Nintendo set a scary precedent when they launched Mario Kart World for $80 on the Switch 2. Thankfully, most companies have stayed with the $70 price model, which is also not cheap, but players grew accustomed to that pain long ago. That said, $70 can be a lot, especially during a busy season of game releases in the fall with so many games to choose from across all genres.
Great 30$ Games You Could Buy After Unsubcribing From Game Pass
If you're miffed about the price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, these $30 games can provide a singular experience for that same $30 price tag.
Some players don’t care about getting the latest and greatest AAA experiences. Instead, they want something on the cheap that will last them a long time and feel like a worthwhile investment. Across a wide range of prices and genres, the games here are what players can get between $5 and $30. To keep things consistent (as prices can vary by a few dollars depending on the system), Steam will be the go-to marketplace to determine the listed cost of these titles. In each category, three runner-ups will also be listed at varying prices, providing players with plenty to choose from.
Spindle ($20)
Action-Adventure Games Like Zelda
Spindle
- Released
- October 13, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Tunic $30
- Nobody Saves the World $25
- Minishoot' Adventures $15
Spindle is an easy breezy game to get into that doesn't hold much back at the beginning. It's a top-down action-adventure game in the style of The Legend of Zelda. Players assume the role of a new Grim Reaper who can attack enemies with his scythe, solve puzzles in dungeons, and relax by collecting fish for an overall chill adventure that deserves more recognition.
Tunic is another good recommendation, but it's less chill thanks to its challenging combat and puzzles. There’s also Nobody Saves the World, a top-down game with an evolutionary tree that lets players transform into different classes, from humans to rats. Finally, Minishoot' Adventures is a fun mix of a shoot ‘em up and a Zelda game.
Full Metal Furies ($20)
Beat ‘Em Ups For That Retro Feel
Full Metal Furies
- Released
- January 17, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Cellar Door Games
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
- River City Girls $30
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge $25
- Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game $15
Anyone looking to reignite those retro arcade vibes from the beat ‘em days should look no further than Full Metal Furies. There are four characters to choose from, each with a specialty, and they can all level up and unlock new equipment across a big, expansive map.
Other games to check out include River City Girls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game, which all feature co-op and leveling up systems to make them feel more modern despite their retro aesthetics.
Hollow Knight: Silksong ($20)
Metroidvanias For Exploration Junkies
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Released
- September 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist $25
- Guacamelee $15
- Gato Roboto $8
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the best games of 2025, a gorgeous hand-drawn Metroidvania with a brutal learning curve. This is not a Metroidvania for beginners, as it will take patience to best some bosses and platforming challenges, but fans of the genre won’t find a more expansive entry out there.
Other games of note include Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, which features Persona-like abilities standing in for weapons, Guacamelee, which features co-op and wrestling moves, and Gato Roboto, which is both cheap and features an adorable cat hero.
The Jackbox Party Starter ($20)
Multiplayer Games To Start The Party
The Jackbox Party Starter
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
WHERE TO PLAY
- TowerFall Ascension $15
- Peak $8
- Among Us $5
Any of The Jackbox Party Pack games are great for getting the party started with friends, but The Jackbox Party Starter is a cheaper entry with three great mini-games inside. Quiplash 3 will find friends battling to see who is the funniest with joke prompts, Tee K.O. Will test the drawing potential of everyone involved, and Trivia Murder Party 2 is a knowledge-based game with a twist.
Games With The Most Addictive & Satisfying Gameplay Loops
Remember to care of your body while getting hooked on these addictive games.
For those who want something more tactile to play with their friends, the arrow-based platform fighter TowerFall Ascension is a must, along with the chill climbing game Peak. Meanwhile, Among Us will tear friendships apart with accusations aboard a spaceship. With these games on hand, players will always be the life of the party.
Palworld ($30)
Open-World To Keep You Busy
Palworld
- Released
- January 19, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Pocket Pair, Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Shooter, Survival
- Cat Quest 3 $20
- Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip $18
- Retro City Rampage DX $15
Palworld is still in Early Access, but it is a fully featured base-building game with an open world to explore, and monsters to collect and fight in action-based combat. Whether players are running on foot, flying on a mount, or sailing the seas, they will discover many Pals to befriend and send home to guard their base against invaders of all types.
