It’s no secret that games can be expensive. While you could get some games that are on sale on sites like Steam and GOG or pay monthly subscriptions like PC Game Pass, it’s still tempting to get video games for free. After all, everybody likes free stuff.
Now, enter torrenting sites: places where you can get files without dishing out your credit card. Just by downloading the torrent file and putting it on a BitTorrent client, you can have the cracked version of the game. That’s it. While your friends paid like a hundred bucks to get their games from official platforms, you got yours for free. And you still have your money reserved for something else.
But then, it’s also no secret that things like this seem too good to be true.
Before you decide to visit gaming torrent websites, read on to know everything about games torrents. Let’s dive in.
What is Gamestorrents? Is it Legal?
Gamestorrents is a site that offers a large catalog of downloadable, copyrighted games over a peer-to-peer file transfer. Note on the emphasis of the word “copyrighted”. Therefore, although there is nothing illegal about a peer-to-peer file transfer, a torrented copy is illegal.
Like all forms of media, video games are often copyrighted materials. The correct licensing is not included in torrented games, instead, they use cracked copies that overwrite the protection software with a fake serial code.
While sharing and downloading torrents aren’t illegal, distributing copyrighted material is not. Piracy is illegal in many countries. Torrenting copyrighted material, likewise, is also illegal.
Is Gamestorrents Safe?
Though the site itself may be safe to use, there is no way to truly tell if the files are as they are described.
Torrents use a special system to maximize the files’ health, commonly referred to as seeders and leachers. Leachers are the number of sources downloading that data, and seeders are the number of sources uploading small pockets of the data. Given the pockets of data come from public sources, you never know who is sending them or what’s been sent with them.
Often, a file might be embedded with viruses such as Trojan horses, which are malicious malware that disguises itself as legitimate software but can allow access to your entire PC, personal data, and even in some incidences your IP address. Viruses aside, your IP address is at even more risk. Whether you are seeding or leaching data, your IP address is being broadcast publicly. Without the use of a VPN, your peers could be easily intercepted giving your location to anyone who has access to the torrent.
You should also be careful of adverts and pop-ups on the site. Often on torrent sites, these have also been embedded with viruses damaging both your computer and your personal data.
Should You Download Cracked Games?
Short answer, no. Cracked games are often embedded with harmful viruses. It is also against the law to download illegal copies. Torrents or torrent sites are regularly intercepted by law enforcement, and downloading may lead to serious charges.
All of this aside, cracked games are very damaging to the gaming industry, and the people who make the games that we love. Without legitimate copies being purchased, the industry will suffer making it hard to create these titles and advance the industry.
Top Game Torrent Sites
Below, we listed some of the most popular websites people go to download game torrent files, along with the pros and cons for each. Take note that using a game torrent site isn’t safe and could get you into trouble, so check them out with extra caution.
After checking out several gaming torrents websites, I found three that may actually be a bit less risky than others.
Be careful in entering these websites, especially if you use Google to search them. Many of these have a sort of “lookalike” website, having similar names with only very minor differences (e.g., instead of .net it has a .com domain, alternative spelling, extra letters, etc.). These “lookalike” websites (as I would like to call them) are fake torrents websites. Full of viruses and malware, it lay in wait for the next victim to fall in. Avoid clicking or downloading anything until you are sure it’s safe. Spoiler alert: it’s usually not, so again, proceed with care.
-
The Pirate Bay
Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay is considered one of the “old guard” when it comes to file sharing, including ones that are copyrighted. Since its establishment, The Pirate Bay has garnered quite a controversy because of the legality of its ecosystem. Many file-sharing websites came and went, but The Pirate Bay still stands. This is amid the many problems it has faced over the years like raids by authorities and domain blocking by some countries. If you live in one of those countries, you will need a VPN to access the site. There are also proxy and mirror sites you can use.
The reason why The Pirate Bay made it to our list despite it being not as easy to navigate as the other torrent sites is because of its enduring popularity (or notoriety). From movies to PC games, the website has it all.
However, if you’re looking to browse games in hopes of finding something to download, Pirate Bay isn’t for you. Unlike Skidrow Codex and Gamestorrents, you won’t see a catalog of games upon opening their website. Because it operates on a search-based system, you need to be clear on what game you’d like to find before using it.
But even the King of Torrents isn’t perfectly safe to use.
- You will need a VPN to access ThePirateBay. Not just to unblock the website, but also to protect your IP and yourself from possible malicious attacks. ThePirateBay also scores very low on sites that detect online scams.
