivors — Pure chaos, but loveable.
- Megabonk — New indie that you need to try.
Note: This list is updated periodically to add new games or remove some that are no longer playable (or good) offline. The most recent update (September 16, 2026) added Fields of Mistria, Red Dead Redemption 2, Windrose, and other games we played recently. Because I’m a one-man team (with the occasional help from my wife), I can’t test all the games in the world, but we do our best. If you have recommendations, drop them in the comments below and I can give your rec a try!
Baldur’s Gate 3
| Genre | RPG, Turn-Based, Choices Matter, Good Story |
| Est. Playtime | Anywhere between 80 and 150 hours, but you can play multiple times (each gameplay is different) |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it without Steam (if you have the Steam edition); no achievements |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (available on GOG) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, I played it fully on Steam Deck and it worked fine (with the caveat that the graphics, obviously, aren’t like they are on PC) |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | I haven’t tried, but considering it worked on Steam Deck, it shouldn’t have any issues other than the lower graphics |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a good RPG, a good story and tons of gameplay |
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a no-brainer. You get 150+ hours of content (and more, if you want to take your time and maybe play it multiple times in different ways, like we perfectly sane people do), most of which you can play entirely offline.
Each choice brings a different element to it, so it’s not like you’ll run out of stuff to do. But keep in mind that it’s a big game, so it’ll take a while to download (duh), and it’ll take more time to load at first. It won’t save your progress to the cloud, which is expected, but you shouldn’t have any problems playing it fully offline.
Want more details about this game? Check out my full review of Baldur’s Gate 3.
And if you played this game already, I picked some great games like BG3 here.
Grand Theft Auto V
| Genre | Action-adventure, open world, crime |
| Est. Playtime | 50 to 100+ hours in story mode |
| Offline mode | Fully offline after a one-time launch connection (in-game radio updates and achievements won’t work) |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | No |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, this is an older game so it will likely work fine on lower-end devices |
| Best For | Anyone who wants to try a legendary open-world crime game |
An oldie, but a goldie, Grand Theft Auto V is probably one of the best offline games for PC out there. Just like BG3, there’s tons of stuff you can do, all without a lick of WiFi. Keep in mind that some features won’t work like the in-game radio updates or the achievements, but it’s not really that big of a deal.
And you’ll need a one-time connection when launching (there’s no DRM-free version to my knowledge, so you’ll have to launch it through Steam or Rockstar). But yeah, go offline with GTA V and you’ll never be bored again.
Want to know more about this game? Check out my full review of Grand Theft Auto V.
Played it already but want something similar? Try some games like GTA V!
Detroit: Become Human
| Genre | Narrative game, choices matter, interactive movie |
| Est. Playtime | 15 to 25 hours per playthrough |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it |
| DRM-Free? | ⚠ (not DRM-free, Denuvo free instead on Steam) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | You can play it but the graphics won’t be as good as they would be on PC |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, but prepare for lower graphics |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a good RPG, a good story and tons of gameplay |
Detroit: Become Human is a fantastic game, and a great option if you don’t feel like doing a lot, but still want to play. It’s more like an interactive movie where you make the choices and watch what happens and I loved it (though I was stressed out throughout and just wanted the best for my pal androids, but I kept making bad choices).
I’d argue that playing it offline is even better than playing it online, because you can see other people’s choices if you connect and that might influence your own. But if you just do whatever you feel is best, you’ll get a unique experience, and that, in my opinion, is the best way to experience it. Even if some of your choices may lead to tragic outcomes. Make sure that you’re connected for an initial patch download, and you’re good to go.
Want to know more about this game? Check out my full review of Detroit: Become Human.
Hollow Knight & Silksong
| Genre | Souls-like, metroidvania, platformer, very difficult |
| Est. Playtime | 40–60+ but that all depends on how hard you find it |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it, no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (DRM-free on GOG, not on Steam, but you can still play offline) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, very much so |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, this can run on anything |
| Best For | Anyone who wants something really challenging but beautiful |
Hollow Knight and Silksong are excellent games to play offline because a) they don’t ask for any WiFi, like ever, and b) they’re so challenging, you won’t finish them quickly, but they’re really tiny in size, so you can download them both in like less then an hour, even on crappy WiFi.
You can run them on practically any PC/laptop/handheld and you won’t have any issues. So, if you’re looking for offline games because you need to travel or you have bad internet speeds, these are your best bet. It took me so long to beat Hollow Knight that it’s embarrassing, but beat it I did, and you will too.
Want to know more about these games? Check out my full review of Hollow Knight here, and my full review of Silksong here.
