I read through all 27 pages but couldn't find an answer to my question, so here it is.

After I've downloaded a game with the client can I do the backup without starting the game from the client? Does the launcher do something to game(s) when you boot it first time?

When I back up my drm free steam games I always boot the game once before making a backup. When testing my steam games I found out that some games download extra stuff when booted 1st time. They will probably work if you install the additional files needed manually, but it was easier to always boot the game once. Is this the case with Epic Games Launcer as well?

Well I happened to do some stuff this weekend that might partially answer your question. I Installed the client, then downloaded 3 games: Hob, Among Us and Thimbleweed Park. I copied their folders to another location and uninstalled the client right away without starting the games. Only after the launcher was gone I started them and I can confirm all 3 perform okay. (Tho I didn't have time to confirm they save games, but I'll trust my peers in the matter.)

Obviously I can't confirm that's the answer for every game, but there you go.

That's been my experience with several of Epic's free giveaway games in the past. (Download and zip up on computer A, then move zip file to Computer B (that's never had Epic Launcher installed), unzip it and start) is how I test them, to rule out any required data about the game being kept in the Epic Launcher folder or registry. I don't count needing things like Visual C++ Runtimes (if they're not installed before first run) as they can be downloaded from here and other places anyway and installed offline. Of course there may be some additional checks for DLC, etc, for paid games, and things could change at any time.

Thanks joppo & AB2012!

I also always test the games on a computer that's never had any of the clients (steam, epic) installed.

When I just tested Batman: Arkham Asylym (Epic), I moved the folder without booting the game first. When I started it, a popup window said I needed net framework 3.5. After that, I was prompted to install directx. It also wanted to install PhysX. After I installed those, the game booted normally. I played it shortly, saving and everything else worked without problems.

Steam has a lot more drm-free games that people think. I own ~800 games on steam and I tested my games ~2 years a go up to letter K. I found out that the lists on the internet are nowhere near complete. Many indie games don't have drm, bigger releases of course have some kind of protection and the most obvious ones I didn't even test. But I was stupid and didn't make a list of the games I tested so if I want to post my findings (steam thread) I'll have to check all my DVD cases to make a list of them. Maybe some day I will, if I resume the project.

Had bought Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom during the Epic summer sale. Just now installed it, and it wroks perfectly without the launcher.

Added it to the list.

New free games at Epic game store. And I can confirm that one of the "Ironcast" games is drmfree =)

Tested successfully the adventure game The Spectrum Retreat on Windows. No extra arguments need, just start Spectrum.exe.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/p/the-spectrum-retreat

Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is DRM-free with the -EpicPortal trick.

Is it possible to include the testet version and testdate in the table? So you can see that the game may have changed and is not DRM Free anymore?

I wonder if Epic even shows the version or uptate history ....

they show the version number. if you open the quick menu for a game, the vesion number is at the bottom

Thank you. I did not know that- However if somebody would be on the brink of buying the game they would first have to know the version number without buying it to make sure that it is still DRM-free, right? I doubt there's also a way to see this BEFORE buying a game?

Finally got around to doing some testing with Alien Isolation, the following works to allow you to progress and save and load games after restarting the game:

1.Use NemirtingasEpicEmu

2. This step may be unecessary but won't hurt anything
Launch the game with:
AI.exe -AUTH_LOGIN=unused -AUTH_PASSWORD=cbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbcb -AUTH_TYPE=exchangecode -epicapp=CrabTest -epicenv=Prod -EpicPortal -epicusername="Unused name" -epicuserid=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -epiclocale=en

If you want all the save games from when I completed the game with the steam ver back in 2014 (which also work with the Epic ver) I would attach them but I don't see that here on this forum but I can email them for whoever wants them, they would need to be copied to:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\The Creative Assembly\Alien Isolation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNB_RjpWnsI

Spiritfater: First run pops up a webpage to link it to the Epic account, Not required for subsequent starts. Not sure if agreement is required (I agreed, because the game looked like it stalled waiting for my response).*

Game saves and restores progress between exiting and reloading the game, as far as I can tell.

Does not require command line arguments.

* To note: Loading the game seems to freeze at the ThunderLotus screen, and Windows will say its not responding, but if you choose wait, it'll progress and load the game. Don't know it that's because of my oddball set up or not