Full price for a video game in 2025 is $70. That's not a typo. And with studios releasing games at that price point before reviews are even out, paying retail for every title you want to play is a fast way to drain your wallet. The good news: you don't have to.
There's a thriving ecosystem of completely legal platforms where games sell for 50%, 75%, even 90% off – no piracy, no gray-market key resellers, no risk of getting your account banned. Just real deals on real games, often better than anything you'd find on a platform's official storefront.
Here are the 10 best platforms for buying discounted games legally, what makes each one worth using, and how to get the most out of them.
Steam (Sales & Discovery Queue)
Humble Bundle
Epic Games Store
Fanatical
Green Man Gaming
Amazon Prime Gaming
Xbox Game Pass (PC)
IsThereAnyDeal (price tracker)
Platform: PC |
Discount depth: Up to 90% off |
Best for: PC gamers who want the largest library
Steam is still the biggest PC gaming platform on the planet, and its seasonal sales are some of the most reliable discount events in gaming. The Spring Sale, Summer Sale, Autumn Sale, and Winter Sale each run for about two weeks and typically feature thousands of games at 50–90% off. Beyond the seasonal events, individual games go on sale constantly – often timed to new releases, sequels, or publisher promotions.
The Discovery Queue and Steam curators help surface deals you'd actually want, rather than scrolling through thousands of titles hoping something catches your eye. Wishlisting games you want is the single best habit you can build on Steam – the platform emails you when a wishlisted game goes on sale, so you never miss a discount window. The Steam Points system also lets you earn small amounts of store credit through purchases and community activity, which adds up over time.
Best for: PC gamers who play a wide variety of genres and want one central library.
Tip: Never buy a game on Steam at full price if it's been out for more than six months. Almost everything goes on sale eventually – wishlist it and wait.
Platform: PC (primarily) |
Discount depth: Pay-what-you-want tiers |
Best for: Value hunters and charity-minded buyers
Humble Bundle pioneered the pay-what-you-want model, and it's still one of the most genuinely good deals in gaming. Bundles typically include 5–15 games grouped around a theme or publisher, and buyers can pay as little as $1 to unlock the first tier. A portion of every purchase goes to charity – you choose which one – which makes Humble Bundle one of the few places where spending money on games feels actively good.
The Humble Choice subscription ($11.99/month) is where the real recurring value lives. Subscribers get a curated selection of games each month – typically 6–10 titles worth far more than the subscription price – plus a 20% discount on the Humble Store and access to a growing library of older titles. Even if you only keep the subscription for a few months a year around peak release seasons, the per-game cost is absurdly low.
Best for: Players who want maximum value per dollar and don't mind some titles they might not play immediately.
Tip: Check the monthly Humble Choice reveal date (usually the first Friday of the month) before subscribing – the lineup is shown before you're charged, so you can subscribe strategically.
Platform: PC/Mac |
Discount depth: Up to 85% off |
Best for: DRM-free purists and classic game fans
GOG (Good Old Games) stands apart from every other platform on this list for one reason: every game sold here is completely DRM-free. That means no always-online requirements, no license checks, no risk of losing access if a service shuts down. You buy it, you own it, forever, on any machine you put it on. For players who care about long-term ownership rather than just access, GOG is the principled choice.
The catalog is deep in classic and indie games – GOG has done more than any other platform to preserve older PC titles that don't run on modern systems without modification. Their GOG Galaxy launcher is optional but genuinely useful for organizing multi-platform libraries. Sales are frequent and competitive, and their Weekend Promo deals often surface hidden gems at steep discounts. The Wishlist notification system works similarly to Steam's, so you can track specific titles.
Best for: Players who want true game ownership, fans of classic PC games from the 90s and 2000s, Mac gamers.
Tip: GOG regularly gives away free games – check the homepage or set up notifications to catch them before they expire.
