How to Install a Torrent Game

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 Tested

Torrents are one of the most popular ways to share files online. You can find virtually any game through various torrent sites online. Installing a game you download via torrent is a little more involved than installing a purchased game. You'll need to crack the copy-protection on the game. This wikiHow teaches you how to download and install a torrent game.

Things You Should Know

To install a torrent game, you'll need to download a client such as BitTorrent.
Downloading copy-right materials through torrents can put you in legal trouble.
Beware of viruses when downloading torrents.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Downloading the Torrent

1
Understand the risks and legality. Many torrent files contain copy-right material that is illegal to download and install in most countries.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.} In addition to fines, you could lose your online gaming privileges and access to games you bought digitally. Your online activity is being tracked by your internet service provider and various government agencies. Additionally, as much as 90% of pirated games have been found to contain viruses and malware that can damage your computer. Some developers have even started including anti-piracy methods that break the game or add irritating features to pirated versions of the game.^{[2]
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Research source}
- If you must download and install torrent games, it is recommended that you use a VPN while searching for and downloading torrents. Make sure your computer has a trusted antivirus program installed that you can use to scan any files you download for viruses.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}
2
Download and install a BitTorrent client.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.} These programs allow you to download torrent files using Torrents.. Torrent files are very small, but point to larger files that are being shared by another user. Popular torrent clients include uTorrent, qTorrent, BitTorrent, and Vuze.
- Warning: Many BitTorrent clients contain bundled software. When installing a BitTorrent client, be sure to decline any offers to install additional software by unchecking the box on the offer, or clicking the button to decline the offer.
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3
Find the torrent file for the game you want to download. There are a variety of places you can look for torrents online. Make sure that the torrent has positive comments, as this increases the chances that you're downloading a working copy without viruses. Popular torrent search sites include The Pirate Bay, zooqle.com, and kickasstorrents.
- Warning: Many torrent search sites contain ads and links to adult content and other not-safe-for-work material. Visit torrent search sites at your own risk.
- Try to find a torrent that has a lot of "seeders". These are the people that are sharing the files, and the more you can connect to, the faster your download can go (up to your connection's limit).
- Torrent sites often change their web address to avoid being shut down by the authorities. Use a search engine such as Google to find a current list of active torrent search sites.
4
Download the torrent file. Most torrent sites have a button that resembles a magnet, or a direct download button. Click this button to download the torrent file. Torrent files are very small and will usually download in a couple of seconds.
- Caution: Many torrent sites have false download links that may contain viruses, malware, or links to malicious website.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.} Make sure the download link you click is the correct link.
5
Open the torrent file in your BitTorrent client. Most torrent clients will be set to automatically open .torrent files. If it doesn't open in the torrent client, right-click it in your Downloads folder and select Open With. Then click your newly-installed client from the list of programs.
6
Wait for your download to complete. This may take a while, especially if the game is very large or there aren't many seeders. In order speed up torrent downloads, be sure to download torrents that have lots of seeders, and limit the number of active downloads in the Settings menu of your BitTorrent client.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Installing the Game

1
Download and install an archive extractor (if necessary). Many torrent downloads come in RAR (.rar) or ZIP (.zip) format. These are archive files that need special software in order to unpack. The most popular free option for opening these files is 7-Zip.
2
Determine what file format the game is. There are two main formats that your downloaded game will be in: EXE (or DMG on Mac) or ISO. The EXE format means that you can run the setup file and everything will be installed from the installer. An ISO file is an image of a physical disc. It needs to be either burned to a CD/DVD, or mounted on your computer in a virtual drive. You can mount an ISO file using File Explorer on Windows, or the Finder on Mac.
3
Read the included text or README file. Most torrent games come with a text file with specific installation instructions. This is very important to read, as many games have certain tasks that need to be accomplished in the right order for the installation to work correctly. Always read the text files that come with the download link.
4
Run the installer. This will vary significantly depending on the game, but generally, you'll need to either run the EXE file or mount/burn the ISO file and run the installer from the disc. You can usually run the installer like you would if you had purchased the game, but make sure you're following the instructions in the README file.
- Be sure to scan programs you download through torrents before running them.
5
Crack the program. Cracking software means that you remove or bypass the copy-protection features that come with software. The text/README file that comes with the download should explain how to do this. The following are some examples of how a game might be cracked:
- If you are lucky, the program will come pre-cracked by the person who uploaded the torrent.
- Some games require you to replace the main EXE file in the installed game's folder with a cracked version. You'll then run this replacement EXE file every time you want to play the game. Be sure to scan any EXE files for viruses before running them.
- Some games require you to run a key generator program that will provide you with a working CD-key. Be sure to scan any key generators or crack programs for viruses before you run them.
- Some games have a simple EXE file that you will need to run once in order to unlock the game. Be sure to scan any EXE files for viruses before you download them.
- In some cases, you may be asked to edit configuration files in order to play the game. You'll find the instructions in the README file.
6
Play the game. Use whatever method the README file dictates to start playing the game. You may have to run the game's configuration program the first time you start to set your graphics options.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I torrent safely?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

You want to only get your torrent files from a trusted source, meaning a website or a person you know can be trusted. Make sure you have a good, solid antivirus and anti-spyware program, something that will scan and make sure the file is okay before it actually gets put into your file system.
Question

How do I know there's no virus?

Community Answer

Check for customer reviews, and download from websites that don't redirect to another unrelated website.
Question

What do I do if the readme note sends me to "password.text" and then freezes?

Community Answer

You probably stumbled upon a fake "torrent". Fake torrents usually need some kind of a password to work.