Confusing to find how to install Free Games

[mickeyj4j]

Hi all I am a New User to RetroPie I have a setup On my RPI 4 B+ 8Gb.
I have a dual boot setup Running the latest Pinn/Noobs installer and use that to install RetroPie 4 4.8. My main os on the Pi is Raspbian/Raspberry Pi OS) I though RetorPie was Based On Raspbian/Debian.
On first boot (dont have a gamepad etc yet).

1. I went through the Keyboard setup ok
2. When it got to the OK button I couldn't get it to move on for ages. I pressed all keys on the Keyboard and emulation station would eventually crash. So I had to reboot my Pi again.
3. I also watched several videos that said to setup keyboard but not showing the full process.
4. This took me days even several reinstalls.
5. At this stage all I could do is press F4 to bypass keyboard setup.
6. The Only tool I knew of was raspi-config so I booted that.
7. Raspi-Config doesen't have a package manager and I didn't remember any of the games install packages to try so I thought It would be easy to install LightDM so I could at least use the Package manager there to install arcade games I know work With Keyboard.
8. So I installed that but had trouble even finding how to start a GUI from the terminal trying many things. I couldn't find much help on the RPI or RetroPie Forums either.
9. Finally after several weeks of trying and failing so many things. I happened to press the A/South button (chose keyboard c key for this) before any other key and things worked, I learnt how to get in and out of menus etc now.
10. one annoying thing is that on reboot to get to the RetroPie or EmulationStation Gui I have to keep resetting up the Keyboard each time. (I haven't found a way to get around that yet).
    I could finally use emulation station menus.
11. along the way I also turned on Retro Pie Menu and now just have that. instead of emulation Station.
12. Next I went looking on how to install Games. This wasn't easy either.
13. I looked on both the RPI Forums and mainly the RetroPie website and forums. I searched for How to install Games, Free Games, games etc. and couldn't find a list of free games easily.
14. Then I looked up videos on YouTube and stumbled across this video.
    
15. Video (9 years old at this time, it would be great to have a more updated video though), shows how to use the RetroPie Setup Script(Currently looking into this and will install some games etc soon).

So from this process I have some Ideas that I feel would help make things easier for New users.
so from this page of the setup guide click here under the section Additional Setup Options having san option similar to
"for setup options like installing the built in game emulators and free game packages etc, see the guide on how to use the Setup Script here" (takes you to information on using the setup script).

Thanks for listening to my rant etc. and I patriciate any help or clarifications you have on these ideas.

[mitu]

@mickeyj4j said in Confusing to find how to install Free Games:

So from this process I have some Ideas that I feel would help make things easier for New users.
so from this page of the setup guide click here under the section Additional Setup Options having san option similar to
"for setup options like installing the built in game emulators and free game packages etc, see the guide on how to use the Setup Script here" (takes you to information on using the setup script).

I think this is already covered. Under Additional Setup Options it says:

In RetroPie, not everything is installed by default. The pre-made images contain the best-working emulators for the more common systems supported by the hardware. This should cover typical use, but if you want to install additional emulators or ports, the Updating RetroPie page has this information.

and it has a link to where the usage of the setup script to install/update packages is described.

Did I understood your sentence wrong or is it another link you'd like to be added under the Additional Setup Options ? BTW, we don't advertise any Free Games anywhere, though some ports include either the full or the demo/shareware verison when it's freely available (e.g. FreeDoom when installing Doom, Descent/Quake shareware version, OpenTyrian full version, etc.)