Downloading steam games via cli

With almost no bandwidth at home, I needed a way to download DOOM that didn't involve blocking the home internet line for two days. Besides finding a friend with a good internet line, I also found that using steamcmd you can use any computer to download steam games. No need to bring your gaming rig to your friend house to download the game, they can download it for you or you can use a laptop without steam.

Downloading the game

1. Install steamcmd following the official instructions.
2. Open it and log-in with your username and password: login username password
3. Set the operating system and bitness (32/64 bits) for the game. For example, I downloaded DOOM from a mac for a 64bit Windows
4. @sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows
5. @sSteamCmdForcePlatformBitness 64
6. Choose a folder name: force_install_dir ./DOOM
7. Go to https://steamdb.info/ and find the APPID of the game you want to download.
8. Start the download: app_update 379720 validate

This will generate a folder called DOOM with the game inside and one extra folder: steamapps where an appmanifest_xxx.vcf file will be created. We will use that file later to add the game to the steam library.

Installing the game back at your gaming station

1. Close steam.
2. Find your steam folder.
3. Copy the game where the other games are. Usually the steamapps\common folder. Leave the name of the folder unchanged
4. From the game, you've just copied, move the appmanifest file to the steamapps folder (Where other manifest files are).
5. Open steam and you should see your game as installed in your library.
6. You can verify that your game is ok following these instructions.