It’s no secret that gaming can be a prohibitively expensive hobby.
If you play nothing but the latest triple-A releases, you’re looking at regular double-digit payments, sometimes multiple times a month during heavy release seasons.
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It can be a bit too pricey for some, but thankfully, gaming is also a very economically diverse hobby.
Whether due to their natural small size or just a gradual devaluing, there are a lot of games you’re able to get for less than the price of a takeout hamburger meal.
The rule here is that all the following games must cost less than $10 USD year-round, not just during Steam sales.
10Vampire Survivors ($4.99)
Cheaper Than Floor Chicken
Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivorsis kind of like the video game equivalent of sugary snacks: it’s cheap, readily-available, and horrendously addicting.
A big component of this game’s original explosive success was that it was cheap enough to reasonably pick up as an impulse purchase.
Despite that low cost and its simple presentation, you will undoubtedly spend hours upon hours on this game without realizing it.
Because it’s so simple, it’s a great game toplay mindlessly while you watch TV.
Since every session lasts exactly 30 minutes, it also won’t take up too much of your time (unless you let it, of course).
9Portal ($9.99)
Cheaper Than A Slice Of Cake
It would not be hyperbolic to callPortalone of the most influential games ever made.
Its simple, yet deep puzzle design spawned an entire genre of physics puzzlers, while itsjokes and memesendured for years in the public consciousness.
This is remarkable because, even for its time, it was a pretty cheap game. It was mostly just a tech demo for the Source engine included in Valve’sOrange Box.
It goes to show that with a cool gameplay hook and quality writing, even a game set in a featureless white laboratory can stand the test of time.
8Psychonauts ($9.99)
Cheaper Than Summer Camp
Psychonauts
Kids whochooseto go to summer camp typically enjoy it, while kids who aresentto summer camp usually end up with psychological scars.
If you want a summer camp experience with fewer psychological scars, you can playPsychonauts. It’s kind of ironic, considering psychological scars are a recurring theme in this game.
Psychonautshas a bit of rust from the sixth console generation, andwasn’t the biggest seller in its time. Nevertheless, it remains an incredibly distinct game and a standout amongst 3D action platformers.
It’s also hilarious, with some excellent voice work from the great Richard Horvitz, and it has a lot of wild and psychedelic setpieces inside the human mind.
7Undertale ($9.99)
Cheaper Than Therapy
Undertaleis a game that needs no introduction – the exceptionally simple indie production that became the biggest thing since sliced bread.
Despite its unavoidable ubiquity, it is a fact thatUndertaleis still an excellent experience in just about all departments.
It’s gotlovable characters, funny and memorable writing, and surprisingly challenging and engaging gameplay.
Even if you’ve already been exposed to most ofUndertale’s plot beats through cultural osmosis, it’s worth experiencing the whole thing as a cohesive whole.
6Peggle Deluxe ($4.99)
Cheaper Than A Pachinko Machine
The mid-2000s brought forth the casual gaming boom, with companies like PopCap flooding us with simple games for browsers and social media.
While the popularity of casual games likePeggle Deluxewas mildly contentious in its time, it’s settled into a comfortable niche in the overall gaming sphere.
Despite its age,Peggle Deluxeis still a fantastic time-waster, packing enough puzzle variations to keep you going for longer than you’d expect.
It’s the same kind of brain itch-scratching sensation you get from playing a pinball or pachinko machine, just without the gambling.
5Everhood ($9.99)
Cheaper Than A Philosophy Textbook
In a similar vein toUndertale,Everhoodis a brief, yet poignant experience about the nature of life itself.
If that sounds too high concept, you may instead focus on the breakneck pace of the rhythm-based action gameplay.
Everhoodreally hits you over the head with both its gameplay and its messaging, ensuring you’ll always walk away with at least something when it’s all over.
It’s the kind of game that, even if you get it for cheap and finish it in a couple of sittings, you’ll never forget it.
4Half-Life 2 ($9.99)
Cheaper Than A Physics Textbook
Half-Life 2
IfPortalwas the tech demo for the Source Engine, thenHalf-Life 2was the main attraction.
This game was such a smashing success, it made “Half-Life” a household name among gamers, even those who didn’t play on PC.
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As you’d expect from a game built on a physics engine, the physics-based puzzles and combat take the center stage.
With your Gravity Gun, any innocuous object becomes a deadly projectile, creating combat that’s equal parts frenetic strategy and slapstick comedy.
3Pony Island ($4.99)
Cheaper Than Selling Your Soul
Pony Islandis the very first game created by auteur developer Daniel Mullins, whom you likely also know as the creator ofInscryption.
Much likeInscryption,Pony Islanduses the entire medium of video games itself as its canvas.
It starts with a simple mini-game of a pony jumping over hurdles and spirals outward into a programming and puzzle-solving battle against the Devil himself.
If you like to be really taken off guard by metatextual twists,Pony Islandis jam-packed with startling moments and interface disruptions.
2Sonic Adventure 2 ($9.99)
Cheaper Than Renting The Third Movie
Sonic Adventure 2
TheSonicmovies have reinvigorated the old flame for the tale of Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria Robotnik.
Of course, seeing movies is still stupidly expensive, so if you want something cheaper, just experience the original story inSonic Adventure 2.
By today’s standards,Sonic Adventure 2is a bit janky in places, but it still has its high-speed gameplay and charmingly stilted dialogue to remain memorable.
Even if you don’t get into the main game, there’s always the infinite time sink that is raising Chaos in the Chaos Garden.
1A Short Hike ($7.99)
Cheaper Than A Hiking Trip
A Short Hike
What’s really nice about a lot of cheap games is that they’re purposely made to bequickly and quietly enjoyed in an afternoon.
AShort Hikeis a great example of this – there’s no bombastic setpieces or even much in the way of an overarching plot.
There’s just you and a mountain that’s there for you to climb when you’re ready to do so.
If you’re not ready to do so, there’s a surprising breadth of collectibles to find and cute NPCs to chat up until you are.
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