Game Demos - General Information
Game demos are a playable preview of a computer game made available by the a game's developer/publisher that are installed as a stand alone game/application. Game demos are typically released prior to or soon after the game's official retail release and are used both as a promotional tool by the publishers and developers and as a purchasing tool for gamers to help determine if the game is worth purchasing or not. Computer game demos give gamers a great opportunity to preview a particular game before buying.Typically publishers make one mission, level or game-play time limit available on the game demo to give gamers a taste of what the full retail version of the game may be like. These demos distributed by the publishers and can be found in a number of places including promotional CD-ROMs, magazine CD-ROMs and various game demo hosting sites. All computer game demos are free and you should never have to purchase a game demo unless you purchased a magazine that includes demos on a CD-ROM or a site subscription/membership in order to receive faster downloads speeds.
Finding Demos
There are quite a few resources for finding computer game demos, one of the best places you can start is the Game Demos A to Z list found on this site. It provides an easy and organized way to look through all of the demos that are profiled here. Each demo profile includes some general info on the game/demo as well as download links where you can download the game for free. In addition to the Game Demos A to Z, there is also a list for the latest game demo profiles added to the site and a most popular game demos list.Using your favorite search engine is also an easy way to find a game demo, some of the top game demo sites include File Front, File Shack, File Planet and Big Download just to name a few. Many of the download hosting sites offer downloads free of charge but typically have a cap on bandwidth for non-paying members/subscribers. With the demo pages here, I try to include download links from sites that have acceptable download speeds.
More and more demos these days are becoming available through digital distribution platforms such as Valve's Steam or Stardock's Impulse. These applications offer both free demo downloads and full game purchases that are installed directly to your PC. Finally, you can also find game demos in packaged magazines such as PC Gamer or Total PC Gaming. Gaming magazines such as these often include a promotional CD or DVD that includes game demos, trailers, screenshots and other game assets.
