The Stop Killing Games initiative hit a setback in the European Parliament this month, but the conversation it started isn’t going away. Publishers retire servers, delist titles, and brick games that players paid for. The home defense against all of that is a personal archive, properly maintained. We tested eight of the best apps for game preservation on Windows, macOS, and Linux, covering DRM-free libraries, source ports, emulator front-ends, and metadata tools that keep a collection legible to future you.
The benchmark was usable, not academic: install on a regular PC, import a small library, and see how the tool handles a missing publisher, a delisted title, and a 30-year-old game that no longer runs on modern hardware. The eight apps below all passed.
What to look for in a game-preservation app
A handful of criteria separate the tools that protect a collection from the ones that look pretty in screenshots:
- DRM-free or self-contained. The point of preservation is that the game still runs in 2040. A title locked to a launcher that may not exist then doesn’t qualify.
- Format support. A preservation tool that can’t read 1990s game formats (ISO, BIN/CUE, CHD, GOG installer, MS-DOS executables) misses half the catalog.
- Cross-platform on the OS the future will use. Linux compatibility is a strong signal. So is open-source code.
- Metadata richness. A library where every title has a known release year, publisher, and platform is a library you can hand to someone else.
- Source-port quality. For decades-old games, a maintained source port is the difference between “still playable” and “abandonware”.
- Community. The tools with active forums and ongoing releases will still work in five years. The ones that haven’t shipped a release since 2018 won’t.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | License | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOG Galaxy | DRM-free PC library + offline installers | Windows, macOS | Closed | Free |
| DOSBox Staging | DOS games | Windows, macOS, Linux | GPL | Free |
| ScummVM | LucasArts, Sierra, point-and-click classics | Windows, macOS, Linux | GPL | Free |
| RetroArch | Universal emulator front-end | Windows, macOS, Linux | GPL | Free |
| Eternity Engine | Modern Doom source port | Windows, macOS, Linux | GPL | Free |
| Launchbox | Cross-platform library organizer | Windows | Closed | Free / $40 Premium |
| Internet Archive | Browser-playable abandonware | Web | Various | Free |
| PCGamingWiki | Per-game compatibility wiki | Web | CC-BY-SA | Free |
The 8 best apps for game preservation on desktop
1. GOG Galaxy — best DRM-free library
GOG Galaxy is the closest thing PC players have to a preservation-grade storefront client. Every title sold on GOG ships DRM-free, the standalone installers can be downloaded once and archived to local storage, and the client itself can browse a library without any internet check. The 2.0 release added cross-launcher library aggregation, so Steam, Epic, Ubisoft Connect, and Xbox can show up next to GOG titles in one place. GOG Galaxy for game preservation is the right anchor for a serious PC archive.
Where it falls short: Mac client is older and less feature-complete than the Windows version. Linux is not officially supported, although the standalone installers run under Wine.
Pricing:
- Free: full client and library
- Paid: titles are pay-what-listed; many are routinely under $5
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Download: GOG Galaxy
Bottom line: Start the archive here. Download installers, store them offline, sleep better.
2. DOSBox Staging — best for DOS games
DOSBox Staging is the actively maintained fork of DOSBox, and the place modern DOS-era preservation lives. It runs every DOS game we’ve thrown at it, the configuration is friendlier than the classic DOSBox INI files, and the audio emulation is much improved over the original project. GOG ships DOSBox alongside every DOS-era game, and a self-managed DOSBox install gives you finer control of CPU cycles, video modes, and audio.
Where it falls short: Configuration still rewards reading the docs. Some games need specific tweaks per title.
Pricing:
- Free: fully open source under GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: DOSBox Staging
Bottom line: The right tool when the game is a 1990s DOS executable and you want it to play, sound, and look correct.
3. ScummVM — best for adventure-game classics
ScummVM preserves the LucasArts, Sierra, Revolution, and Westwood adventure games (Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Broken Sword, Beneath a Steel Sky) by reimplementing the engines that ran them, not the operating system. Drop the original game files into a folder, point ScummVM at it, and a 30-year-old game runs in a window on a 2026 laptop. The project is one of the oldest game-preservation efforts in any form.
Where it falls short: Coverage is engine-specific. A game on an unsupported engine doesn’t play. The interface looks dated.
Pricing:
- Free: fully open source under GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: ScummVM
Bottom line: The reason most 1990s adventure games still exist as playable objects in 2026.
4. RetroArch — best universal emulator front-end
RetroArch is the front-end that wraps a hundred-plus emulator cores (libretro) under a single launcher with shared save states, controller mapping, and rewind. It covers everything from Atari 2600 to Nintendo 64, plus modern consoles via cores. The shader and post-processing options let you replicate CRT phosphor look, which matters more than it sounds for games designed for those screens.
Where it falls short: First-run configuration is a famously rough on-boarding experience. Core compatibility varies by system.
Pricing:
- Free: fully open source under GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (also iOS, Android, consoles, Steam Deck)
Download: RetroArch
Bottom line: The library-level tool for retro-console emulation. Put the time into the setup, and a single launcher covers four decades.
