Credit: Valve
What alternatives to Steam are there?
Good Old Games (GOG.com)
Credit: GOG Good Old Games, also known as GOG, is a digital distribution service owned by CD Projekt, the developers of The Witcher games and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077.
When it first launched, the service’s unique selling point was that they were selling older, sometimes-discontinued PC games that no other service had access to. However, in 2012, Good Old Games rebranded to GOG and expanded to sell both mainstream AAA and independent games.
While Good Old Games does have a desktop client called GOG Galaxy, it’s not required. You don’t have to run games through it in the same way that you do the Steam launcher. As far as digital distribution goes, GOG is one of the better DRM-free options out there.
Humble Bundle
Credit: Humble Bundle Originally launched in 2010 as a series of periodic pay-what-you-want bundles, Humble Bundle has now expanded to host its own digital distribution storefront.
Originally built as an extension of the payment systems used for Humble Bundle, the Humble Store now sells games of all shapes and sizes. They even often have massive seasonal sales that rival Valve’s own.
If you’ve ever bought a Humble Bundle before, all your purchases carry over to the Humble Store. It’s not quite DRM-free in the same way as GOG but many titles on the Humble Store are able to be downloaded and played without the involvement of a third-party launcher.
Green Man Gaming
Credit: Green Man Gaming Like GOG, Green Man Gaming has proved itself an adept competitor to Steam in the context of pricing. These days, it’s almost always worth giving Green Man Gaming a quick look on launch day to see if you save a few bucks. Especially once the Australia tax comes into play.
The downside here is that while Green Man Gaming doesn’t rely on a third-party launcher and the games are often cheaper, many of the titles offered on the platform feed back into Steam. Sometimes, you’re basically just paying for a CD key that you redeem through Valve.
Origin
Credit: Origin Owned by EA, Origin was initially launched to skepticism and outright-scorn by parts of the gaming community.
However, over time, Origin has managed to mature into a compelling digital storefront of its own. Where Steam continues to plow along, year after year in spite of the persistently problematic issues, EA have showed a real ability and willingness to innovate with their digital storefront.
What’s more, with the upcoming launch of the company’s new Origin Access subscription service, it may represent the better value option for mainstream gaming audiences. Available in premium and basic tiers, Origin Access gives you access to a wide swath of games on the service for a monthly fee. You’ll also get access to select major EA published games like Anthem and Battlefield V ahead of release.
Essentially, it’s EA’s take on the Netflix-but-for-games formula that Microsoft are moving towards with the Xbox Games Pass.
Itch.IO
Credit: Itch.io Though still relatively-young Itch.IO has quickly gained a reputation as the anti-Steam.
Where Steam’s front-page is populated by bigger releases, Itch.IO offers a catalog of super-original and independently developed fare - most of which is free or priced at only a few dollars.
Itch.IO has also earned a reputation as a more creator-friendly platform than Steam. It offers developers get a larger cut, better content policing and curation around offensive material. Itch.IO also features tools designed to help devs to run events like game jams.
It might be too much to call Itch.IO a true competitor to Valve’s storefront, but it’s definitely an alternative. If you want to discover some cool, interesting or just plain weird games, Itch.IO is worth a visit.
