How to Download Online Games

Last Updated: December 22, 2020

This wikiHow teaches you different ways to download games from the internet onto a computer, phone, or tablet. If you're using Windows or macOS, you could use a free app like Steam to download games of all genres. EA Games fans can use Origin to download their favorite titles. And if you're using an Android, iPhone, or iPad, you can use the Play Store or App Store to download tons of free and paid games from worldwide developers.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Steam on PC or Mac

1
Download and install Steam. Use the following steps to download and install Steam.
- Navigate to https://store.steampowered.com using a web browser.
- Click Install Steam. It's the green button in the upper-right corner of the web page.
- Click Install Steam. It's the blue button in the center of the page. This downloads the Steam Install file.
- Double-click the Steam Install file in your web browser or "Downloads" folder.
2
Follow the instructions to download Steam. The Installer program walks you through the steps of installing Steam. It includes the following instructions. Allow a few minutes for Steam to update once it is finished installing.
- Click Yes if asked if you want to allow the installer to make changes to your system.
- Click Next.
- Select a language and click Next.
- Click Install.
- Click Finish.
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3
Open Steam. Steam has a blue icon that resembles a rotary piston. Click the icon in the Windows Start menu, or Applications folder on Mac to open Steam. Steam will automatically start after it finishes installing.
4
Click Create an account or Login to an existing account. If you do not have a Steam account, click Create an account and fill out the form to create an account. If you already have an account, click Login to an existing account, and enter your username or email and password to log in.
5
Double-click the Steam icon in the taskbar or dock. This opens the Store in the Steam client.
6
Click Store. It's the first tab at the top of the Steam client. This opens the Steam Store.
7
Browse games. Use the drop-down menu below Games to browse for games by type, genre, or platform.
- If you know the name of the game you want to download, you can type it in the search bar in the upper-right corner of the Steam client.
8
Click a game title. Once you find a game you like in the store, click the game title to display the game information page.
9
Scroll down and click Play Game or Add to Cart. Steam has many games that are free to play. To play one of these games, click the green button that says "Play Game" on the game information page to install the game.
- If the game has a purchase price, you will need to Buy the game before you can download it. Once a game is purchased, it shows up in your Game library.
10
Click Library. It's the second tab at the top of the Steam client. This displays a list of all your purchased games.
11
Click a game you want to download. This displays the game information page.
12
Click Install and follow the instructions. Click the blue button that says Install to begin the installation process. Follow any onscreen instructions that may pop-up while the game is installing. You may have to agree to the game's terms of service.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Origin on PC or Mac

