Is PC gaming prohibitively expensive?
Gaming is the hobby we love — but it can come with a pretty hefty price tag. If you’re a Far Cry fan, chances are you haven’t picked up Far Cry 5 yet (because it lists at $60). Maybe you’ve been estranged from gaming and are recently considering a comeback to the virtual playground. Options, options! A future-proof gaming PC, suitable peripherals, and a steady supply of quality games adds up to quite an investment… Unless you know how to buy PC games online cheap.
Why buy PC games online cheap when I can get them free?
This is a perfectly valid question. As a matter of fact, we do giveaways 24/7 at IndieGala. We even offer a FREE bundle (with unbelievably cool games) through special promos. Still, it’s almost impossible to create your own video game collection relying solely on freebies.
If I only want to buy PC games online cheap does that make me a cheapskate?
Yes and no. Buying a game at full price is the best thing you can do to support game developers. Not worrying about a deal and grabbing a game for the love of it is sort of akin to anonymous patronage. But unless your world is like Mario’s with gold coins hovering all around it, your pockets have their limits. The fantastic thing is that game developers and publishers know this. That’s why they make all those deals available.
Scoring a great deal on an awesome game comes with a certain pleasure. First of all, it just makes sense to stretch your gaming budget as far it can go. The kid in you wants to show off a solid collection. But the beauty of becoming a game collector gives you more than bragging rights. It helps you create a library of interactive experiences that you can always look forward to playing through. Smart game collectors do this on a budget.
How do I buy PC games online cheap?
Take it from the team who made a game for thrifters to buy PC games online cheap (true story — check the video). Gearing up is the bulk of the investment. After that, you can become a sharp-eyed PC game collector with less than you spend on coffee in a month. Once you’re through here, you’ll be shaking your head at friends who don’t know how to game shop.
This is a really quick guide that covers the bare essentials in three easy-to-remember steps. We strongly recommend reading through and picking up our free cheatsheet which comes with some extra bonuses at the end.
(1) Discover Game Deals with Communities
It’s all about /r/GameDeals. Any game collectors worth their salt know that the Game Deals subreddit is the place for hot tips on game sales. It covers AAA titles to the coolest indies and everything in between. The major PC stores are represented (including yours truly) and vetted so that you don’t have to worry about anything there being shady. The /r/GameDeals community is also very helpful. See a frenzy over a game you’ve never heard of? Ask about it (there’s a subreddit for that too) and you’ll get some impromptu reviews to steer you.
If you’re keen on learning how to buy PC games online cheap then we strongly recommend joining a community. There’s no better place to start than the Game Deals subreddit. We’ve also got an active community forum on IndieGala. Remember, sharing is caring. When you discover a great deal (like our Crackerjack deals), you should also take the time to share it with the community. You’ll receive gratitude for it and you may get tips that lead you to new things.
(2) Understand When to Buy
Knowing where to buy PC games online cheap is one thing. Knowing when to buy is another. Think like a farmer and learn to sniff out when the best harvest will be. You need to know when deals are ripe for the plucking. Seasoned (this may be a pun) buyers can tell you that winter is just as hot as summer. Bet on late June – early July and December serving the cheapest PC game offers. No need to check with the weatherman.
Of course, there are a bunch of other sales throughout the year. During all the traditional festive periods it’s always safe to expect some sort of special offer. Spring/Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving (Black Friday seems to get bigger each year) are bound to come with some sweet deals for you to size up.
Understanding what kind of harvest you’re after is equally important. Hunt for some entirely novel experiences in the high seasons (/r/ShouldIbuythisgame is your friend). Otherwise, pull the trigger on titles during festive periods if you’re simply trying to tick off your wishlist. Using the “Add to your wishlist” button on Steam helps you get notifications each time a game goes on sale.
IndieGala also has a notification feature. For a more curated experience, we’d suggest signing up to our newsletter where you can even select genre preferences. If you like surprises, there’s a rumor about a Warp Zone…
(3) Buy in Bundles
Good things come in small bundles. Although it’s always a tug-of-war between quality and quantity when it comes to bundles, they are the cheapest way to get a ton of games. Period. IndieGala boasts the highest frequency market record of serving indie game bundles (we’ve been doing it for a while). #MondayMotivation, #HumpDay, Friday Specials, and Virtual Reality bundles are always on the shelves.
We’re not limited to indies though. Every now and then we pack a serious surprise and our Anime bundles also feature frequently. Whatever the case, purchasing in bundles is a great frugal habit. It will give you variety and exposure to new genres combined with lots of hours of gameplay. IndieGala’s bundles come with “GalaGold” if you buy them within the first week (our bundles usually have a 2/3 week shelf-life). GalaGold gives you access to participate in our Trades, Auctions and Giveaways (we’ve got some cool Steam game giveaways live now). These are also cheap ways to get new PC games online.
The Buy PC Games Online Cheap Cheatsheet
We’ve covered the bare essentials of how to buy PC games online cheap. Now that you’re ready to start curating a collection of games that match your personality, all you need is our Savvy PC Games Collector Cheatsheet.
Download it now to get a table of links and descriptions for the tools and resources you need to start becoming a savvy games collector today. As a bonus, there’s something special in the Savvy PC Games Collector Cheatsheet that will give access to a portal for receiving free PC games!
We hope this article helps you develop your gaming hobby on a budget. If you have any more suggestions about how to buy PC games online cheap we’d love to hear from you. Just drop us a note! (You might also want to consider joining our video game tester program.)
