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For a lot of games you can simply copy out of Steamapps/common and run the exe and it'll run like a standalone copy.

For games that use steam features, you can drop in a steam emulator[0] to shim the API calls. I use this for when I want to run multiple versions of the base game with different mods.

Typically this works fine as long as there's no real Drm/anticheat (which is common in multi player games but rare for single player).

So this should allow you to clone parts of your library for your son to play (as well as consolidate your many accounts).

[0] https://gitlab.com/Mr_Goldberg/goldberg_emulator/blob/master...

That's odd, I thought the intention of Steam family sharing was precisely to enable that use case.

Maybe it should, but that's not how it currently works. You share at the account level, and only one user can be using (read: playing a game) an account at a time.

Personally, I get around this by using Offline Mode, but I know that workaround doesn't work in all cases, such as playing an multiplayer game while you kid plays something else.

I think this was the original idea that quickly mutated into "how do we stop the rampant account sharing enabled by this feature".

A feature that works at the intersection of actual parents who want to let their actual minor children in their actual household play games and random friend groups who are unrelated to each other except for shared Netflix passwords is really hard to locate.

Channeling Johnnie Cochran:

"If the IP addresses are the same you must let them game."

You can play someone else's shared library if they're offline ;)

And you can be offline and still play most singleplayer games, so enjoy!

Unfortunately the Steam client is simply abysmal offline. Even basic functionality such as caching game title thumbnails and viewing screenshots appears to be nerfed on purpose. You can't view your own achivements. Some games simply won't launch on the Deck offline. Now I will always try to buy a game on GOG first if it's available to avoid this sort of DRM.

So your plan is to stop using a client that is abysmal offline in order to avoid a problem that's only "better" on the other client because it doesn't implement it at all ?

Yes, on principle, against user-hostile software development practices.

Recently I was playing a game on my Steamdeck through family share for a week. I only used suspend and wake feature while in the game, and never closed the game process. I later found out the owner refunded the shortly after purchase, but Steam did not kick me out of the game. I finished the game, and I was online the whole time.

On a separate occasion, I played a game for 10 hours through family share, and then decided to get a copy of my own. Wanted to return it after 15 min, but Steam won't let me because it is considering prior 10 hours play time makes me ineligible for 2 hour refund window.

A similar gripe I have with a lot of games is the lack of local multiplayer support in PC ports of games (even ones that have local multiplayer in their console versions).

Nintendo is still King when it comes to local multiplayer but they unfortunately haven’t upgraded their hardware in quite a while and the switch was a little anemic even for its time.

It has led to a weird situation where for most games it’s only really feasible for us to play together if we are hours apart and playing over a network. Back in the ps2 / Xbox 360 era it felt like almost every game had a local split screen mode.

Companies can earn more profit by differentiating themselves from their competitors rather than trying to be the same. Microsoft brings the broadest ecosystem combining Windows and Xbox and all their cloud chops. Sony tries to be cutting edge wihth VR and exclusive high fidelity AAA titles. Nintendo caters to people who play for fun rather than the best graphics, usability over cutting edge, casual gamers and families, etc.

This is all just to say that Nintendo can't compete on hardware performance and graphics so it focuses on other things to be best at.

I was under the impression you could lend games to another account. So you and your son each have your own account, you lend him one of your games, and he can play it while you are playing a different game.

Not that I know, only family sharing. My wife and I have the same issue

Yes, however the 'leant' game to your friend can only be played whilst you yourself are not playing any games on your account.

Basically the rule is you can share and lend your games, but only 1 game from your account can be played at any one time.

I buy games via Steam and then grab a DRM-free backup elsewhere. Same with movies and music. I own my media just like the good old days.

Good to throw GOG some money too, to support selling games with offline installers and no DRM.

Epic Games store only has a 15% cut vs Steams 30%

I like Steam, including the work they’ve done with Linux/Proton and their hardware access. I wouldn’t give Tencent Epic Games a single penny.