Steam – Using steam game key without steam installation

heroes-of-might-and-magic-5steamUbuntuwine

I want to play Heroes 5 on my ubuntu 13.04. I installed steam and it works. I have purchased the Might and Magic 5 bundle, so I have Heroes 5 with the two expansions and other game that come along. But when I select Heroes 5 item from the install list, it says, you cannot install this game on your platform. It means you cannot install the game on Ubuntu/Linux.

So I want to ask is it possible to install Heroes 5 on Wine/PlayOnLinux with the same product key from Steam?

Or maybe you can recommend me a way to install it on Linux?

Ok. I am trying this with my native ubuntu 12.04 and I have ubuntu 13.04 in Virtual machine on which I am testing installation. Why Steam on Ubuntu 12.04 allows me to install Heroes 5, but it breaks when I press a keyboard key? And why Steam on ubuntu 13.04 says I cannot install it on my platform? Because it is virtual machine?

For example I see Portal/Portal2 install button on Steam/Virtual Ubuntu 13.04

Best Answer

This is a little bit tricky. The oddest concept you need to know is that there are two ways to install Steam on Ubuntu. One natively, and one through Wine. THESE WILL NOT RUN THE SAME GAMES. The native Steam version will only let you install games with a native version, and I think you've discovered that does not include HoM&M5.

However, the Steam version installed through Wine (Winetricks helps with this) will run anything you can coax into working with Wine.

Most people seem to have had varying levels of success, but overall it looks fairly likely that you could get it to work.