Where to find free games without risking infecting your PC?

THE gaming is a hobby that can quickly become expensive when you are passionate about it. With AAA titles costing more than €60 upon release – or even much more in collector’s editions with goodies – you need to plan a solid budget. Or be patient and wait many months – if not years – to take advantage of interesting sales. Therefore, it is difficult to resist the attraction of sites which offer thousands of free games… provided you have a anti-virus.

You’ve probably heard the adage “if it’s free, you’re the product.” It speaks volumes and reflects the reality of the IT world. It does not only apply to GAFAM which collect massive quantities of data to make their profit.

For years, more or less dishonest sites have been offering to get their hands on free video games. Some play on the vagueness of the legality of theabandonware, but others do not hesitate to take advantage of the credulity of Internet users to highlight infected software from all sides. So how can we discern the wheat from the chaff? How to protect yourself against potential infections carried by free games? With a free antivirus? This is what we will see in this file.

Free games: is it legal?

First of all, let’s ask ourselves a few questions about the legality of sites that offer free video games. You should know that the law remains quite obscure on certain points, in particular with regard to the category abandonware. On the other hand, there is one certain fact: it is forbidden for a site or platform to sell free games without the agreement of the publisher. So if you come across Cyberpunk 2077 for 0€ on an obscure website, there’s no need to look far, it’s clearly a scam and it’s totally illegal…

On the other hand, it is not impossible to benefit from temporary free offers, as we come across for example on the Epic Games Store. In this case, it is completely legal. You will also have the assurance that the game obtained is free of viruses, malware and the like. Well, on the other hand, nothing says that it will be bug-free, but that’s another story!

The case abandonware

Now let’s talk about theabandonware. Kesako? This is a phenomenon which appeared in the early 2000s and which consists of distributing free ROMs of old console games: NES, Megadrive, PS One, etc. French law is quite vague on this type of distribution.

In absolute terms, the titles distributed – free of charge – are several decades old and are no longer marketed. The law stipulates that the copyright of a video game work is valid for 70 years. So technically, even good old Asteroid is still copyrighted and not in the public domain.

But – there is always a but – old games like the hit mentioned above have not been marketed for decades. It is not uncommon to find them on websitesabandonware free download. If it’s illegal, few publishers seem to complain. In the worst cases, we just see the withdrawal of games at the request of their creators without it going any further.

So know that theabandonware lies in a sort of gray area. Although it is illegal in the eyes of the law, this method of distribution remains tolerated by the vast majority of publishers who probably see it as a free way to make themselves known for their old titles.

Free games: what is the risk to my PC?

As you will have understood, encountering free games on the Web is in 99% of cases illegal acts. You risk not only incurring the wrath of the law, but above all exposing your computer to unsympathetic guests: viruses, malware, ransomware and other delights of the same ilk…

You should therefore be very careful about what you download. While you can trust platforms like Steam, GOG or the Epic Games Store, the same cannot be said for more obscure sites that promise the best games of the moment for €0. So have a critical eye before any off-the-shelf purchase, do research on the Internet to check the reliability of the downloaded files, scrupulously analyze each archive you obtain. Only with extreme caution can you avoid the worst.

To help you with the task, use an antivirus such as that of Bitdefender, Norton or Avast. It will be able to block malicious sites and analyze your computer in real time. So even if you manage to download an infected game, it will be placed in quarantine immediately. You will be able to isolate the nuisance before he does damage to your trusty PC!

Bitdefender, Norton or Avast can also protect your mobile devices in the same way. These solutions also provide you with a VPN which can encrypt your communications on the Internet. To get an idea of ​​the performance of these antiviruses, you can download the free versions, which are almost as complete as their paid counterparts. As a reminder, they are regularly ranked among the best antiviruses on the market by the independent laboratories AV-Test and AV-Comparative. It is therefore a safe bet for the protection of your computer equipment.

Where to download free (and risk-free) video games?

Downloading free and healthy games is not an easy task. Despite everything, with a little patience, you will find what you are looking for without risk of infection for your machine.

We have already talked about the promotions practiced by the Epic Games Store. The platform has also become famous with its weekly free games. However, you can find free titles elsewhere. Here is a small list of sites and dematerialized platforms which regularly provide free games, guaranteed to be virus-free:

• Steam
• Itch.Io
• GOG
• Origin
• Epic Games Store
• Humble Bundle

These sites are not specialized in the distribution of free games, or evenabandonware. However, they regularly carry out promotions which allow access to very good free games. Certainly, it will not be the last AAA in fashion, but there is still something to enjoy.

Of course, take care to keep an activated antivirus in order to avoid possible contamination. If the risk is close to zero when passing through these sites, it is never zero either. A little caution never hurts!

The best antiviruses for gaming without affecting your PC performance

Bitdefender

Norton360

Avast One