Cost-Of-Living is affecting Gamers so, here are 10 budget friendly Video Games

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10 Multi-Platform Games that you need to play… all under £15 


  • Gamers are looking for ways to make their hobby more affordable 
  • Digital Copies of Video Games still cost the same as their physical counterpart  
  • Pokémon Scarlet sales drop over 60% in its second week of release 

The worsening cost-of-living crisis is affecting consumers’ hobbies and past-times, such as gaming, with many having to alter or stop what they do because it can be too expensive to maintain.

The gaming industry has come a long way with advances in technology and being able to create an immersive experience for consumers, however, this comes with a price.   

Video game prices have skyrocketed, and the gaming industry could be impacted due to the prices of games and consoles.

Gaming experts at Solitaired.com analysed data from digital distribution stores (Nintendo eShop/PlayStation Store/Microsoft Store) and Ahrefs to determine 10 budget-friendly video games that consumers can purchase on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One without having to break the bank.   

  1. 1. Fall Guys – Mediatonic, Free 
  2.  

Fall Guys is a free-to-play battle royale game with full cross-platform support, allowing gamers to all play together no matter what console they have. Initially, the game required purchasing, but in June 2022 the game was made available for free subsequently increasing popularity and gameplay.  

  1. 2. Rocket League – Psyonix, Free 

Rocket League is a hybrid soccer-racing game that is available on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Despite the game being released in 2015, it is the most popular on this list with a global search volume of over 1 million. In addition, the game is free to play on all platforms.   

  1. 3. Among Us – InnerSloth LLC, from £3.89 

When it comes to popularity, Among Us takes the number one spot with over 6.3M global searches, however when it comes to the price, Among Us takes the third spot overall. The game starts from £3.89 on the Nintendo Switch and goes up to £4.19 on the Microsoft Store.  

The game now has cross-platform ability, allowing users to play together no matter the console they have.  

  1. 4. Quiplash – Jackbox Games, from £7.99 

Quiplash is a standalone game from the Jackbox Party franchise, it is the perfect party game and allows up to eight players and supports up to 10,000 active participants. Players need to answer witty questions and have other players pick their answers to score points. The game starts at £7.99 on the Microsoft Store but is also included in several Jackbox ‘Party Pack’s’ which start at £17.99. 

  1. 5. Screencheat: Unplugged – Unity, from £10.79 

Screencheat was released back in 2014 and deserves a place on this list due to its fresh take on first-person shooter games. The game is a split-screen shooter where players are all invisible. Players will have to ‘screencheat’ to find their opponents and shoot them. The game is available for £10.79 on the Nintendo eShop and goes up to £11.99 on both PlayStation and Microsoft stores.  

  1. 6. Death Squared – SMG Studio, from £11.49 

Death Squared was initially released in 2017 and became a hit amongst gamers eventually having ports released to iOS and Android devices. It is a puzzle video game that focuses heavily on cooperation and communication skills. The game starts at £11.49 on the PlayStation Store and goes up to £11.99 on both Nintendo eShop and Microsoft Store. 

  1. 7. The Last Campfire – Hello Games, from £11.99 

The Last Campfire is a puzzle game released back in 2020 and received a 10/10 rating on Steam. The game focuses on loneliness and community. Players are required to solve environmental puzzles that help unlock new areas of the game and help characters. The game is currently available for £11.99 on both PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store.  

  1. 8. Boomerang Fu – Cranky Watermelon, from £11.99 

Boomerang Fu is a fighting party game that allows for up to six players at once, compared to other party games allowing up to four players. It has received a 10/10 rating on Steam and has additional gaming packs available to download. The game starts at £11.99 on PlayStation Store  

  1. 9. Overcooked – Team17, from £12.79 

Overcooked is a cooking simulation party game that has a large fanbase and is available on numerous platforms.  Due to its popularity, it is often sold alongside its sequel for a reduced bundle price. The game starts at £12.79 on the Microsoft Store and goes up to £14.99 on

the Nintendo eShop. 

  1. 10. Trivial Pursuit Live! – Ubisoft, from £11.99 

Trivial Pursuit Live! is a digital version of thf the well-known trivia game. It allows users to play remotely or online and follows the scenario of a game

show. It is currently available for £11.99 on both PlayStation and Microsoft Stores. 

The worsening cost-of-living crisis will mean that frequent gamers will need to change their behaviour when it comes to making their favourite hobby more affordable.  

Despite this, when it comes to cutting costs on video games, there has been no differentiation in cost regarding physical and digital copies. For example, the most recent game from the Pokémon series starts at £49.99 for a physical copy, and the same for a digital download code, on the Nintendo Online Store and Nintendo eShop. This could potentially explain the games’ drop in sales, despite only being released two weeks ago. Consumers would expect a difference in pricing for digital and physical copies, due to fewer materials and shipping required. 

However, digital distribution stores do offer discounts and have frequent sales on their stores and gamers should take full advantage of this. 

Gamers should also look at smaller indie games, especially as they can be cheaper. Solitaired.com commented on this data saying, “Indie game publishers can create just us fun games compared to bigger publishers such as Nintendo, Konami or Sony. The only difference is that the majority of the time indie franchises are much cheaper and more affordable in today’s climate, and it is important to put a spotlight on them”. 

Credit to solitaired.com.


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