How to game for less

The months are getting colder, the sun is setting earlier, and the couch (or chair) are calling out to you more as the year starts to wind down. That could mean catching up on favorite shows, or it could mean losing yourself in a new (or favorite) game. In the spirit of helping you cozy up for less with streaming, eating, and now gaming, here are our favorite hacks to game for less:

1. Use Your Local Library

Having fun truly isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card. Many public libraries now lend out games (for different platforms, so there’s something for everyone). Why pay for a game when you can just borrow it for free?

2. Use your Free Trials!

XBox Cloud Gaming or XBox Game Pass, GeForce Now, and PlayStation Premium all offer free or $1 trials. The XBox Game Pass free trial, for example, is for 30 days. So, you can save it until the game you’ve been looking forward to playing comes out and commit the whole month to completing it.

If you have a Microsoft account (which is free to set up), you can also play free-to-stream games like Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty: Warzone, and more!

3. Share Games

Did you know that PlayStation and Xbox let you share digital games with one trusted friend or family member? So either you (or the other party) buys the game, but you both get access. You can split the cost this way and play AAA games for half the price!

4. Use Price Trackers and Deal Alerts

Bookmark and check sites like IsThereAnyDeal, GG.deals, or CheapShark to track discounts across platforms (XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC). You can even set up alerts for the games you want so you’ll be notified when they drop below your “buy” threshold.

5. Join Gamer Online Communities

Communities like r/GameDeals on Reddit, SteamGifts, or Discord deal servers share freebies and deep discount finds. These are truly the epitome of “we’re all in this together.”

Now, there are also plenty of online and mobile games that are completely free to play, but if what you’re really looking forward to is a nice, long campaign to get lost in, don’t sleep on these tips to get the most playtime for the least amount of money!

Got questions or comments? Send us a note at [email protected]!