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As a lot of us are here for our love of all things DRM-free, and as not all of us go only digital, I've decided to start up a list of DRM-free games that are available in retail. As releases vary from country to country, I'll list the country version(s) next to the title.

To avoid pissing contests about the definition of DRM-free, I'll lay it out here and now:

DRM-free for the purposes of this list is defined as a game that does not require any form of phoning home (for example by means of a internet connection or telephone call) for single-player gaming. Games that are inherently online multiplayer will not be included. Disc-based copy protection and locally authenticated keys do not count as DRM. Having to register for patches does not count as DRM, unless the game cannot be played without the patch.

It goes without saying that download games are not counted in this list. Alan Wake, for example, was released DRM-free on GOG, but every retail version forces Steamworks upon you.

And because the majority of games up to 2008 were DRM-free, only games first released since 2008 will be included (rereleases do not count):

If anyone has anything to add, please do :)

Updated 22.05.2014

Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Australia)
ArcaniA: Fall of Setarrif (Germany)
ArmA 2 (Worldwide)
Assassin's Creed (Europe)
Back to the Future (US, Europe)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Europe, US)
Battle Worlds: Kronos (Germany)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Europe)
The Binding of Isaac (Europe)
Bionic Commando (Europe)
Black Mirror 2 (Germany)
Black Mirror 3 (Germany)
Blur (Europe)
The Book of Unwritten Tales (UK & Germany)
The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles (Germany)
Borderlands (Europe)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (World)
Bully: Scholarship Edition (EU, Australia)
Call of Duty: World at War (Europe)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (Europe)
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (Worldwide)
Ceville (UK & Germany)
Chaos on Deponia (Germany)
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller (Germany)
Colin McRae DiRT (Europe)
Crash Time 3 / Alarm für Cobra 11: Highway Nights (Germany)
Cryostasis (Europe)
Death to Spies (US)
Death to Spies: Moment of Truth (US)
Deponia (Germany)
Devil May Cry 4 (Europe)
DiRT 2 (Europe)
Distant Worlds (Germany)
Divinity II: Ego Draconis
Don't Starve (Germany)
Dragon Age: Origins (Europe) [Inserted reluctantly, but the base game and main expansion do install without DRM. The DLC however, does require activation, and the game will nag you no end if you don't have it]
Drakensang
Drakensang: The River of Time
Eador: Masters of a Broken World + Eador: Genesis Pack (Germany)
Edna & Harney: The Breakout / Edna bricht aus (UK, Germany)
Euro Truck Simulator 2 (Germany) [later patches do, however, impose DRM, as does the Going East expansion pack]
F1 2011 (Europe)
Fallout 3 (including GotY version) (Europe, US)
Far Cry 2 (budget edition) (Europe)
Football Manager 2009
Game Dev Tycoon (Germany)
Gears of War (Europe, US)
Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods (Germany)
H.A.W.X. (Europe)
Hunted: The Demon's Forge (Europe)
Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Europe)
Jack Keane: The Fire Within (Germany)
James Bond 007: Blood Stone (US, Europe)
Jurassic Park: The Game (Europe)
Lego Batman (Europe)
Lego Batman 2 (Europe)
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Europe)
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Europe)
Lego Indiana Jones (Europe)
Lego Indiana Jones 2 (Europe)
Lego Lord of the Rings (Europe)
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (Europe)
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars (Europe)
Lilly Looking Through (Germany)
Lost Planet: Colonies Edition (Europe)
Lost Planet 2 (Europe)
Limbo (Germany, Australia)
Lost Horizon (UK & Germany)
Machinarium (UK & Germany)
Major League Baseball 2K11 (Europe)
Mass Effect 2 (US, Europe)
Medal of Honor 2010 (World)
Mini Ninjas (Europe)
Moebius: Empire Rising (Germany)
MotoGP 13 (Europe)
Mount and Blade (Germany)
A New Beginning (UK)
Ninja Blade (Europe)
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (Europe)
Operation Flashpoint: Red River (Europe)
Overlord 2 (Europe)
Planetary Annihilation (Germany)
Port Royale 3 (Europe)
Prince of Persia 2008 (Europe)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (Europe)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 (Europe)
Prototype (World)
Quantum of Solace (Europe, US)
Q.U.B.E. (Germany)
Race Driver: Grid (Europe)
Rainbow SIx: Vegas 2 (UK)
Rayman Origins (Europe, Australia)
Risen (Germany, US)
Risen 3 (Germany)
Rogue Warrior (Europe)
The Saboteur (Europe)
Sam and Max: Season 2 (Europe)
SCANIA Truck Driving Simulator (Germany)
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (Europe)
The Sims 3 (Europe)
The Sims: Medieval (Europe)
Singularity (US)
Space Siege (Europe)
Spellforce 2: Demons of the Past (Europe)
Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions (Europe)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes (Europe)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition (Europe)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (Europe)
STALKER: Call of Pripyat (Europe)
Street Fighter X Tekken (Europe)
Tales of Monkey Island (US, Europe)
Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers (Germany)
Tomb Raider: Underworld (US)
Torchlight (Germany, US) [the box says that an internet connection is required for activation, but I've installed and played the game with no issues on my connection-less laptop]
Transformers: War for Cybertron (US) [thanks to pedrovay2003]
Tropico 3 (Europe)
Turok (Europe)
The Walking Dead (US, Europe) [does not include the version with the 400 Days DLC, which has DRM]
The Whispered World (Germany)
The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition (Europe) [vanilla E2 can be rendered DRM-free by means of a patch]
The Witcher 3 (Worldwide)
Wolfenstein (US, Europe)
Venetica (US, Europe)
X Superbox (US, Europe, Asia)

Question mark entries (upcoming games that may possibly be DRM-free at retail, but there is no certainty).