5. Eternity Engine — best modern Doom source port
Eternity Engine is one of the major modern Doom source ports, alongside GZDoom and Crispy Doom. It supports the original IWADs, all the major add-ons, the Heretic and Hexen content, and the modern conveniences (mouselook, high-resolution rendering, modern controllers) that the 1993 executable lacks. The codebase descends from MBF and has been actively maintained for over two decades.
Where it falls short: GZDoom has a larger active mod community in 2026. For most casual users, GZDoom is the default; Eternity earns its place as the technically careful alternative.
Pricing:
- Free: fully open source under GPL
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Eternity Engine
Bottom line: A safe long-term source port for the id Software 1990s catalog.
6. Launchbox — best cross-launcher library organizer
Launchbox is the dedicated library organizer for PC and emulated games. It scrapes box art, metadata, screenshots, and trailers, organizes everything by platform, and the BigBox mode turns it into a 10-foot interface for an HTPC. It plays well alongside GOG Galaxy, Steam, and RetroArch: each one keeps its games and Launchbox catalogs them all in one place.
Where it falls short: Windows-only. Premium tier is needed for video previews and several conveniences. Steam Deck users tend to use ES-DE instead.
Pricing:
- Free: full library and front-end features
- Paid: Premium $40 lifetime for BigBox, video previews, plug-ins
Platforms: Windows
Download: Launchbox
Bottom line: The right tool when a PC sits permanently under a TV and the family treats it as a console.
7. Internet Archive — best browser-playable abandonware
Internet Archive’s software library now hosts thousands of games (DOS, Apple II, Mac classic, Amiga, console) that run in the browser through emjsdos and other web ports. It is preservation as a public utility: anyone with a browser can play the 1980s classic that no commercial storefront still sells. The legal status of each title varies; the Archive’s collections include both donated public-domain releases and titles in copyright limbo.
Where it falls short: Browser performance is uneven. Save persistence depends on the title and the browser session. Legal status of some titles is murky.
Pricing:
- Free: full access
- Paid: none; donations welcomed
Platforms: Web
Download: Internet Archive Software Library
Bottom line: A backup option for titles that you cannot get from any commercial source. The Archive is also the best place to upload your own ROMs of titles you legally own when you want to ensure they survive a hard-drive failure.
8. PCGamingWiki — best metadata reference
PCGamingWiki is the per-game compatibility, modding, and configuration wiki for PC games. Every entry covers DRM, anti-cheat, controller support, modern-OS compatibility, ultrawide patches, frame-rate caps, and the workarounds needed to keep older titles playable. For preservation, it functions as a global archive of how to make any PC game still run.
Where it falls short: Quality varies by article. Some niche titles have stubs rather than full entries.
Pricing:
- Free: full read access, open editing
- Paid: none
Platforms: Web
Download: PCGamingWiki
Bottom line: The reference you check before, during, and after installing any older PC game. Treat it like Wikipedia for PC gaming.
How to pick the right one
A preservation setup is multi-tool by nature. The starting kit:
- For DRM-free PC games: GOG Galaxy plus a full local archive of the installers.
- For DOS games: DOSBox Staging.
- For 1990s adventure games: ScummVM.
- For retro console emulation: RetroArch.
- For id Software 1990s shooters: Eternity Engine (or GZDoom as a friendlier alternative).
- For library cataloging on Windows: Launchbox.
- For lost or browser-playable abandonware: Internet Archive.
- For compatibility research: PCGamingWiki.
Most serious archives run at least four of these in combination.
FAQ
Is it legal to back up games I own?
In most jurisdictions, making a personal backup of a game you legally own is allowed. Distributing those backups to others is not. The line between “personal use” and “distribution” matters more than the act of copying itself. Check your local copyright law.
What’s the best DOS game emulator?
DOSBox Staging in 2026, with classic DOSBox as the older but more widely documented alternative. GOG ships DOSBox alongside every DOS title; a self-managed install gives you more control.
Are abandonware sites legal?
No, the term “abandonware” has no legal status. Many of those sites distribute copyrighted software without permission. The Internet Archive’s collections are a safer source because the curators try to honor takedown notices and credit donors.
What’s Stop Killing Games?
A consumer-rights movement and European Citizens’ Initiative arguing that publishers should not be able to render a game unplayable after sale by shutting down required servers. The 2026 European Parliament hearing was a setback but the movement continues.
Can I run old games on Steam Deck?
Yes. GOG Galaxy works under Proton, RetroArch runs natively, ScummVM ships in the Discover store. Steam Deck has become one of the more popular destinations for emulated and DOS-era game archives.
How do I preserve a game I bought on Steam?
Buy the same title on GOG when possible. If GOG doesn’t sell it, archive the Steam install directory along with the launcher binaries, and use a tool like SteamCMD’s depot-download tooling to grab the raw files. Forum communities at PCGamingWiki and Internet Archive maintain the latest techniques.