Fields of Mistria
| Genre | Cozy, life sim, farming |
| Est. Playtime | 100+ but you can play it indefinitely |
| Offline mode | Yes, I had no issues launching offline |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, I played it and it works like a dream |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, I first played this on my work laptop (which sucks and wheezes) and not a single bug happened |
| Best For | Anyone who wants something cozy, relaxing but still very engaging |
Fields of Mistria is a new discovery for me and I was so surprised how good this game really is. If you like cozy games, I wholeheartedly recommend this one, but even if you don’t, this is one of the best intros to the genre. There’s tons of stuff to do all the time so you’ll never be bored, but you can also play it in a more sandbox-y way by doing whatever you like best.
There’s farming, cooking, fishing, mining (which involves spells and fighting monsters), diving, archaeology, making friends with townsfolk, romancing single people, and so much more. Just give it a try, you won’t regret it.
For more info on this game, you can check out my full Fields of Mistria review here.
Red Dead Redemption 2
| Genre | RPG, Open World, Wild West |
| Est. Playtime | 40 to 150 hours but you can play it even more, just depends on how much you want to play |
| Offline mode | Yes, I had no issues launching offline |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | I don’t know if I would recommend it because of the graphics |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Probably yes, this is an older game so the hardware shouldn’t matter |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a really gorgeous open world to explore, and lots to do |
Red Dead Redemption 2 is another legendary game that you can and should play. It took me way too long to give it a go, but once I did, I couldn’t stop playing it. Well, to be fair, I was a little bored in the beginning but then it hooked me fully. You play as Arthur Morgan who’s on the run with his gang. There are a bunch of missions to do and lots of mini-games, so you won’t run out of things to do soon.
For more thoughts and details, check out my full review of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Subnautica
| Genre | Sci-fi, exploration, horror |
| Est. Playtime | 30 to 50 hours of gameplay |
| Offline mode | Yes, I had no issues launching offline |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, it’s actually kind of perfect on Steam Deck |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, you shouldn’t have any issues |
| Best For | Anyone who wants something with free exploration but also a touch of horror (not too much though) |
Subnautica starts out like a nice little underwater adventure, but it quickly devolves into alien horror. If that’s your speed, then I highly recommend (though it kind of made me break my no-horror rule; joke’s on me for not researching more before playing).
You can easily find a DRM-free version, which means you can play it without WiFi fully, and it’s a great choice for travelling or spotty internet areas. You get a ton of gameplay (exploration of underwater ecosystems) and you can play it (just like Hollow Knight and Silksong) on practically anything.
See my full review of Subnautica here.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
| Genre | RPG, adventure, storyline, fantasy |
| Est. Playtime | 100+ hours of gameplay |
| Offline mode | Yeah, you’ll have no issues, just launch it and play |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (Yes, on GOG) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | With newer graphics, probably not the best choice, but I think it could work |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | If you don’t get the upgrade, then yes, but with better graphics comes more laptop/PC wheezing and more random shutdowns |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a wonderful open world, a legendary fantasy game |
If you want a classic, long, engaging RPG adventure The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is your best bet. And there’s no better game to play than this if you’re excited for The Witcher 4. You can play it fully offline, including the expansions, without needing to be connected ever (just disable cloud saves).
There’s a 100+ hours of content waiting for you, so dive in! It’s one of my favorite games ever, and probably one of those that had a lasting impact on my brain. And if you already played this game and own it, you should know that you can get a free next-gen upgrade right now, which warrants at least one more playthrough.
See my full review of The Witcher 3 here!
Windrose
| Genre | RPG, adventure, survival, pirate game |
| Est. Playtime | 50 to 70 hours of gameplay |
| Offline mode | You can play solo offline, no issues or connection needed to launch |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | No, I think it would lag a lot and the graphics loss might not be worth it |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | You probably could, it just won’t run all that well, unfortunately |
| Best For | Anyone who craves a really good pirate game |
Windrose is a pirate game that we’ve all been waiting for. It has an amazing open world and it’s sandbox so you can pretty much do whatever you want. You end up on a deserted island from where you have to build a ship, find a crew, fight to get revenge on your enemies and you know, do all those fun things pirates do. I had so much fun with this game and I hope you will too!
Check out my Windrose review if you want more details about it!
Hogwarts Legacy
| Genre | RPG, Open World, Adventure |
| Est. Playtime | 100+ hours of gameplay |
| Offline mode | You’ll need to be connected to open it, but then you can disconnect and play with no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Not quite, I wouldn’t recommend it |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Same as with Steam Deck, not something I’d recommend |
| Best For | Anyone who always wanted to be a wizard at Hogwarts |
Playing Hogwarts Legacy will give you the warm, fuzzy feeling of playing Chamber of Secrets or Order of The Phoenix after school (ahem, am I revealing my advanced age here?) but in a completely new way.