- Sometimes, even simply opening the website will make your antivirus or malware blocker (if you have one) spam notifs on anything suspicious found on the site. Legit or not, you will have to take chances if you decide to go through with it.
- Although visiting ThePirateBay doesn’t automatically put you at risk, there’s no guarantee that the torrent file you downloaded doesn’t have a Trojan embedded in it. Your best bet is to check the comments for any complaints from other users, but even that isn’t foolproof.
-
Skidrow Codex Games
Next on our list of top game torrent sites is Skidrow Codex Games. Unlike the search-based system ThePirateBay has, Skidrow Codex’s contents are organized into a catalog. They also have a sleeker website compared to the latter. Therefore, if you are the type who likes to browse and see what games might be interesting, you might prefer Skidrow Codex.
Another thing that differentiates it from ThePirateBay is that Skidrow Codex is dedicated to video games. The website is also updated frequently and well-maintained, which is the reason we placed it on our list of the best game torrent sites.
Like The Pirate Bay, however, there are a number of caveats using the website. Be careful in downloading anything if you decide to get torrent files here. Again:
- The torrent files you download may still contain malware and viruses. More often than not, your antivirus will mark it and BitTorrent as a Trojan.
- While Skidrow Codex doesn’t have as many ads and pop-ups as other torrent websites, it still pays to be extra careful when clicking links as this could expose your computer to viruses, spyware, and security attacks. Some pop-ups could still show up from time to time.
- You don’t normally require a VPN to access the website because it’s not as widely banned as The Pirate Bay, but it helps to have one to be safe. Turn on your VPN and maybe your antivirus, too, while accessing the website.
-
Gamestorrents
Last but not the least is the torrent site which is probably the reason why you are reading this article in the first place: Gamestorrents. Gamestorrents is a Spanish website, but you don’t need to speak the language to navigate the website. You can always change the language, either on its native translator or using Google Translate.
It has plenty of games, including ones that can only be played on consoles. PC gamers who would like to play XBOX, PS4, or even Mac games on an emulator could use Gamestorrents. To be fair, Gamestorrents doesn’t have many spammy ads and has a user-friendly interface, which is perhaps why it’s one of the more “trusted torrents” sites around.
Then again, there are a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking of using Gametorrents:
- Although the Gamestorrents website is relatively safe to browse if you’re just looking around, downloading torrent files could carry a great risk. These files could still contain malware and Trojans within them.
- Like other torrent websites, it’s advised not to click or download links and files haphazardly.
- While you don’t need a VPN to open the website, it’s highly recommended to use a VPN and/or antivirus even while only browsing.
Besides these three, there are other torrent sites that people visit to get free games, including LimeTorrents.wiki, Kickass Torrents, and Gazelle Games.
- LimeTorrents is the go-to place for those looking for new games.
- Kickass Torrents was a popular torrent website before it went offline in 2016 but now it has been replaced.
- Gazelle Games is one of the more “trusted torrent sites” where you can get high-quality torrents.
Needless to say, downloading torrent files from these websites poses the same risks as the first three I have discussed, so check them out at your own risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are uTorrent games safe?
The short answer is no: it’s not safe to download cracked and uTorrent games. The torrent file itself is likely free of virus, uTorrent itself is overall safe, but there may be an infected file embedded in it. More often than not, you won’t know it until you download the game and by then your computer may have already been exposed to risk. Others recommend checking comments on the torrent and file content to know if it has a virus, but there’s still a small chance you would get a malware or a Trojan anyway.
What are good torrenting websites for games?
Three of the most popular torrenting websites are The Pirate Bay, Skidrow Game Codex, and Gamestorrents. Other torrenting sites include Lime Torrents, Kickass Torrents, and Gazelle Games.
How illegal is torrenting games?
While torrenting itself isn’t illegal, torrenting copyrighted material is. Depending on where you live, you can get into trouble with the law torrenting games.
Is torrenting games still a thing?
Yes, many people still torrent games even now.
How to torrent games in 2023?
Torrenting games is usually done by downloading the torrent file and then opening it on a BitTorrent client to download the cracked game.
Torrenting games is highly risky, so it’s highly recommended to use a VPN when doing so.
Conclusion
Games can be quite pricey, which is why a lot of people go to torrent sites to get them for free. But like they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Therefore, it’s best to be extra careful when visiting or using torrent sites like Gametorrents. However, if you can afford to buy the game, it’s still the better option. Not only are you sure it’s safe and legal, you will also be supporting the studios and developers who make them.
Arry
Arry, also known as ArryBo, is a full time Partnered Twitch streamer from the southeast of England! Video gaming and music are two of the passions he shares on his stream.