How to run Epic games through Steam

[WitzPrinz]

I have already read a thread on this but It didnt answer the question I was having hence me making another one. My specific question is: why cant I add my epic games games to my steam library
I know that when you try to do it, it shows you that some catastrophy has happend but I can open the games through double cklicking on it so why cant steam function the same way?

[Amygdala]

You should just be able to go to games -> add non steam game -> the shortcut for the Epic game, it's worked for me and Gone Home

[adz]

look at the bottom left,

[+] ADD A GAME, click that than add non steam game, select the app you want with checkbox tick hit ok ur done!

[Night]

Originally posted by WitzPrinz:

I have already read a thread on this but It didnt answer the question I was having hence me making another one. My specific question is: why cant I add my epic games games to my steam library
I know that when you try to do it, it shows you that some catastrophy has happend but I can open the games through double cklicking on it so why cant steam function the same way?

You can actually add the games from your epic games library to your steam library when using the feature of adding a non-steam game, I wouldn't assume every (or most) games will work this way, some of them may need to be launched via the Epic Games Launcher.

Games downloaded via the Epic Games Launcher are found at this directory:

"C:\Program Files\Epic Games"

This is important to know because this is where you'll find the application (.exe) file for the game(s) from the Epic Games Launcher, and you'll need those to add them as a non-steam game.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Now how to add window store games to steam?

[Night]

Originally posted by Snake:

Now how to add window store games to steam?

Well if you can find the (.exe) application for the app/game from the windows store, then you should be able to add it to steam using the non-steam game feature.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Originally posted by imNTGames:

Originally posted by Snake:

Now how to add window store games to steam?

Well if you can find the (.exe) application for the app/game from the windows store, then you should be able to add it to steam using the non-steam game feature.

Windows encrypts the games. If you go to the folder that you installed it to, windows won't let you open it even if your the admin. If you take ownership of the folder with a reg entry then the game breaks and won't run.

[Night]

Originally posted by Snake:

Originally posted by imNTGames:

Well if you can find the (.exe) application for the app/game from the windows store, then you should be able to add it to steam using the non-steam game feature.

Windows encrypts the games. If you go to the folder that you installed it to, windows won't let you open it even if your the admin. If you take ownership of the folder with a reg entry then the game breaks and won't run.

I wasn't even aware of that, in that case then it's unlikely to be able to add windows store apps to steam because of that reason.

[Lunacy]

Originally posted by imNTGames:

Originally posted by Snake:

Windows encrypts the games. If you go to the folder that you installed it to, windows won't let you open it even if your the admin. If you take ownership of the folder with a reg entry then the game breaks and won't run.

I wasn't even aware of that, in that case then it's unlikely to be able to add windows store apps to steam because of that reason.

You can just run notepad as a non-steam game and edit screenshots.

[Black Blade]

Originally posted by Snake:

Now how to add window store games to steam?

This may help:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=687564452

[adz]

gog games are better added to steam as non steam games, no client,cdkey,patch very easy.

adding uplay,origin,epic games games is abit annoying because the game requires the service and sometimes its abit harder you have to add the client instead bit of a fuss.

[Kietan]

Originally posted by Black Blade:

Originally posted by Snake:

Now how to add window store games to steam?

This may help:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=687564452

Really crappy method. Just download UWPhook.

[WitzPrinz]

Originally posted by adz:

look at the bottom left,

[+] ADD A GAME, click that than add non steam game, select the app you want with checkbox tick hit ok ur done!

Sorry for the late reply but. Have you tried doing it because none of my epic games shortcut or .exe say that they are having a catastrophic failure if I try to add them as a non steam game. I tried adding a different game which wasnt made by epic and it worked fine.

[Orvalvisje]

late reply, but actually a follow-up question: when adding an epic game to the steam library, will i be able to add workshop items to that epic game, or will that be impossible (net really impossible, as i know there is a very tedious workaround)

[⚔ Kassandra ⚔]

Originally posted by Orvalvisje:

late reply, but actually a follow-up question: when adding an epic game to the steam library, will i be able to add workshop items to that epic game, or will that be impossible (net really impossible, as i know there is a very tedious workaround)

no you won't be able do anything because you bought game from that dumb store not from the main biggest store ...so you just add as a non steam game and you will just play it and your friends will only see you play a non steam game ...

