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If you’re new to gaming, the price of games can be pretty shocking. Yes, $80 for a piece of entertainment you play for ten to a hundred hours breaks down pretty well on a per-hour basis, but $80 is still a lot of money. So, how do gamers save and get an $80 game for $20 . . . in order to spend the remaining $60 on yet more games?
Digital Storefronts
There are lots of websites (without launchers) that sell games, such as Green Man Gaming and GOG. These sites sell keys that you can use to launch the games on your launcher of choice, such as Steam or Epic.
PC Gaming Launchers
Steam and Epic are two of the most prominent digital storefronts, and they have their own launchers. Both have free-to-play games, but they’re both better known for their sales. Build a wishlist on each site and see when your games of choice go on sale. Both have regular sales (pretty much every weekend), but they’re known for big summer and winter sales. Steam also has big-ish Chinese New Year and Halloween sales. Wondering if you’re getting a good deal on a Steam game? Check out this site that tracks historical prices.
Subscriptions
Xbox has the Xbox Game Pass (which also works on PC), Nvidia has Nvidia GeForce Now, and Apple has Apple Arcade. Each of these services is a monthly subscription model. Think of it as Netflix but with video games. Of course, whether or not they’re worth it depends on how much gaming you plan on doing. Paying a monthly fee for unlimited games makes a lot of sense for some people—plus, there’s the freedom to play basically anything on the service. Note that if you’re not on PC, consoles also offer subscription services. Sony has PlayStation Plus and Nintendo has Nintendo Switch Online.
Humble Bundles
Every month, the Humble Bundle offers a bundle of games on a pay-what-you-want scheme—although you generally unlock a bigger game or two if you pay a minimum. For example, you might get six indie games by paying whatever you want but unlock a seventh by paying a minimum of $15. Not only that, but you can also tell Humble how you want that cash split between them, the developers, and a charity they’re supporting with the bundle. Note: getting addicted to Humble Bundles is a great way to end up with dozens if not hundreds of games in your library.
Bonus Tip: Scheduled Gifts
If you’re looking to save on games because you want to give them as gifts, know that you can generally schedule your gifts. For example, you can do your holiday shopping during the Halloween sale but schedule your games to be delivered to your recipient’s account on December 25. Best part: no wrapping!
