How did people buy computer games before Steam was launched?

Before Steam became the default way to grab PC games, buying a new title was a much more varied, hands‑on affair. Here are the main ways people got their computer games in the pre‑Steam era.

Brick‑and‑Mortar Retail Stores

From the late 1980s all the way to the late 2000s, the most common method was walking into a physical shop and taking a box off the shelf [19][15].

• You’d find games at general retailers like Toys‑R‑Us, Wal‑Mart, and K‑Mart, as well as at pure game chains like Best Buy, EB Games, FuncoLand, Babbage’s, Software Etc., Egghead Software, and the later GameStop [1][2][4][5][6].
• Used games were often picked up at places like Hollywood Video/Game Crazy [1].
• The PC game section was a treasure hunt: enormous, irregular boxes lined the shelves, and many a purchase was inspired by eye‑catching box art or a single intriguing screenshot on the back [3][6][7].
• On launch days, people literally waited in lines at the store in hopes of snagging a copy [20].

Shareware and BBS Ordering

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, a different model flourished: shareware on Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) – early online message boards [8][11][12].

• A developer would upload a free demo, and players could download and try it.
• Inside the demo was an advertisement with ordering instructions; if you liked the game, you’d mail in your payment and receive the full physical version [9][21].
• This was especially popular with indie and small‑studio titles [11].
• A typical price ran $20–$40; for example, a 1993 shareware trilogy cost $40 plus shipping and handling [14][13].

Magazine Cover Disks

PC gaming magazines regularly stuffed floppy disks or CD‑ROMs into their issues. Those cover disks could hold game demos – and sometimes complete, full‑priced games [18][16].

• One notable haul: PC Gamer’s Classic Games Collection disc in July 2000 gave away full copies of Need for Speed, two Ultima titles, and the first Monkey Island game [16].
• Amiga Power and many other magazines did the same, turning your local newsagent into a game distributor [17].

Mail Order

In the earliest days, you didn’t go to a store or download anything – you ordered the game and it arrived in the post [23].

• Games were sold on floppy disks, cassette tapes, and ROM cartridges and mailed directly to customers [23].
• Small publishing companies like Acornsoft and Mastertronic helped produce and sell those physical copies [24].

Early Digital Distribution (Before Steam Existed)

Even without a Steam‑like store, some developers were already selling games in a purely digital way:

• You would download the demo, then buy a license key that instantly unlocked the full version on your machine [10].
• Later, sites like Tucows offered direct digital downloads of full games [22].

All of these methods overlapped and evolved over time, but they share one big difference from today: you almost always ended up with a box, a disc, or a manual in your hands – and often a great story about how you tracked it down.