Platform: PC |
Discount depth: Up to 75% off + frequent freebies |
Best for: Anyone who wants free games every week
Epic's strategy has been simple and effective: give away free games constantly to build a user base. Since 2018, the Epic Games Store has given away thousands of dollars worth of games completely free – no subscription, no strings, just claim it and it's yours. The free game rotation changes weekly, and over the years it has included major titles like GTA V, Borderlands 3, Control, and dozens of other games that would otherwise cost $20–$60.
Beyond the freebies, Epic runs regular sales with coupons that apply on top of existing discounts, which can push already-reduced games down to absurdly low prices. The library is smaller than Steam's, and the social features are more limited, but for pure deal value – especially the weekly free games – no platform comes close. The only real commitment required is checking back each Thursday when the new free game goes live.
Best for: PC gamers who want to build a large library for free or near-free over time.
Tip: Set a weekly reminder to claim the free game even if you're not sure you'll play it. A claimed game stays in your library permanently, and you'll often find yourself wanting it months later.
Platform: PC (Steam keys primarily) |
Discount depth: Up to 90% off |
Best for: Deal hunters who want Steam keys at lower prices
Fanatical is a legitimate key reseller that operates directly with publishers and developers to sell Steam keys at discounted prices. Unlike gray-market sites (more on that in the FAQ), Fanatical is fully authorized and has direct relationships with the studios whose games they sell. Discounts are often steeper than what you'd find on Steam itself, and the site runs its own bundle deals that rival Humble Bundle in value.
The Star Deals section rotates daily flash discounts on individual titles, and the bundle section regularly offers curated packs of 5–10 games at prices well below what you'd pay on any official storefront. Fanatical also has a loyalty points system that accumulates across purchases and can be redeemed for discounts. If Steam is where you play but you want cheaper entry points than Steam's own sales provide, Fanatical is one of the safest places to buy keys.
Best for: PC gamers who prefer Steam but want to avoid paying Steam's prices.
Tip: Check the "Star Deal" section daily – the 24-hour rotating discounts are often the steepest prices you'll find anywhere for a specific title.
Platform: PC (multi-store keys) |
Discount depth: Up to 80% off |
Best for: Tracking new releases at launch discounts
Green Man Gaming is another authorized key retailer with a clean reputation and publisher-direct relationships. What sets it apart slightly from Fanatical is its focus on new and recent releases – GMG frequently offers launch-day discounts of 10–25% on titles that haven't gone on sale anywhere else yet, which is useful if you want to play something on release without paying full retail price.
The platform also runs cashback promotions and loyalty rewards that stack with existing discounts, and their sale events align with major gaming seasons (holiday, summer, back-to-school). The site interface is cleaner than some competitors, and games are delivered as standard Steam or platform keys that activate directly in your library without any additional software.
Best for: Players who want new releases at a slight discount rather than waiting months for a Steam sale.
Tip: GMG's newsletter subscribers often get exclusive coupon codes. Worth signing up just for those, even if you only check in during big sale events.
Platform: PC/Mac/Linux/browser |
Discount depth: Pay-what-you-want, frequent bundles |
Best for: Indie game fans and supporting small developers
itch.io is the largest marketplace for independent game developers, and the deals here operate on a completely different model than any other platform on this list. Many games have a minimum price of $0 – pay what you think it's worth. Developers set their own floors, and buyers can tip above the minimum if they want to support the creator directly.
The itch.io bundles are where the real value concentrates. Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality in 2020 raised over $8 million and gave buyers access to over 1,700 games for $5. Bundles of similar scale have happened since, typically tied to social causes or disaster relief. Even outside of bundles, itch.io hosts thousands of free or near-free games across every genre imaginable, with a particular depth in experimental, narrative, and horror games that don't fit neatly into mainstream storefronts.
Best for: Players who want to discover unique indie games and support small developers directly.
Tip: The itch.io desktop app makes managing your downloaded library much easier than the browser alone – worth installing if you buy more than a handful of games here.
