Even though Steam is down, the fun doesn’t have to stop. Blizzard and GOG both have games that are definitely worth sinking your teeth into to pass the downtime. Have a game or 50 of Hearthstone, which is free to play, or hit up a free trial of World of Warcraft and grind to level 20 on a Monk.
If you’re not a Blizzard fan, or don’t have time to install one of their games, you can always rely on GOG for your DRM-free gaming goodness. Simply sit back, load up a GOG game, and get playing. No signing into an account, no need to constantly be online. Or, if you haven’t bought a game there yet, GOG has a pretty good sale on at the moment that you can check out here.
Resort to Origin or Uplay
If neither Blizzard or GOG’s selection of games takes your fancy, there is another option. EA and Ubisoft’s Origin and Uplay services can get you right back into the action, even if most people aren’t a fan of these specialized gaming platforms.
With the likes of Battlefield 1, Watch Dogs 2, Far Cry Primal, and FIFA 17 all released this year, it’s unlikely that you’ll have any trouble finding something to pass the time. These services might not feel quite as polished as Steam, but at least you’ll be able to log in and get some gaming done while you wait for it to come back online.
Perhaps Some Console Gaming
Though this isn’t an option for everyone, it’s possibly the best way to get some gaming done if pretty much all of your PC gaming library is stuck in Steam. Whether you’ve got an Xbox One or a PS4, or even the previous generation of consoles, there are plenty of exclusive titles that didn’t come to Steam which are well worth spending some time with.
Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 are the most obvious picks on the Xbox One side of things, and if you purchase these games digitally either on your PC or Xbox One, you’ll be able to digitally download it on the other thanks to Play Anywhere.
PS4 owners, on the other hand, have the likes of Uncharted 4 and The Last Guardian to enjoy. If you’ve got an online subscription for either system, you can also download some games for free from Games with Gold or PlayStation Plus’ Instant Games Collection.
Decide Who to Vote for in the Steam Awards
This year marks the very first Steam awards, offering Steam users around the world the chance to vote for their favorite games from across their library. While the initial nomination phase has concluded, we’re now left with the nominees for each category.
Voting takes place for each category on a select day, with the events beginning yesterday and ending on Dec. 30. While you’ve missed your chance to vote in the ‘The Villain Most in Need of a Hug Award’, you can always start planning your future voting decisions. While Steam and its website may be down, we’ve got the full list of the nominees for you to browse at your own leisure, here.
Give Your PC a Spring Clean
If you can’t game on your PC, then it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s all clean, optimized, and ready to roll. Ensuring that all of your vents are clear of dust will ensure your PC can maintain a cool temperature and perform at its very best. You can also do some cable management if it’s beginning to look like Spaghetti Junction inside your rig.
Cleaning your PC shouldn’t just be a physical process, though. You’ll want to ensure that your drives are clean and tidy, too. You can use the free program CCleaner to ensure that your registry is in check and to clear up any unwanted files on your hard drive, then give your drives a good defragment to ensure that they stay speedy, too. It might not be quite as fun as playing games, but hey, it’s gotta be done at some point. Hopefully, the downtime won’t last for too much longer, anyway.
