I'm always trying to expand my game library without breaking the bank, so I'm curious where everyone finds the best game discounts and deals. With so many storefronts and sales happening all the time, it's hard to keep track.
What are your go-to places for finding good deals on games? I know about the big Steam sales, but are there other sites or services that consistently have good prices? Any tips for timing purchases or finding hidden discounts?
Also interested in subscription services like Game Pass or PS Plus - are they worth it for the value? What's your strategy for building a game collection on a budget while still getting quality gaming recommendations?
For finding game discounts and deals, I use a combination of sites. IsThereAnyDeal.com is my go-to - it tracks prices across all legitimate storefronts and shows price history so you can see if it's a good deal. You can set up waitlists for games and get alerts when they hit your target price.
Steam obviously has the big seasonal sales, but I've found that Fanatical and Humble Bundle often have better prices on individual games, especially older titles. Humble Choice is also worth it if you play a variety of games - $12/month for 8 games is a great value even if you only want 2-3 of them.
For console games, DekuDeals is fantastic for tracking PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch sales. It works exactly like IsThereAnyDeal but for consoles.
Game Pass is absolutely worth it for the value if you play a decent amount of games. For $10/month (or $15 for Ultimate with PC and console), you get access to hundreds of games including day-one releases from Microsoft studios. I've discovered so many games I wouldn't have tried otherwise because they were free" with the subscription.
The key is to not think of it as owning games, but as renting access to a massive library. I usually have 3-4 games installed from Game Pass that I'm actively playing. When you consider that a single new game costs $70, Game Pass pays for itself if you play just one new release every few months.
PS Plus Extra is similar but with a different library. I'd recommend trying both with their free trials to see which has games you're more interested in.
My strategy for building a game collection on a budget is to be patient and use wishlists aggressively. I add every game I'm interested in to my Steam wishlist, and I only buy things when they hit at least 50% off (75% for older games). Most games will eventually hit that price if you wait long enough.
I also check Epic Games Store every Thursday for their free game - they give away 1-2 games every week, and sometimes they're really good titles. I've gotten games like Civilization VI, Borderlands 3, and Control for free from Epic.
For physical console games, I buy used from GameStop or local game stores. You can often find last year's big releases for $20 or less. The trade-in value isn't great, but it's cheaper than buying new.
Don't sleep on bundle sites like Fanatical and Humble Bundle. They often have bundles where you can get 5-10 games for $10-20, and sometimes there are real gems in there. Even if you only want one game from the bundle, it might still be cheaper than buying that game individually on sale.
I also follow r/GameDeals on Reddit - it's a great aggregator for deals across all platforms. The community is good about calling out regional pricing issues or DRM concerns. Just be careful about key resellers like G2A or Kinguin - they often sell keys obtained through questionable means, and developers don't get paid for those sales.
For Nintendo Switch games, they rarely go on deep sale, but when they do it's usually during major holidays. DekuDeals is essential for tracking Switch prices.
For PC games, I highly recommend checking out GreenManGaming and GamesPlanet. They're authorized retailers that often have better prices than Steam, especially for new releases. They give you Steam keys, so you still get all the Steam features.
I also use the SteamDB extension for Chrome - it adds price history and deal information to Steam store pages. When I'm looking at a game on Steam, I can immediately see if it's at its historical low price or if I should wait for a better deal.
For subscription services, I think Game Pass is the best value right now, especially if you get the $1 for first month deals they often run. I usually subscribe for a month when there are several games I want to play, then cancel until the next batch of interesting games comes along.
One underrated tip for finding game discounts and deals is to check developer/publisher websites directly. Sometimes they have sales on their own stores that are better than what you'll find on Steam or other platforms. For example, Paradox Interactive often has better deals on their Paradox Plaza store than on Steam.
Also, consider regional pricing if you're comfortable with it (and it's allowed in your region). Some regions get significantly lower prices, though you need to be careful about VPN usage as it can violate terms of service.
For building a collection, I focus on buying games I know I'll play soon rather than hoarding. A game you buy on sale but don't play for a year isn't really a deal - by the time you play it, it might be even cheaper or included in a subscription service.