Gaming has always been an expensive hobby, but it is only getting worse in 2025 and beyond. If you take a look at the list of upcoming video games, you will see more and more games all charging $80 for the base version. That’s a lot of money to spend on a single game, so a lot of us will need to be more discerning about which games we choose to buy at that price. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to play fewer games if you know where to look. There are dozens of free games to pick from, but those almost always come with the pressure to buy various microtransactions to get the best experience. These games are all complete packages you can buy for less than the price of lunch and have a fantastic time.
Undertale
86%
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS), Adventure, Indie
Developer
tobyfox
Publisher
8-4, tobyfox
Release
September 15, 2015
The world of Undertale took the internet by storm in 2015. This indie darling deserves all the praise it gets, and is a steal at just $10. The RPG systems are turned on their head here, with tons of fourth-wall-breaking mechanics that are still unique. Above and beyond the gameplay, it is the characters that have made this game such a breakout and enduring success. If you like diving into all possibilities, there’s a lot of content to discover in Undertale.
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Terraria
82%
Platforms
Google Stadia, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Linux, Nintendo 3DS, Windows Phone, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Platform, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Re-Logic
Publisher
Headup Games, Re-Logic, 505 Games
Release
May 16, 2011
The Minecraft before Minecraft, Terraria is no less deep just because it sticks to 2D. While it is hard to compete with the amount of content in Minecraft, Terraria might be on equal footing after so many updates and fan mods. The world is more contained and focused, but still rife with secrets and hundreds of ways to upgrade your character. If you want something familiar but different from your crafting co-op experience and somehow haven’t played Terraria, now is the time.
Vampire Survivors
81%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Indie, Arcade
Developer
Poncle
Publisher
Poncle
Release
February 01, 2022
It is almost criminal how much content you get with Vampire Survivors for this price. This is another game we don’t feel the need to sell you on because everyone has been singing the game’s praises for years now. It was so influential that it essentially spawned a new genre. It hits so hard for how simple it starts out, but evolves as you start to unlock more and more characters and stages. The DLC all feel like new games added on top of the base experience and are just as cheap. As a time waster, you can’t do better than this.
Left 4 Dead 2
82%
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox 360
Genre
Shooter
Developer
Turtle Rock Studios, Valve
Publisher
Valve
Release
November 17, 2009
Somehow, no game has done co-op zombie survival as good as Left 4 Dead 2 since it came out. A few have tried, but we all still end up going back to this classic game and are happy to do it. Visually, the game is timeless, but the core loop of fighting through maps against endless swarms of zombies just never gets old if you’re playing with friends. Each run is a little bit different, but always a nail-biter.
Hylics
76%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Indie
Developer
Mason Lindroth
Publisher
Mason Lindroth
Release
October 02, 2015
We’re going off the map a little with this one, but Hylics is a true cult classic that needs more attention. This is a weird RPG. Not weird like Undertale, but actually weird. Characters speak in English words, but the content is almost incomprehensible. Visually, the game looks like an abstract art piece that might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is confident in what it wants to be. If you’re down to try something very experimental, please give Hylics and its sequel a shot.
Dishonored
85%
Platforms
PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360
Genre
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Release
October 09, 2012
One of the great losses in the games industry is the Dishonored series. The first game, which you can get for dirt cheap right now, established a new world that we only get to scratch the surface of in the series. That doesn’t make the original Dishonored a game you should skip, though. This is a tight, well-designed immersive sim in the old style, where you have dozens of ways to approach and solve any problem.
A Game About Digging A Hole
66%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Genre
Adventure, Indie
Developer
Cyberwave
Release
February 07, 2025
A game we didn’t think we’d end up getting obsessed with in 2025 was A Game About Digging A Hole. You can probably guess what the game is about from the title, and you wouldn’t be wrong. What the title can’t convey is how this game is able to scratch some innate itch within you from the simple act of digging a bigger and bigger hole. It works in a similar way to Powerwash Simulator, so if you dug that experience, this one might be right up your alley.
Fallout: New Vegas
87%
Platforms
PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG)
Developer
Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher
Bandai Namco Entertainment, 1C/Cenega, Bethesda Softworks
Release
October 19, 2010
Depending on who you ask, Fallout: New Vegas is still the best Fallout game. Yes, the core game is buggy, but PC players can easily add a few mods to clean things up. Or, you can go crazy and completely change the entire game. If you haven’t played through the base game before, however, we highly suggest you start with that. The next season of the Amazon show is also heading to New Vegas so now is a great time to get familiar with the people and places of this corner of the wasteland.
Before Your Eyes
84%
Platforms
Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac
Genre
Adventure, Indie
Developer
GoodbyeWorld Games
Publisher
Skybound Games, Netflix
Release
April 08, 2021
Few games take big risks on controls anymore. We are all used to picking up a controller or keyboard and mouse and instinctively knowing how to play a game. Before Your Eyes is best played without a controller at all, and just your webcam. This is a narrative game that jumps forward through time whenever you blink. You’re intended to miss out on parts of scenes as you blink as part of the game’s message, so don’t let that stress you out. It is a remarkably touching game made all the better for taking a bit swing with its control method.
FTL: Faster Than Light
83%
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Indie
Developer
Subset Games
Publisher
Subset Games
Release
September 14, 2012
The mark of an amazing Roguelike is that we are still going back to it after hundreds of hours and dozens of newer games. FTL: Faster Than Light is one of the older games in the genre to make it big, and is just about perfect. You manage a crew on a spacecraft, picking your path across space and engaging in various battles and events. This is a Roguelike where you are constantly on the edge of defeat, which makes victory all the sweeter.
Papers, Please
82%
Platforms
Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, PlayStation Vita
Genre
Point-and-click, Puzzle, Simulator, Indie
Developer
Lucas Pope
Publisher
3909
Release
August 08, 2013
The argument about whether or not a game needs to be “fun” has always existed, but sparked back up when Papers, Please came out. Depending on what type of person you are, you might find the act of checking documents enjoyable, but even if you don’t, the process of admitting or denying entry into a fictional country as a border guard might be more relevant than it was back when it came out. It is one of the most morally challenging games that doesn’t rely on a morality meter or any other gamification.
