Can I run a steam game without updating it first?

Solution 1:

Answer would be - it depends. Some games require activation, and it might start downloading soon after the activation is over. Try starting Steam in offline mode and then launch the game - and see if it works

Solution 2:

If you have the actual disc, or a Steam backup disc, then yes.

Once a Steam game is installed, you can go to your Steam library, right-click the game's name, choose Properties, click the Updates tab, and change the Automatic Updates dropdown to "Do not automatically update this game."

It's a good idea to go into Offline mode before doing this, or launching Steam while not connected to a network so that it doesn't start downloading the update automatically.

Important Note: Turning off auto-update is almost worthless on multiplayer games, as the servers tend to run the latest version. This includes such popular games as Counter-Strike (original and Source) and Team Fortress 2.

Solution 3:

Try running the game with steam in "offline mode". I'm not sure what will happen if you switch to this if steam has already started downloading an update, but I think it's your best bet.