Gamers who download pirated games aren’t anything new. However, many typically flock to torrent websites like 1337x or Torrent Galaxy. That’s why PiviGames comes across as the odd duck out.
If you randomly come across this site, you may confuse it with a gaming blog or something similar. It’s certainly set up that way. Yet deeper inspection will reveal an unusual offering. Access to any kind of cracked content is always fraught with risk. Is PiviGames safe to use?
What is PiviGames?
PiviGames is a blog that provides direct downloads for cracked games. Several file-sharing services facilitate this, including Mega, MediaFire, and GoFile. While this sounds fantastic in theory, the execution could be better.
However, one more essential point about PiviGames must be revealed before we delve further. This blog’s content is in Spanish only.
Unless you speak the language, you‘ll have to use Google Translate to read content and understand button labels. This could lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations, potentially affecting your experience and safety on the site.
How PiviGames Works
The overall layout for the PiviGames site is more blog-style than anything else. It looks like a blog that reviews games for a living. Clicking on any article image or title brings you to a blog post that starts like a game review.
You get a basic introduction to the game followed by details like platform, size, release date, etc. There’s even a link to purchase the game on Steam, an embedded YouTube game trailer, plus several screenshots of the game.
Things get interesting when you scroll further down and hit the “Instructions” segment. Unzip? ISO mounts? That doesn’t sound legitimate. And then we get to the gem: Download links.
Why Makes PiviGames Unusual?
Direct downloads used to be the norm for those distributing files. However, as software and game publishers started cracking down on piracy, many sites shifted to torrent platforms, making it easier to avoid legal takedowns.
Direct downloads are much more convenient for users since they don’t need to learn how to torrent. However, in the context of cracked games, they’re also highly illegal.
And believe us when we say the legal eagles (a.k.a. copyright trolls) are sharper-eyed than ever. They’ll issue takedown notices for things as slight as an image that uses a copyrighted logo or something similar.
Yet PiviGames has survived—and not for a short while, either. Its domain was registered in early 2017, meaning it’s been around for over seven years.
Is PiviGames Safe?
Now that we know how special PiviGames is, we come across the question that downloaders worldwide will almost unilaterally ask: Is it safe? Typically, the question is challenging to answer with a simple yes or no. We have to consider many factors.
PiviGames looks legitimate, with a decent design that speaks of some thought about the website. However, going through the download process (for academic purposes, we assure you) raises many red flags:
Language Barrier and Misleading Popups
While language barriers can be overcome, they can present a problem when combined with popups. For example, if you try downloading a file, a new tab may open, asking you to install a Chrome extension.
If careless, you may install an extension that will alter your entire browser experience. That’s not even considering the possibility of introducing malware to your system.
Broken Links and Missing Content
There are many interesting links on PiviGames, such as instructions on installing the games or video tutorials. Yet many of them lead to broken pages. In the case of embedded YouTube videos, it gets even worse when a message says the account has been terminated.
While it’s inconvenient, the site administrators aren’t overly concerned about these user-focused specifics.
Veneer of Convenience
While direct downloads increase convenience, that was in the past when games were relatively smaller in file size. Today, we have multi-gigabyte terrors that must be split into linked archives to bypass the limitations of many file-sharing platforms.
This isn’t indicated on PiviGames or the file-sharing platforms. If you aren’t aware, you might leave with part one of a four-part linked archive.
Redditor Opinions on PiviGames
We often turn to Reddit for public perception since that’s where many real user experiences can be found. Interestingly, among the handful of discussions about PiviGames, we didn’t find anyone negatively impacted by the site.
However, most comments included warnings about the site’s popups, which we mentioned earlier.
Several Redditors have also voiced support for the site and suggested it should be moved to the “safe” list on the sticky list for the r/PiratedGames mega thread.
Alternatives to PiviGames
Nowadays, we don’t recommend using sites that provide direct download links. The risk is simply too high. While it may sound odd, some torrent sites are a safer option, especially if you refer to the mega thread and remember the names of the safer sites and game repackers.
Here are some of the recommendations:
1337x is one of the kings of torrent sites. It covers almost everything, from movies to TV shows to games and applications. However, you must still pick the safe repackers when downloading from the site. For example, FitGirl, Tiny, and Kaos)
EMPRESS is a no-frills site that specifically provides magnets for games cracked by EMPRESS. It is seriously barebones, with nothing but text and ASCII art. Still, it gets the job done, and downloads are certified safe by Redditors.
RuTracker is a Russian-language torrent site in a forum-style format. It is also on the safe list, but navigating it and finding what you want can be challenging. The advantage is that you can submit requests for missing content.
MacTorrets is a specialist site for Mac users. It provides a range of torrents, including cracked games for the platform. The site is easy to use and doesn’t have intrusive advertising. Interestingly, it offers both torrents and direct downloads (via MEGA).
Final Thoughts
Our list of recommended sites shows that it isn’t just the direct downloads that make PiviGames a bit suspicious. Instead, the issue seems more to be “potentially misleading,” which poses a risk to users.
We certainly wouldn’t recommend using a site that has popups trying to get you to install random stuff on your browser or device. It’s essential cybersecurity 101, and PiviGames gets a big fat fail on this point alone.
Gamers, there are better options available. Heck, try a discounted Steam game as an alternative.