We give you five tips that you should always keep in mind when choosing free games on your PC.
In general, it’s best to avoid downloading free things that you find on the Internet and clicking on links that promise you freebies. Even something seemingly free can cost you dearly, especially if your good humor is the price to pay. We have written this article to give you some tips on choosing your game well and avoiding unpleasant surprises afterwards.
Only download your games from trusted sources
More and more gaming platforms appear every year: Steam’s dominant position in the market has encouraged Origin, uPlay, Epic Games Stores and many more to try and develop their own offerings. Many independent developers want to sell their games directly on their site to save the sales commissions paid to stores. As a result, some video game enthusiasts have come to terms with the idea that it is quite normal to download a game directly from any website, even if they have never seen it before.
It can be difficult to sort through such a variety of offers, and crooks who operate on the Internet take advantage of this situation. For example, they lure video game enthusiasts to phishing sites where they distribute malware designed to look like new games or famous freeware, like Fortnite and Borderland 3 Save Editor .
Don’t download any game from an unknown site. Besides, never follow links sent by strangers. A single click on the wrong URL can download a malicious object.
Manually enter the address of the game store in your browser
Links that claim to redirect you to official sites are sometimes misleading. If someone posts an article on a forum where they explain that you can download all Battlefield games for free from the Origin store, be careful before entering your username and password on the page that opened. The site could be an imitation and use an address very similar to the real store. Cybercriminals want to get your login credentials and hack your account.
In general, even if an offer posted on a forum doesn’t seem oddly generous, it can still be a tip. It is better to use the game stores of official customers or manually enter the address in your browser’s search bar.
Find recognized developers and publishers
Even small studios can launch a game that will have international success. That’s why video game enthusiasts follow new developers and established big publishers closely. Cybercriminals who present malware as the latest independent gem available in preview seek to exploit this interest.
Therefore, before you download anything, you should first do some internet research on the project in question. If the developer has encountered security problems then it is very likely that you will find information about him in the trade media or on the forums.
Read reviews left by other players
In 2018, the developers of the game Abstractism, which had passed Steam’s moderation checks, were caught using users’ computers to stealthily mine cryptocurrency. Players revealed the scam after seeing that the program was using a huge amount of resources. Even before the platform administrators detected the scam, reviews left by disgruntled gamers caused the game’s rating to drop.
Be sure to read the reviews left by other players before installing a game. If the game has garnered a lot of reviews, this should give you pause.
Do not deactivate your protection
It is very difficult to always be on guard. However, if you accidentally click on a link, you can count on a reliable security solution to fight malware and crooks. Antivirus detects a scam site before it harms you, scans installation files, blocks suspicious activity, and protects your most important data.
Some video game enthusiasts turn off their protection because they think it improves gaming performance. It turns out that this is a bad idea, especially because the moment you turn off your antivirus solution, the built-in protection of Windows kicks in and consumes computer resources. On the other hand, some third-party solutions, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, have a Games mode that allows the antivirus to reduce its weight on the CPU during games. Microsoft Defender does not have such a feature.
Play for free and in complete safety
- Free games are just as fun and as good as some paid programs. Dota 2, BL3 Save Editor, League of Legends, Fortnite and many other independent development projects available on Steam have proven this. Still, you shouldn’t neglect your safety.
- Only download games from official sources. If you don’t know a site then how do you know that the person who posted the game installer hasn’t added something malicious?
- Check the reputation of the developer and publisher before downloading a game. If they have behaved unethically in the past then you should avoid that game.
- Read the comments and reviews left by other users about the game. If it is a scam, other victims have certainly expressed their dissatisfaction.
- Protect yourself by installing a security solution. If you use our products then game performance will not be a problem since our Games mode reduces resource consumption.