Video Gaming on the Cheap
Play Your Older Games First
Before you even consider downloading any new game, be it free to play or paid, consider going back into your old game library and playing an older game that you've already played before.
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There is definitely an understanding that video games were made with more care and craft even just 10 years ago. That's not to say there aren't serious good games that have come out in just the past 5 years, but there has been a consensus that big "AAA" gaming has definitely come at a cost to the consumer.
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On this note, there has been a growing trend in people playing older generation games going back to the Playstation 2 and Xbox! There's something to be said of the simplicity of gaming back in the day, and the early 2000s wasn't that long ago either!
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Spend some time going back through memory lane (if you still have your old consoles and a TV to hook them up to), and I'm certain you'll have way more fun than buying some overpriced $70 video game on Steam today.
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Note: I'm not going to recommend Emulators or Sailing the High Seas on this website. You can do whatever you see fit.
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Steam Sales
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Steam has great sales during every major Holiday, especially during Black Friday. You can search the steam store via price and see classics all for under $5.
Steam routinely has all of the Valve developed games routinely on sale for as little as $1. You can get classics like Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2, Half Life 2, and more all for $1 each. Just $10 can literally get you some of the best games on the platform that still have huge player bases via Steam Charts: https://steamcharts.com/
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Free To Play Games
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If you don't want to go retro, and you don't want to spend money to entertain yourself, then there are plenty of free to play games that still have lively player bases.
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To get a barometer on how active the user bases are for various Steam games, visit Steam Charts to track player bases: https://steamcharts.com/
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The 3 most popular free to play games on Steam as of early 2025 are Marvel Rivals, DOTA 2, and Counterstrike 2.​​
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Epic Game Store Weekly Freebies
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Epic offers 1 or 2 free games a week on their Video Game Store Platform. This is one of the best ways to build a game collection for no money. Not every week has a good offering, but every now and then you'll get a solid option.
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Epic Store Website: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/