I use a .bat file to start Steam games without starting Steam itself. I don't see any Steam processes running when I open the task manager. It also has the advantage of allowing me to use different Steam accounts to run the games without having to log in and out of Steam's main app all the time. (I have three Steam accounts; mine, my wife's, and a server account for Insurgency.)
To set up the .bat file, go to the game directory and create a new text document. Rename it to SH4.bat or something and edit it. Inside, put:
start sh4.exe -login accountname password
Then right click on it and send to desktop. That makes a desktop shortcut that will start the game and "log in" to Steam without starting up Steam's app. (It means that Steam's overlay is unavailable and all of that, but I think you're trying to avoid that anyway.) If you change your password, just right click on the desktop shortcut and click edit to update the .bat file with the new password.
This allows you to play Steam games without losing memory to Steam, even if you don't have access to a non-Steam version of the .exe.
Good hunting!
SilentPrey
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