Steam Offline Mode: How to Turn It On and Play Without Internet

Steam offline mode lets you launch and play games from your Steam library without a connection to Steam's servers. It is handy on a train, on a flaky hotel Wi-Fi — and it is the only right way to play on a shared Steam account. This guide covers how to turn it on, what to do before you go offline and how to fix the most common problems.

What Steam offline mode actually does

In offline mode the Steam client stops talking to Steam's servers. Your library stays visible, installed games launch as usual, and single-player progress is saved on your PC. What you lose while offline:

• the store, the community, friends list and chat,
• multiplayer and any game that requires an online connection,
• game updates and Steam Cloud syncing — these resume the next time you go online.

Offline mode is a feature of the Steam client itself, so it works the same way with every game that does not need an internet connection to run.

Before you go offline: the checklist

Steam only lets you go offline on a computer where it has already confirmed your login. Do these steps while you are still online:

1. Sign in to the Steam client with your login and password and tick "Remember me".
2. Install the game fully and let every update finish. A game with a pending update will not launch offline.
3. Launch the game once online, so any first-run setup (DirectX, Visual C++ and similar) is done.
4. Close the game and make sure the Steam download queue is empty.

How to turn on Steam offline mode

1. In the Steam client, open the Steam menu in the top-left corner.
2. Click Go Offline…
3. Confirm with Restart in Offline Mode.

Steam restarts and shows "Offline" in the bottom bar or next to your name. From now on, launch games from your Library as usual. To go back online, open the Steam menu again and choose Go Online….

Tip: if Steam starts while your internet is down, it offers to start in offline mode by itself — as long as you have signed in on this PC before.

How long can you stay offline?

There is no fixed limit in day-to-day use. Steam may occasionally ask you to reconnect, for example after a client update. The safest habit is to install updates while online and then switch back to offline before you play.

Common problems and fixes

"Go Offline" is greyed out. You are not signed in yet, or Steam never saved your login on this PC. Sign in online first, then try again.

Steam says the game needs an update. Go online, let the update download, then switch to offline mode again.

The game asks for an internet connection. Some games use their own launcher or always-online DRM and cannot run offline. Single-player games without a separate launcher work fine.

Steam Cloud conflict after going back online. Steam asks which save to keep — the local one on your PC or the one in the cloud. On a shared account, choose your local save.

Offline mode and shared Steam accounts

On a shared Steam account several people sign in to the same account. Online, that causes sign-in conflicts and "playing on another computer" messages. Offline, every player runs the game on their own PC, independently. That is why every game in our catalogue — like Graveyard Keeper 2 or Ori and the Will of the Wisps — is meant for Steam offline mode.

Summary

• Sign in and install the game online, then use Steam → Go Offline….
• Install updates online, play offline.
• Only single-player games without always-online DRM work in offline mode.

Looking for something to play offline? Browse the catalogue — every game is ready for Steam offline mode, with login details right after payment.