1
Download and install the Origin Client. Use the following steps to download and install Origin on PC or Mac.
- Go to https://www.origin.com in a web browser. This is the website for Origin. Origin is the online store for Electronic Arts (EA) games.
- Click Download in the sidebar menu to the left.
- Click Download below "Windows" or "Mac".
- Double-click the install file in your web browser or Applications folder.
- If you are asked if you want to allow the installer to make changes to your system, click Yes.
2
Follow the instructions to install Origin. Use the following instructions to install Origin.
- Click Install Origin.
- Click the checkbox to indicate you have read and accepted the End User License Agreement.
- Click Continue.
- Click Yes if asked to allow Origin to make changes to your system.
- If asked to restart your system after installing Origin, save anything you are working on and click Yes to restart your system.
3
Open the Origin client. It has an icon that has an orange circle with points on top and bottom. Click the icon in the Windows Start menu, or Applications folder on Mac to launch the Origin client.
- Origin will launch automatically after installation.
4
Click Sign In or Create an account. If you already have an origin or EA account, click Sign in at the top of the login screen. If you do not have an Origin account, click Create an account.
5
Log in or create an account. If you already have an Origin or EA account, click Sign In enter your username or email and password and click Sign In. If you do not have an account, click Create an account and fill out the form to create an account. You'll need to provide your birthday, email, first and last name, as well as the country you live in. You'll also need to create a username and password you can use to log in.
6
Click Browse Games. It's in the sidebar to the left. This displays a list of games. You can use the column on the right to browse games by popularity, alphabetically, or by genre.
- If you know the name of a game you want to download, you can type it in the search bar at the top of the sidebar on the left.
7
Click a game. Once you find a game you want to download, click to view the game information page.
8
Click Get the Game. This displays purchase options for the game.
9
Scroll down and click Buy Now. It's at the bottom of the page that has purchase options. The button also has the game price in it.
- Alternatively, you can click Join Basic Today or Join Premier Today to get discounts and free games.
10
Click Buy Now below the game edition you want to buy. You can purchase the base game or a version of the game that includes expansion packs and downloadable content. Click the orange button below the edition you want to purchase.
11
Click a payment method. Payment methods are listed in tabs at the top of the Payment Information window. You can pay with a credit card, PayPal, EA Wallet, or Alipay.
12
Fill out the payment information and click Proceed to Review Order. After you select a payment method, fill out the form with all the relevant payment information and click the orange button that says Proceed to Review Order.
13
Click Submit. It's at the bottom of the Review Order page. This places your order and purchases your game.
14
Click My Game Library. It's in the sidebar to the left of the Origin Client. This displays a list of all of your purchased games.
15
Click a game you want to download. This displays the game title page.
16
Click Download. It's the orange button on the game title page.
17
Select a language and click Next. Use the drop-down menu next to select a language and then click Next.
18
Select a game location and click Next. If you want to change the install location, click Change Location and select a location. Click Next to continue.
19
Click the checkbox and click Next. This indicates that you have read all the license agreements and installs your game. Once the game finishes downloading, you can launch the game by clicking the game icon on your desktop, or in the Windows Start menu, or Applications folder on Mac.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using The Google Play Store On Android

1
Open the Google Play Store
. It has an icon of a colorful 'Play' triangle. You can find the Google Play Store on your home screen, or in the apps drawer.
2
Tap Games. It's the first tab at the top of the Google Play Store.
3
Browse games. Use the tabs in the white bar at the top of the screen to browse games. To see a list recommended games, tap For You, Top Charts or Editor's Choice. To see a list of family games, tap Family. To browse for games by genre, tap Categories.
- If you know the name of a game you want to download, tap the search bar at the top of the Google Play Store and type the name of the game. Then tap the game title.
4
Tap a game title. This displays an information page about the game as well as install options.
5
Tap Install. It's the green button below the game title on the game information price. This installs the game. Once the game is finished installing, you can tap the game in the Apps menu or home screen to launch the game.
- If the button has a price in it, that means you need to purchase the game in order to download it. To download a game, you first need to have a payment method on file, then tap the price tag and tap 1-tap buy at the bottom of the screen.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using the Apple Store on iPhone and iPad

1
Open the App Store
. It has a blue icon with a capital "A" in the middle Tap the icon on your Home screen to open the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
2
Tap Games. It's the second tab at the bottom of the App Store. This displays a list of games you can browse.
3
Browse for games. Use the Games page to browse games. There are a variety of categorized games on the Games page. To see a complete list of games in a category, tap See All in the upper-right corner of the category section. To see more categories, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
- Games that say GET are free to download. Games that have a price tag next to them must be purchased.
- If you know the name of a game you want to download, tap the tab that says Search at the bottom of the App Store and then type the name of the game in the Search bar.
4
TapGET next to a game. This installs the game on your iPhone or iPad. Once the game finishes downloading, you can tap the game icon on your home screen to launch the game.
- If the game has a purchase price, you'll need to Add a payment method to your Apple ID. Then tap the button with the price in it and enter your passcode or touch ID to confirm your purchase.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I download online 3D games?

Community Answer

If it is available for download there will be a button somewhere that says "Download." If there is no download button, it is probably not available.
Question

How can I do this on Windows?

Community Answer

Go on Google. Search for the game, and there should be a button that says "Buy" or "Download."
Question

How do I download a Java game?

Community Answer

Make sure you have Java first. If you don't, download it from the official Java website. Then just find the game you want and click on the "Download" button/link. It should launch a setup wizard when it's finished downloading.