True, but it should be noted that GOG is not much better on this front.

Devs and publishers tend to mess with users of all DRM-free stores, by putting a DRM-free build there at some point then only updating the Steam build.

Too true, and there isn’t some of the options you would expect either:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/provide_a_full_and_complete_changelogged_download_system

Yes, it is a bit misleading.

It would be better if that last bit was - A free Steam account is required for the Steam key.

And maybe - and is also provided as a DRM-Free direct download for Windows.

That said, the fact they say 'and is also provided' should be a clue that there is more than one provision, especially as 'provided' is mentioned twice.

But no doubt whoever did their abbreviated statement, belongs to the school of vague statements.

Hm, I don't use Humble after IGN bought it. I don't really like buying games in bundles anymore though, it often makes the games feel overly "cheap" and I don't appreciate them in the same way. I'd rather pay a more respectable price ... bonkers I know.

Also, it's quite a small list they have, I know they have many more games that are DRM-free ... or used to anyway.

Yep! Since Tinman stopped releasing their games DRM-free on Humble I don't really NEED anything from that store anymore. Also, they don't make German localizations so I'm less incentivized to get their games now that I mostly play in that language. It's been good for the DRM-free apks while it lasted. Curiously, talking about gamebooks, Inkle! has released Sorcery! 4 DRM-free for Android in a Humble bundle, that is not possible to purchase in any way apparently. It was a one time thing only. While the rest of the series is not even available (with the exception of Steam keys) -_-

Well, small can be relative of course.

Here is the full list of over 1400 DRM-Free games at Humble ... without a bundle in sight.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/search?sort=discount&hmb_source=store_navbar&page=2&drm=download

So many good ones not on GOG, like the Shrouded Isle. I wonder how many have been turned down by GOG curation...many I don't know about too. They still have Shein, Pony Island...a downside is that it's harder to know about the state of the release, lacking a review system and a game forum.

Yep, there are certainly some good ones, though the prices put me off many of them, especially as you say, you don't get much feedback or knowledge or discussions of the games. Some games have more than one version download, often just indicated by a date, so updates do exist now and then.

The ZOOM Platform for instance has roughly 400 games, all DRM-Free, so aside from GOG and the mostly Indie games Itch.io, the Humble Store has one of the bigger DRM-Free game collections around. Nothing really competes when it comes to GOG for DRM-Free, but it is always good to have other stores to source DRM-Free from, even if a bit more risky in some aspects. For me, risk is always related to price ... so I only risk what I can easily afford.

Agreed, for 1 euro I can try something out and even if it's not the last version on Steam I can go with it as long as it runs tbh at least is drm free. As for the biggest drm-free store, I don't have the numbers to prove it but I feel it might paradoxically be Steam. It's a matter of numbers, there are so many little games that might be drm free without any indication of it - regardless of their quality. Of course, you don't get an installer but sometimes you need the client just to download the game and can store it in your hard drive. I've bought a simple game on Steam that was just an exe file, I'm pretty sure it's drm-free and the same file sold on itch.io.

If you are just saying DRM-Free and not using any quality or non Indie arguments, then surely it would be Itch.io that has the greatest collection, and certainly they also qualify from a direct download aspect. Steam can be problematic when it comes to DRM-Free, with as you indicated, it not always being clear what is or isn't some kind of DRM-Free.

Personally, while I recognize Steam has a large DRM-Freeish collection, I don't see it as a proper DRM-Free direct download store. And while some perhaps many games are relatively easy to make DRM-free with a simple change, some require a bit more effort and all require backing up a folder, which isn't much of an issue with a small size game, but large games with thousands of files can take very much longer and perhaps cause AV issues. Then there is needed dependencies and registry entries in some cases, which aren't always obvious. Worst of all though, is the need for the game to be installed in Steam to get any update, DLC, etc ... which means backing up all over again.

So really GOG is the largest mainstream games direct download DRM-Free store, and so easiest and quickest to use, without a doubt ... certainly for archiving & updating your archive.

P.S. While I have many games at Steam, I am yet to backup any of the DRM-Free ones. As I have better things to do with my time, and aren't that desperate. Especially as it would involve investigating what is or isn't etc, and then zipping the folder to save on archive space. Life is too short.

can't argue with any of that! I'd say that the second best after GOG is Humble because of the quality of titles (not any rubbish like itch or Steam), installers and DRM-free being explicit (never the case with Steam or Epic GS).

probably steam wont go away in decades, so not much point in backing up those games
if they fall to the cancel cult, then we should start
and if net or steam fails, probably wont have time to play anyway :P

itchio comeon that is like saying a procedurally generated game has the most maps

If Steam fails to the cancel cult we won't have time to play. Sure. It doesn't make sense to me, but you are the one speaking like you are in a cult here.

fails to the cancel cult ? did i write that nope , ive written fall , fail and fall not the same thing

and what cult would that be?

Yes and No really.

Often it is about drive space, especially on your PC, and especially if it is a smaller SSD.

I imagine it is still much quicker to reinstate a Steam game by copying from a drive, than have Steam install it all over again. And it doesn't have to be a DRM-Free Steam game to gain that advantage.

At times I have read here, where some say that Steam installs faster than Galaxy does.
That may be true, but it still takes a while, and an Offline install would or should be fastest of all.

You also need to take into account, that Steam updates itself when it first starts up, and I can often download a GOG game in the time it takes for the Steam client to do all its checking and updating.