I loved sinking into this world again, and especially getting to be a Hogwarts student in my own right this time. Just install it and patch it and you’ll be good to go sans WiFi (and sans achievements, but who cares).
See my Hogwarts Legacy review here!
And if you played this already but want more of the same world, try these amazing Harry Potter games.
Hades
| Genre | Action roguelike, hack and slash, roguelite |
| Est. Playtime | Depends on how long it takes you to get through all levels, but around 30 to 60 |
| Offline mode | Yes, no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, I actually played it on Steam Deck and it was amazing |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, it’ll work no problem |
| Best For | Anyone who wants something supremely satisfying to play with a good sense of humor |
Ooh, Hades is such a good game. It’s so clicky and satisfying, I have no better way to explain it. Plus, it’s undeniably charming and funny. So, top marks from me.
You play the game as Zagreus, son of Hades, who wants to get out of the Underworld with the dubious help of other gods. You meet a ton of fun characters and get to die repeatedly in randomly generated dungeons, but I never got too angry or stressed about it (like I often did in Hollow Knight). Just install it, and enjoy (no WiFi needed).
See my full review of Hades here.
Crimson Desert
| Genre | RPG, open world, exploration, adventure |
| Est. Playtime | Easily 100+ hours of gameplay |
| Offline mode | Yes, but you have to be connected to launch it |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | No, it’s a big game with demanding graphics, it won’t work on Steam Deck |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | No, I wouldn’t recommend it; I first played it on my old PC and even when I could load it up, the graphics were bad (when I tried it on my new PC it was a revelation) |
| Best For | Anyone who wants an epic, beautiful open-world RPG that’s newer and more recent |
Crimson Desert took over my life for a little while there. You play as Kliff, who was/is a highly respected member of a wiped out faction, and who now travels alone. He does a bunch of things, and there’s really so many things to do that you won’t be able to stop playing. There are puzzles, quests and missions, and all of that set in a really beautiful world. As I mentioned above, I first played it on my old PC which almost died when I first started it up and the graphics really didn’t look all that good, but then I actually bought a new PC and let me tell you, the difference is noticeable. It might as well be a different game (so keep that in mind).
See my full thoughts on Crimson Desert here.
Black Myth Wukong
| Genre | Soulslike, RPG, action-adventure |
| Est. Playtime | Similarly to other hard games, depends on how good you are, but around 40 to 60 hours |
| Offline mode | Yes, no issues after initial connection |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | I wouldn’t recommend it simply because of the graphics |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Same as with the Steam Deck, I wouldn’t recommend it |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a really hard RPG with more fighting and less narrative |
I know what you’re thinking — yet another single-player RPG. But hear me out, Black Myth: Wukong is a different breed. It took me, I kid you not, around 50 attempts to kill a single boss.
So, if you’re up for some frustration (but also immense satisfaction once you finally figure it out), this game is it. Just like with many of these other titles, just make sure you’re connected at launch and then die via tiger-man to your heart’s content.
See my full review of Black Myth: Wukong here!
Celeste
| Genre | Precision platformer, difficult, 2D graphics |
| Est. Playtime | 10 to 25 (but it might take more depending on how well it goes for you) |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch offline and that’s it |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (yes, on itch.io) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Very much so, that’s where I played it |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, no problem at all, it’s very undemanding technically |
| Best For | Anyone who wants an emotional story in a very hard game |
Celeste is another one of those games that looks adorable… until you start playing. But putting aside how hard it is to beat at times, it carries a beautiful, powerful story of leading a girl through stages of grief, complete with matching aesthetics for each.
And it’s fully offline once you install it, plus it can work on practically anything, even old crappy laptops.
See my Celeste review for more information about this game!
Palworld
| Genre | Sandbox, survival, RPG, creature collector |
| Est. Playtime | I mean, pretty much unlimited as long as you’re enjoying it |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch offline and that’s it (single player offline, that is, you can’t do co-op obviously) |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Not really, it would have issues |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yeah, it won’t have any problem running on lower-end or older devices |
| Best For | Anyone who wants a creature collector game with survival and sandbox elements, plus anyone who wants a game they can play for a long while |
Palworld came out a few years ago on early access and I played it back then for a while. But now that it’s in 1.0, it’s improved so much that it’s practically a different game, and an awesome one at that. You can collect these creatures called pals that each do a different thing. So you can catch them and then set them to work while also caring for them and exploring the world. Fair warning, other people might find you and kill you but not if you play fully offline, which is great.