WRC 4 (box does not say anything about DRM, but OGDB claims that it uses SolidShield online activation)
The Walking Dead Season 2 (all of Telltale's stuff to date has been DRM-free on disc, although that ended with the release of Season 1 with the 400 Days DLC - was the DRM for that only related to the DLC?)
Wasteland 2 (announced to be available DRM-free upon release, will this apply to the retail version?)
Divinity: Original Sin (announced to be available DRM-free upon release, will this apply to the retail version?)
Emergency 2014 (all the Emergency games to date have been DRM-free)
Jagged Alliance: Flashback (after some controversy, the devs have decided to include a DRM-free version on the physical disc for backers - will this also apply to the general retail version?)

Games with DRM removed via a patch

Alpha Protocol (Europe, US)
Anno 1404 (Europe, US)
Far Cry 2 (Europe, US)
The Witcher 2 (Europe, US)

(Comment on Arcania: Although the DRM was technically "removed" via a patch, the game still needs to perform an online release date check after patching for some random reason, so it has been removed from this list).
Post edited May 22, 2014 by jamyskis
Ubisoft released a bunch of DRM free games for a while there... Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood and Prince of Persia '08 are two I can confirm.

Death to Spies 2 from 1C I can confirm.

Most of Activision's non-Call of Duty games use simple disc checks. Wolfenstein '08, Singularity, Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions and the last couple Bond games I can confirm.

I can confirm Risen in America (though since it has a nasty disc-check and is not DRM digitally I would go digital).

I can add more later.

Edit:

Alpha Protocol had the DRM removed in a patch.

Fallout 3, Red Faction Guerrilla, Gears of War, Halo 2, Batman Arkham Asylum and certainly more early GFWL games do not actually have DRM as there is no forced activation, just use an offline profile. Dead Rising 2 was the first GFWL game to add a forced activation.
Post edited June 13, 2012 by StingingVelvet
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StingingVelvet: Ubisoft released a bunch of DRM free games for a while there... Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood and Prince of Persia '08 are two I can confirm.

Death to Spies 2 from 1C I can confirm.

Most of Activision's non-Call of Duty games use simple disc checks. Wolfenstein '08, Singularity, Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions and the last couple Bond games I can confirm.

I can confirm Risen in America (though since it has a nasty disc-check and is not DRM digitally I would go digital).

I can add more later.

Edit:

Alpha Protocol had the DRM removed in a patch.

Fallout 3, Red Faction Guerrilla, Gears of War, Halo 2, Batman Arkham Asylum and certainly more early GFWL games do not actually have DRM as there is no forced activation, just use an offline profile. Dead Rising 2 was the first GFWL game to add a forced activation.
Thanks for that! If it gets too long I'll probably turn it into a Google Docs spreadsheet, but it's fine for now :) I might put a list of patched out DRM though separately, because ironically, you still need the net to download it!
Good list. Repped.
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StingingVelvet: Red Faction Guerrilla....Halo 2...
Just to clarify - are you sure the US versions had no DRM? The European versions did... Halo 2's DRM basically killed the game as you had a three-machine limit and then your game was useless.
Post edited June 13, 2012 by jamyskis
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jamyskis: Just to clarify - are you sure the US versions had no DRM? The European versions did... Halo 2's DRM basically killed the game as you had a three-machine limit and then your game was useless.
Take the Microsoft games off, there is a chance they used the Windows style activation (but I REALLY don't think so).

The rest of the GFWL games I am 100% sure.
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StingingVelvet: Take the Microsoft games off, there is a chance they used the Windows style activation (but I REALLY don't think so).

The rest of the GFWL games I am 100% sure.
Gears of War didn't have mandatory GFWL activation, but Halo 2 did.
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jamyskis: Games with DRM removed via a patch
Anno 1404

The copy protection has been completely removed with patch v1.1 for the DVD version. Digital download versions retain the copy protection.
Oh yeah since this list will only include post-2008 games, you may want to add X Superbox. That one doesn't have DRM out of the box.
Great idea, jamyskis.
I recently imported Death to Spies: Gold Edition (includes DtS and Death to Spies: Moment of Truth) from the United States, I can confirm there's no DRM to speak of.

I think you might safely add Street Fighter x Tekken to the list, as well (UK version) - no disk-check, no internet activation. I was surprised, to say the least.

Also:
Machinarium (UK version)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout (UK version)
A New Beginning (UK version)
Lost Horizon (UK version) (disc check)
The Book of Unwritten Tales (UK version) (disc check)
Ceville (UK version)
Post edited June 13, 2012 by Phaidox
I think most pre-2004 Blizzard games could be put on the list. Diablo 1+2, Warcraft 1+2+3, Starcraft+Broodwar. Or am i missing something?
Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Hydrophobia
Post edited June 13, 2012 by inc09nito
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Phaidox: I recently imported Death to Spies: Gold Edition (includes DtS and Death to Spies: Moment of Truth) from the United States, I can confirm there's no DRM to speak of.

I think you might safely add Street Fighter x Tekken to the list (UK version) - no disk-check, no internet activation. I was surprised, to say the least.

Also:
Machinarium (UK version)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout (UK version)
A New Beginning (UK version)
Thanks! I'll check SFxT again and add the others. I'm pretty sure the installer did a SecuROM time check, but I'll disable the network adapter and try again later on. You're right through - the game does run and play without so much as an installation code.

Guess Capcom learned their lesson from the abysmal sales of SSF4: AE.


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Licurg: Or am i missing something?
Games from 2008 or later are only included.

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inc09nito: Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Hydrophobia
Added, thanks!
Post edited June 13, 2012 by jamyskis
Sorry, i misread...
Civilization IV Complete (US only)

http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-IV-Complete/dp/B00475AYUA