diff --git a/DepotDownloader/DepotDownloader.csproj b/DepotDownloader/DepotDownloader.csproj
index 0b060b10..319e2818 100644
--- a/DepotDownloader/DepotDownloader.csproj
+++ b/DepotDownloader/DepotDownloader.csproj
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Windows.CsWin32" Version="0.3.106">
+      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
+      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
+    </PackageReference>
     <PackageReference Include="protobuf-net" Version="3.2.30" />
     <PackageReference Include="QRCoder" Version="1.6.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="SteamKit2" Version="3.0.0-Beta.2" />
diff --git a/DepotDownloader/NativeMethods.txt b/DepotDownloader/NativeMethods.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f2bb821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DepotDownloader/NativeMethods.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+GetConsoleProcessList
+MessageBox
diff --git a/DepotDownloader/PlatformUtilities.cs b/DepotDownloader/PlatformUtilities.cs
index c5fd155e..a4f8fd77 100644
--- a/DepotDownloader/PlatformUtilities.cs
+++ b/DepotDownloader/PlatformUtilities.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Runtime.Versioning;
 
 namespace DepotDownloader
 {
@@ -27,5 +28,25 @@ namespace DepotDownloader
                     : mode & ~ModeExecute);
             }
         }
+
+        [SupportedOSPlatform("windows5.0")]
+        public static void VerifyConsoleLaunch()
+        {
+            // Reference: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20160125-00/?p=92922
+            var processList = new uint[2];
+            var processCount = Windows.Win32.PInvoke.GetConsoleProcessList(processList);
+
+            if (processCount != 1)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            _ = Windows.Win32.PInvoke.MessageBox(
+                Windows.Win32.Foundation.HWND.Null,
+                "Depot Downloader is a console application; there is no GUI.\n\nIf you do not pass any command line parameters, it prints usage info and exits.\n\nYou must use this from a terminal/console.",
+                "Depot Downloader",
+                Windows.Win32.UI.WindowsAndMessaging.MESSAGEBOX_STYLE.MB_OK | Windows.Win32.UI.WindowsAndMessaging.MESSAGEBOX_STYLE.MB_ICONWARNING
+            );
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/DepotDownloader/Program.cs b/DepotDownloader/Program.cs
index 5d62b00c..a71a0fb6 100644
--- a/DepotDownloader/Program.cs
+++ b/DepotDownloader/Program.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ namespace DepotDownloader
             if (args.Length == 0)
             {
                 PrintUsage();
+
+                if (OperatingSystem.IsWindows())
+                {
+                    PlatformUtilities.VerifyConsoleLaunch();
+                }
+
                 return 1;
             }