See my full review of Palworld here! I also have a guide to best Pals to get first, and more guides if you keep exploring.
Stardew Valley
| Genre | Cozy life sim, country life |
| Est. Playtime | 100+ (but infinitely, really, until you get bored) |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch offline and that’s it |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (yes, on GOG) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes! It works wonderfully on Steam Deck |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, definitely, it can run on practically anything |
| Best For | Anyone who loves cozy games and wants something slow and charming |
I was so stubborn about playing Stardew Valley for so long, it’s actually embarrassing now. But it’s genuinely one of the best values for your money, and one of the best offline games on this list. There’s so much to do, so much to try, so many different ways to play it. You can mine and fight monsters, build a nice little farm, fish and forage, suck up to villagers, and spend your time basically however you like. And none of it requires any WiFi, unless you do mods or there’s an update.
Check out my full review of Stardew Valley here! And if you’re not sure where to play it, I have a Stardew PC vs. Mobile comparison here (because it’s cheaper on mobile).
Played this game already? Well then, I refer you to Fields of Mistria above, or if not that, then some of these amazing games like Stardew Valley.
Frostpunk
| Genre | Survival, decisions matter, crafting |
| Est. Playtime | 25 to 50 per scenario (unless you kill everyone immediately) |
| Offline mode | Yes, doesn’t need WiFi even for launch |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (yes, on GOG) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | No, I wouldn’t recommend it, I had trouble getting the controls right |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yeah, I actually ended up playing it on my old laptop when the Steam Deck version wouldn’t work |
| Best For | Anyone who likes survival games and wants real stakes |
Frostpunk gave me so much anxiety but it was so worth it. Your job is to keep a colony of humans survive in a frozen wasteland. Seems easy when you say it, but there are iffy laws you have to proclaim, and so many choices, none of them easy. I won’t lie, I failed quickly on my first playthrough. But I did much better on the second. But see what I mean — you can play it so many times in so many different ways. Give it a go! It’s fully offline, and there’s even a DRM-free version.
See my full review of Frostpunk here!
V Rising
| Genre | Survival, sandbox, vampires, RPG |
| Est. Playtime | 50 to 100+ (depends on how much fun you find it) |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it, no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, I actually played it on Steam Deck (see photo above) |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | I think so, if I didn’t have any issues on Steam Deck, you won’t either on something else |
| Best For | Anyone who likes sandbox survival games, this is one of the best |
V Rising is my dream vampire game. I loved sucking people dry of their blood, I won’t lie. And I disliked that I couldn’t walk in sunlight, I won’t lie either.
Aside from fighting though bosses (and bears), you get to do a bunch of stuff like crafting, creating your ultimate Dracula castle, murdering villagers, etc. I feel like it was imagined as a multiplayer experience but I played it fully solo, on a private game server, and it didn’t require any WiFi. I feel like this game is so underrated, it’s criminal.
If you want to know more about this game, check out my V Rising review here!
Dragonsword: Awakening
| Genre | JRPG, Adventure, Open World |
| Est. Playtime | 30+ hours though there’s always content |
| Offline mode | Yes, you don’t even need WiFi to launch it |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | I haven’t tried it, but just for the graphics, maybe not |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Maybe, as long as your device has an SSD it should be fine |
| Best For | Anyone who likes Genshin Impact or gacha games but wants to get stuff for free |
If you normally play gacha games or just maybe Genshin Impact, but want something you can play fully offline, and maybe something that’s not really gacha, this is your game. Dragonsword surprised me so much because it was imagined as a gacha game (as in, take your money for bad RNG) but then they just… didn’t add those elements. So now you get all those characters for free, all the weapons and stuff you’d normally have to pull for, in this game you get them without any trouble. It’s awesome and confusing and I highly recommend it if you want something like that. And for those of you who are healthy of mind and never even heard of a gacha game, think of Dragonsword like an anime game or a JRPG.
See my full Dragonsword: Awakening review here.
Balatro
| Genre | Card game, deckbuilding, roguelite |
| Est. Playtime | 5 to 10 minutes per session |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it, no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ❌ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yeah, you’ll play it no problem |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | You won’t have any issues, it’s not a demanding game technically |
| Best For | If you like card games but take them to the next level |
Balatro is a roguelike deck-building game that’s perfect if you love card games. There’s some poker in there, but then there’s also roguelike progression and fun cards, and all sorts of things. You can play it on PC via Steam (mind the initial launch WiFi requirement), and even on mobile. Plus, it’s great if you need a game you can play in short bursts sometimes, and sometimes sink in hours.
