Letter #57: Inexpensive Ways to Play Video Games
I play a lot of video games, but here's how I do so on a budget
Dear reader,
I hope you're well, as usual! I'm not sure how interesting or helpful this may be to you here who may not care much about games, but maybe this will be of some interest or help to those looking to get into games or to play more games. It can be intimidating or cost-prohibitive for some to play a lot of games, so this letter is dedicated to trying to bridge that gap!
I play a lot of video games, but here's how I do so while sticking to a budget.
I. Video Games (On PC or In-Browser Games)
1) Only buying games when they're on sale
I wait until the large Steam Winter Sale or Steam Summer Sale every six or so months to buy games. Sometimes there will also be occasional publisher sales or bundles available throughout the year as well, so you can add games to your wishlist or follow the studio/publisher on Steam to get notified of sales. This is also true for the Epic Games storefront as well, which tends to have reoccurring sales and occasional sales throughout the year, as Steam does, but I tend to use Steam more personally.
2) Checking the Epic Games free games offerings every Thursday and during the month of December
Epic offers a free game on their storefront each week, with the game rotating out every Thursday. They also have a series of days in December in which they give out a different game for free each day as a treat for the holiday season. You can save a ton of money and find games you might not have seen or played this way!
3) Humble Bundle is also a cost-effective way to buy bundles of games while also having some of the proceeds go to charity.
Humble Bundle offers curated bundles of games, books, and software each month. There is a minimum amount required to access all parts of the bundle, but you can choose how much you contribute towards the purchase and how much goes towards the chosen charity for that bundle. I’ve been able to find a lot of games and books that I may not have seen otherwise this way as well.
Note: everything for purchase is digital, so you will receive digital access options for games and ebooks for book bundles.
4) Playing free-to-play games!
There are tons and tons of fun games that you can play totally for free.
Some of my favorite examples to play include:
The New York Times Games section (you can play all of them for free)
The Games section of USA Today
Geography quizzes like Countries of the World
Cats at Night (the first tower defense game I ever played in-browser, available on Opera GX Games)
Froggie Eggs (a suika-like frog game, also in-browser on Opera GX Games)
*A Warning on Gacha Games
A note that many free-to-play games may have in-game-purchase options available (like to buy more diamonds or a cool outfit), but that don't affect gameplay.
For example, these games are free-to-play, but include options to purchase items:
Infinity Nikki (I really enjoyed this one when I first started playing it, but I haven’t played since last year)
Genshin Impact (which I have spent about $10-15 on after playing for close to 200 hours total)
June's Journey (I have spent nothing on this mobile game, but you can either purchase resources to progress faster or watch ads to unlock in-game rewards)
These also include games like League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics (TFT), though I have less experience playing those and have not spent money on them.
However, while I have enjoyed playing free-to-play games like these, these are prime examples of what are called gacha games. These types of games are named for the concept of gacha mechanics included in the games. Gacha mechanics are essentially microtransactions (typically small, in-game monetary transactions) inside the game, such as buying a loot pack, purchasable character outfits, unlocking color palettes, etc. When looking at a game’s store page or listing on a game store online, you’ll typically see the game tagged or described as “free-to-play with in-game purchases” or a similar description.
I wouldn’t say that you necessarily need to steer away from these kinds of games, but this may be something to keep in mind if you struggle with spending or gambling.
II. Video Games (Consoles)
Note: I mostly play games from indie developers/publishers on PC (personal computer) or in-browser games online, so if you’re looking for tips on console games (i.e., Xbox, Playstation, etc.), I don’t have too much to offer regarding those.
In my fairly limited knowledge of current console games, I know that you can shop for games on sale throughout the year on the Switch (and I would assume the Switch 2), which is how I have purchased the few games I have played on the Switch personally.
I personally have not tried these options because I don't tend to play games on consoles (like Xbox, Playstation, etc.), but you could also try these options:
1) Loan out physical game cartridges or discs from the public library
From what I've seen at my local public library, there are games available for check-out behind the Circulation/Check-Out desk or in specific areas of the library collection, similar to the way you might check out DVDs or CDs.
2) Look for used games
I wouldn’t be surprised if you could find older console games (like physical copies in the plastic cases) for cheaper at thrift shops, flea markets, yard sales, used games/media stores, vintage stores/markets, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or Ebay as well.
Again, I haven't tried these ideas myself, so I can't attest to how much help it might be, but I've seen that these are options, so one of these might be a good option for you if you tend to play more console games than I do.
III. Physical Games (Board Games/Card Games)
1) Try out game cafes or events at games stores!
There are game cafes and game bars (like No Land Beyond) that offer places to rent physical board games to play there while you order their pizza or drinks. (You can also buy games there as well in their gift shop.)
Renting games and playing them on-site gives you a fun night out and the option to try out games that would ultimately be more expensive if you were to buy them outright, only for you to then play them and realize you might not actually enjoy that game. This doesn’t necessarily save you money down the road if you do end up buying the game, but it’s a nice way to try out games first or to play games that you don’t want to buy if you don’t play them often, don’t have the funds, or don’t have the space to store them.
IV. Physical/Digital RPGs
I've had a good time purchasing digital role-playing games (RPGs) on Itch.io that also incorporate physical aspects. (Fun fact: Itch.io is the same place we self-published Aimless, our first little physicas-based puzzle game in 2024!)
For example, I purchased a digital copy of the game Koriko, which gave me a PDF file of the instructions and various bonus files to make playing the game a better experience, but it does specify to also have a set of dice to play along. (If you don't have a set of physical dice, there are plenty of options to role dice digitally online so you don't have to buy any!)
Warning: Just be careful what you download! We want to be safe on the internet! We don’t want to download a virus!
Some Honorable Mentions/Quick Tips:
You can also try out game demos for games that offer demo versions of their games. These are typically shortened versions of the main gameplay loop to give you an idea of what the full game will be like. Demos are free, so it’s a nice way to try out a game before you buy it. If a game has a demo available, the download information will usually be shown on the main game page. (Note: Not all games have demos!)
Steam Families library sharing: I believe you can share with up to five accounts, so if your sibling has Stardew Valley and you want to play too, the person who has the game can connect their account in a sharing capacity with family members to allow someone else to play the game. My husband and I have done this for years to play each other’s games. Steam recently updated this to actually make it even easier, as the people currently connected can all be playing on Steam at the same time as long as they aren’t playing the same game at the same time. So I can be playing my copy of Moonstone Island while my husband is playing my copy of Ballionaire because our game libraries are shared/connected. It’s a really nice feature!
I’ll be back next time with something different for those who aren’t interested in games!
Thanks for reading!
