From fight game franchises to fun, stress-free arcade games, there are plenty of genres to explore. However, you know as well as anyone else how pricey games have become recently. What’s more, many of these games aren’t even finished and require DLC or further add-ons to enjoy the full experience.
Even passionate gamers understand this pricing is unsustainable and are more careful about their gaming purchases. Still, they need to scratch that itch in some way, so what about knowing how to find free (or at least cheap) games?
Use Game Launchers
From Stream to Epic and beyond, you cannot play many of the latest titles without game launchers. Because of this, it seems like there’s no better place to start when looking for cheap or free games.
The good news is that you can find just about anything on these platforms, while search and filter features help you whittle down your options to much more affordable games, especially if you’re looking for a few options. Some of the most popular games of the past ten years have been free, too, so you can start there.
And you never know, you might come across a game you’ve always heard of but never purchased and there it is, sitting on the list for pennies. It would be rude not to buy it, in that case.
Look for the Classics
If you’ve exhausted your launchers, there’s always room for the classics and you can find an array of free-to-play games on various websites across the web.
These options include the likes of Solitaire or Backgammon, where you can play against the computer, a friend, or a stranger who is unusually passionate about Backgammon.
Besides these online options, your computer likely has a host of games built into the system, so check that out if you’re looking for something simple and even comforting as it reminds you of days gone by when you spent your computer lessons at school doing anything but work.
Pick Up Gaming Packs
Nostalgia always sells, and with the nineties definitely back in, especially in terms of fashion, you can also find gaming bundles that tap into this nostalgia. Go into any electronics shop and you might see the familiar sight of a PlayStation complete with a variety of games you remember playing back in the day.
These packs feature all the games on a single hard drive, so you can access them whenever you like. While the entire bundle isn’t cheap, it works out to be much more affordable per game, and you’ll only be spending a couple of Euros per title. Besides this, you can’t put a price on nostalgia, anyway.
Set Up Gaming Alerts
You may have spent your life hearing about Steam sales or other deals that your friends take advantage of, yet you always seem to miss out on these deals. It happens. Life gets in the way or you are trying to cut back on your spending.
However, you can keep abreast of possible deals and discounts by setting up gaming alerts. Learning to set up Google alerts and inputting keywords like Steam, sale, discounts, or even free means you can be one of the first people to take advantage of the sales and finally get your hands on titles that have eluded you for so long.
Try Something New
You don’t always need to search for the most in-demand titles. Instead, looking for something new is a great way to discover amazing titles that you’d never come across otherwise.
Every online gaming store has a selection of free or cheap titles for you to try. If you like the look of any game, just buy it. The low cost means you won’t feel you’ve wasted your money, and you can support indie developers by purchasing their games. If you enjoy it, tell your friends to download it too.
Go to Online Marketplaces
Online marketplaces have proven to be an amazing way to connect gamers with their white whales. These are the games they played a little back in the day but never completed or they get sidetracked along the way.
While you will always come across people charging over the odds for a game, finding those legitimately selling video games, such as during a clearout or because they know they won’t play them anymore is an excellent chance to try the best games of all time. You can find individual games or gaming lots that include multiple titles so you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth.
Make the Most Of Sales
Sales can seem like cheating, but it’s part of the beauty of online games. Along with your alerts, make a habit of checking out Steam’s special offers to find popular games for cheap. Besides the most common platforms, you can also explore discount stores which will provide you with a code to download the title. These are usually discounted compared to buying them outright from Amazon or other retailers.
However, you need to be careful with such purchases. Although some are legitimate, others could be scams that steal your credit card information. Check reviews and avoid sites that look slightly off to protect yourself and your finances.
Share With Friends
Back in the day, you probably shared a lot of your games with friends. You might complete a title and lend it to them, and they’d do the same for you. Unfortunately, the era of digital downloads has taken this away, while some companies suggested locking titles to prevent them from being played on multiple consoles.
This is why a game share system is so beneficial. Being able to share your favourite titles with friends and family means you don’t have to spend a penny to experience as many games as possible. The gaming companies may not like it, but gamers know this is all part of the culture.
Gaming
Every gamer is always looking for that next new game they will spend hours working through, but you don’t have to spend too much to find engrossing titles that remind you why you became a gamer. Many indie titles are waiting for you to uncover them, while classic titles may go on sale to make the investment worth it. However you find cheap or free games, you can scratch that itch.