See my review and guide of Balatro!
Vampire Survivors
| Genre | Action roguelike, hack and slash, |
| Est. Playtime | 30 minutes per run |
| Offline mode | Yes, just launch it, no issues |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ (on Epic Games Store) |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Oh yeah, this game can run on anything |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, this works anywhere |
| Best For | If you want something with quick runs but very addictive to play |
Vampire Survivors is as chaotic as it looks (image above) and about twice as fun. I genuinely loved it so much that I played it constantly in between tasks at work for a while. It’s cheap, it’s amazing, and addictive — plus, it needs no WiFi at all. It’s quick to download as well, so if you need something immediately, this one is a no-brainer.
See my full review of Vampire Survivors here.
Megabonk
| Genre | Action, roguelike |
| Est. Playtime | 10 to 15 minutes per stage |
| Offline mode | Fully offline |
| DRM-Free? | ✅ |
| Steam-Deck Friendly? | Yes, very |
| Can you play it on low-end laptop/PC? | Yes, see the system requirements below, you can play it on anything |
| Best For | Anyone who wants something funny with quick runs and addictive gameplay |
Megabonk is my most recent obsession, and everyone should play it if you ask me. It’s addictive, it’s fun, and you can just play it for hours (or even a few minutes), depending on what you have time for. It kind of scratches that same itch that Vampire Survivors does, but in a more fun way. I’m serious, the devs are really funny. Just look at the system requirements:
See my full review of Megabonk here.
How to Play PC Games Offline (Beginner’s Guide)
To play games offline on PC, you usually don’t need much except the right game. But, if you want a fully free (as in, once you install it, you don’t need WiFi to launch), then you need to get a DRM-free version, or get a physical copy, but even those sometimes require WiFi.
Where do you find DRM-free versions? Well, mostly on GOG. Not all of the games on this list are available there, but some of them are and some might appear over time. You won’t get automatic updates, or achievements, but everything else will work perfectly.
If you get a game on Steam, you’ll usually need WiFi to launch, that’s just how it is. After that, you can disconnect, but beware that that initial launch requires good connection.
Before You Go Offline: Quick Checklist
1. Update your games while you still have internet. Some titles require a one-time patch or launcher update before they’ll run smoothly offline. Launch each game once after updating, especially anything on Steam, Epic, or Ubisoft Connect.
2. Switch to local saves (or disable cloud syncing). Cloud save systems can cause pop-ups or slowdowns when the launcher tries to sync offline. Turn on local saves or manually disable cloud sync for any game you plan to play.
3. Double-check DRM and launcher requirements. A few games need a first-time login or activation before going fully offline. Once that’s done, they usually stay playable indefinitely — just don’t reinstall them while away from Wi-Fi.
4. Pre-download any DLC or texture packs. If you’re planning a long session, make sure all expansions, add-ons, mods, or high-res packs are fully installed. Nothing kills the vibe like a “Download Required” message in airplane mode.
5. Test-launch each game once without internet. Just flip Wi-Fi off and open the game. If anything is going to complain (a launcher, an anticheat module, a mod loader) it will show up here, not when you’re already away from internet.
6. Bring your controller drivers and accessories up to date. Controllers (especially Xbox and PlayStation ones) sometimes need firmware updates. Do this beforehand so they don’t break when you disconnect.
7. For laptops or Steam Deck: optimize for battery life. Lower shadows, turn off motion blur, cap FPS, and consider enabling battery-saving modes. Offline gaming sessions can drain a battery faster than expected.
8. Back up your key saves. If you’re traveling, copy your most important saves somewhere safe, crashes or mod conflicts hit harder when you can’t redownload anything.
FAQs
What games you can download in an hour will depend on the speed of your internet connection. If you have high internet speeds, even something like Baldur’s Gate 3, which has 150GB, will take no time at all.
However, if you suffer from slow internet speeds, I recommend trying smaller games. For example, you can try:
– Hades 1
– Vampire Survivors
– Hollow Knight
– Stardew Valley
Other than that, it’s important that you check the size of the game you’re downloading. The smaller it is, the faster it should download. But when I had very bad internet speeds (think less than 20 mb/s), the games on the list above were still downloaded within an hour.
Yes, you can! Of course, you’ll need an internet connection to download them, but once that’s done, and the game is set up, you can put your Deck in offline mode and enjoy your favorite games wherever you are. Just make sure that the game you want to play doesn’t require an internet connection. For some recommendations, check out this list.
I love all these games
Me too! What’s your favorite? 🙂
I love you game
hai
Hi
HI
Hi
Hello 😀
i am axcitide to the game pling
Anonymous
I love these game.