Cat Quest 3 is a simpler open-world action RPG to explore for those who like pirates and cats, Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip is like a more kid-friendly take on the Grand Theft Auto experience, and Retro City Rampage DX is a retro-style parody of GTA.
Pizza Tower ($20)
Platformers To Test Your Skills
Pizza Tower
- Released
- January 26, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Tour De Pizza
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Penny’s Big Breakaway $30
- Gravity Circuit $17
- Broforce $15
Pizza Tower emulates Wario Land vibes as a sharp and challenging platformer starring a stressed-out chef exploring a tower filled with scary anthropomorphic food. Making use of their quick reflexes, players will have to race through levels to beat a timer, avoiding obstacles around every corner in pixel-perfect, brilliantly designed stages.
Penny’s Big Breakaway is a 3D platformer that also exudes inertia thanks to its yo-yo-based traversal, Gravity Circuit is like a melee-based homage to Mega Man games, and Broforce is an action platformer with an explosive number of characters and weapons.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords ($10)
Puzzle Games For The Thinkers
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords
- Released
- March 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, RPG
- Blue Prince $30
- Cocoon $25
- Braid, Anniversary Edition $15
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a match-three puzzle RPG wherein players can choose a class and then travel across an ever-expanding map to fight story-based and random encounters. It will hook players in from minute one, and across all digital platforms, there are a variety of versions out there.
Alternatively, Blue Prince is a first-person roguelike puzzle game that challenges players from room to room, Cocoon is a top-down puzzler starring a little bug who uses a ball to solve puzzles by hopping between dimensions, and Braid is a 2D time-bending puzzle platformer.
Hades 2 ($30)
Roguelikes To Test Your Patience
Hades 2
- Released
- September 25, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Rogue Legacy 2 $25
- Moonlighter $20
- Ball X Pit $15
Hades 2 is a top-down action roguelike that surpasses its predecessor in several key ways. There are two areas to explore, the underworld and surface, Melinoe has more activities to do outside of combat, her weapons are more diverse, and the story is a bit more nuanced as it unfolds between death after death.
Best Games That Are Just Non-Stop Gameplay
If you don’t have time for compelling stories, these games let you dive straight into the action and never pull you away.
For other roguelike options, Rogue Legacy 2 features 2D action gameplay across multiple generations of heroes, Moonlighter is a top-down action game with a shopkeeper simulator built in, and Ball X Pit is a brick breaker game that has a town-building element outside of runs. Because of the genre’s built-in challenge levels, all of these games should keep players occupied for a near infinite number of hours.
Path Of Exile 2 ($30)
A Variety Of RPGs
Path of Exile II
- Released
- December 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
- Eastward $25
- Indivisible $20
- Undertale $10
RPG fans will dig Path of Exile 2, which is another game that is still in Early Access, but it’s hard to tell because this Diablo-like top-down action RPG is brimming with content. Players can choose a variety of classes and level them up across branching paths of skills. They can find loot to customize their look, and they can even play with friends.
For other RPGs, Eastward is part homage to EarthBound and part homage to the Zelda series with top-down shooting gameplay, Indivisible has a Metroidvania-like world to explore with turn-based combat, and Undertale is a turn-based RPG with bullet hell elements.
Lost In Fantaland ($14)
Strategy Games For The Tactful
|
Developer |
Supernature Studio |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
NPC Entertainment |
|
Released |
9/26/24 (PC Version, 1.0 Status) |
|
Platforms |
PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch |
- SteamWorld Heist 2 $30
- Metal Slug Tactics $25
- The King is Watching $15
Lost in Fantaland is a more obscure game, but hopefully this will boost its recognition. It’s a roguelike tactical RPG where players can choose a class before venturing into a randomized dungeon layout. Players can move freely, but they need cards to defend or attack, and there are plenty of rewards to earn in between runs to help players get better.
Also, tactics fans might like SteamWorld Heist 2, a pirate-themed 2D strategy game akin to XCOM, but with robots. Metal Slug Tactics is also a roguelike tactical RPG hybrid, and The King is Watching is a roguelike strategy base-builder game that is both simple and hard to put down.
Remakes That Played Things Too Safe But You Should Still Play
A remake doesn't have to fix what isn't broken. These video game remakes may not have added many new things, but they are valuable updates.