Where the gigabytes actually sit
Galaxy is built on web technology, so its store and community tabs are essentially a Chromium browser that never closes — and browsers cache. Add a text log for every session and every installation, plus installers that stay on disk after their job is done, and you get a client that grows without gaming. None of this touches your saves, your settings or your games.
- Web cache — %LOCALAPPDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\webcache, cached store pages; grows into gigabytes, safe to delete with Galaxy closed
- Client logs — %PROGRAMDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\logs, plain-text logs of every launch and installation
- Downloaded depots — %PROGRAMDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\downloads, installer and patch files Galaxy keeps after installs finish
- Per-game redist — _redist and __support folders inside each game directory, DirectX and Visual C++ installers that ran once at setup
- Storage — %LOCALAPPDATA%\GOG.com\Galaxy\storage, settings and databases; not junk, back it up instead
A cleanup that keeps Galaxy logged in
Quit Galaxy completely first — it lives in the system tray and keeps files locked while it looks closed. Then delete webcache, logs and the downloads folder wholesale; the client rebuilds the cache on next launch and re-downloads depot files only if an installation actually needs them again. Your login, settings and game list live in storage, which is why that folder stays untouched. The per-game _redist and __support folders you delete per title after checking the game still runs — across a library of dozens, that is a few hundred megabytes each.
One habit is worth forming: treat the offline installers you downloaded as archives, not as cache. If you keep them for reinstalling without internet, they belong on an external drive. If you never install from local files, they are dead weight sitting in the downloads folder.
Questions and Answers
Is it safe to delete the GOG Galaxy webcache folder?
Yes, with the client fully closed. It is a Chromium cache of store pages and rebuilds on the next launch; your login and settings live elsewhere, in the storage folder.
Can I delete _redist folders from installed GOG games?
Yes. They hold DirectX and Visual C++ installers that ran during setup; the game runs fine without them, and each folder frees a few hundred megabytes.
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