[Ducain]

I'm posting this here since someone was asking about having glitches when trying to add an Epic Launcher game to Steam.

I also made a guide version for easy linking:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2476375614

I searched online but couldn't find a good solution for a universal way to add Epic Games to Steam with all features intact and no weird quirks, so here's one that seems to work well to add any Epic Launcher based game to Steam (I mostly do it for Steam Input custom controller control and screenshots) and keep all functionality.

------ TL;DR version starts here but Details, explanation, and background starts farther down ------

Open windows CMD in administrator mode (need admin since it’s making the symlink in a program folder).

Use this code to make a symlink to Epic Launcher in the Epic Launcher folder with a custom name based upon the game you are adding (in this example AlienIsolation.exe):

mklink "C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\AlienIsolation.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\EpicGamesLauncher.exe"

Then add non-Steam game with:

Target =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\AlienIsolation.exe"

^^ that symlink we just made

Start In =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\"

Launch Options =
-com.epicgames.launcher://apps/8935bb3e1420443a9789fe01758039a5?action=launch&silent=true

^^this custom launch option code is what you see after inspecting the properties of the default shortcut Epic makes on desktop (plus a dash “ - “ at the front), this is what I saw for Alien Isolation but it’ll depend on the game

Now you can add as many Epic games the require the launcher as you want, just be sure to close the Epic Launcher after you’re done playing to clear the Steam overlay and running game from the Epic Launcher and Steam.


---------------- Background and explanation of other methods starts here, TL;DR at top --------

For adding various Epic Launcher games to Steam, I usually just try to add the game’s executable after it’s installed and try to run it without Epic Launcher

Use the bottom left corner
"Add A Game" option on Steam
"Add a Non-Steam Game"
then navigate to the game's exe folder
For instance, I have installed Alien Isolation to my D drive (not my system C drive) in "D:\Gamez\Epic Gamez\AlienIsolation\AI.exe"

Some games need a custom launch option to disable launching it through epic … -epicportal … and it becomes effectively DRM free, but a lot of games will just runs straight away with no need for -epicportal (however no epic cloud saves).

However, although this will launch the game, it sometimes breaks things, like the save game function for Alien Isolation. It also doesn't use the cloud sync feature from the Epic Launcher for any game added this way. This is not the only game that has had a qwerk like this.

My previous solution was to add the Epic Launcher itself as an executable to Steam, and then use a custom launch option ripped from the default Epic Launcher made desktop icon with a dash “ - “ added at the front to immediately and automatically launch the game.

For instance, my custom shortcut info for Alien Isolation would be (seen by right clicking the non Steam game entry in Steam and choosing properties):

Target =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\EpicGamesLauncher.exe"

Start In =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\"

Launch Options =
-com.epicgames.launcher://apps/8935bb3e1420443a9789fe01758039a5?action=launch&silent=true

^^this code is what you see after inspecting the properties of the default shortcut Epic makes on desktop (plus a dash “ - “ at the front)

This works, with two caveats.
#1 You must close the epic launcher manually after playing the game otherwise the launcher is running in the background as a steam game with the overlay (it’s weird)
#2 The next time this happens with a game you want to add, you must either delete the shortcut, change it, etc.

This is bad for many reasons. You’d only be able to have one Epic Launcher game at a time. Or it would mess up my process of puting my finished games in various good/bad/playlater categories, and because there’s only one epic launcher executable, steam can’t keep track of it.

I’ve found a way to fix #2 by creating a fake executable (symlink) named after the new game I want to add in the same folder as the epic launcher executable. This symlink is basically a hardcore shortcut that I make point to the epic launcher instead of the game. Then I point the non-steam game dialog chooser to the fake executable named after the game (but actually it’s technically pointing at the launcher). I then add the funky launch option (ripped from Epic Launcher’s default desktop shortcut) I described above with a dash at the front to its custom Launch Options in its properties.

To see the better process, go back up to the TL;DR version.