Platform: PC + console codes |
Discount depth: Free with Prime subscription |
Best for: Amazon Prime subscribers who aren't using this benefit
If you already pay for Amazon Prime – for shipping, video, or anything else – you're getting free games every month and probably not claiming them. Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime) rotates a selection of free PC games monthly, plus in-game content for popular live-service games like League of Legends, Apex Legends, and Fortnite. The games span indie titles, older AAA releases, and occasional surprises, and they're yours to keep as long as you claim them while your subscription is active.
The value here isn't in deep discounts on new titles – Prime Gaming doesn't work that way. The value is in the accumulated library you build over time by claiming consistently. Over a year of Prime Gaming, the combined retail value of claimed games easily exceeds the cost of the Prime subscription itself, making it essentially free if you were already going to pay for Prime anyway.
Best for: Existing Amazon Prime subscribers who want to maximize what they're already paying for.
Tip: Claimed games are yours permanently even if your Prime subscription lapses, so claim everything even if you don't plan to play it immediately.
Platform: PC + Xbox |
Price: ~$9.99–$14.99/month |
Best for: Players who want to play many games without buying each one
Game Pass is a subscription, not a discount platform, but it belongs on this list because the per-game cost math is genuinely compelling. For around $10–$15/month, PC Game Pass gives access to a library of hundreds of games including every first-party Microsoft and Bethesda title on day one of release. Paying $15 to play Starfield, Forza Motorsport, or any Halo game on launch day – games that retail for $60–$70 – is a substantial effective discount.
The library rotates, which is the main caveat. Games come and go, so Game Pass works better as a way to play a lot of different things than as a way to build a permanent library. The Day One inclusion of first-party titles is the strongest argument for the subscription – you'd need to buy just one or two of those games at retail to cover an entire year of Game Pass costs.
Best for: Players who want variety and don't mind not owning what they play, especially if they enjoy Microsoft/Bethesda titles.
Tip: Watch for $1 trial offers that occasionally appear for new subscribers – they give you a month of access to evaluate whether the library matches your taste before committing.
Platform: Price tracker (all platforms) |
Best for: Obsessive deal-hunters who want the lowest price, guaranteed
IsThereAnyDeal isn't a store – it's the tool that makes every other store on this list more useful. Enter any game, and IsThereAnyDeal shows you the current price across every major platform simultaneously, the historical lowest price the game has ever hit, and an alert system that notifies you when it drops below a price you set. It's the single best tool for making sure you never overpay for a game you want.
The site tracks prices across Steam, GOG, Epic, Humble, Fanatical, GMG, and dozens of other stores in real time. The historical price graph shows exactly when a game tends to go on sale and how deep those sales go, which helps you decide whether to buy now or wait. For anyone who buys more than a few games a year, using IsThereAnyDeal before every purchase is the kind of habit that saves real money over time.
Best for: Anyone who wants to always be confident they're getting the best available price.
Tip: Import your Steam wishlist into IsThereAnyDeal with one click – it'll track all your wishlisted games automatically and alert you when any of them drop.
The best approach isn't picking one platform and ignoring the rest – it's using the right one for what you need at a given moment:
Building a library cheaply over time: Epic Games Store (weekly free games) + Humble Bundle (monthly Choice)
Buying a specific game at the lowest price right now: Check IsThereAnyDeal first, then buy from whichever store wins
Owning games forever with no DRM strings: GOG.com
Supporting indie developers directly: itch.io
Playing new releases without paying full price: Green Man Gaming or Fanatical for keys, Game Pass for Microsoft titles
You already have Amazon Prime: Claim Prime Gaming every month – it's already paid for
Are key reseller sites like G2A or Kinguin safe to use? This is the "gray market" question, and the honest answer is: technically legal for the buyer, but ethically murky and sometimes risky. Keys on gray market sites are often purchased with stolen credit cards, meaning developers see chargebacks and lose revenue. The sites on this list are all authorized retailers with direct publisher relationships. Stick to them.
Do game prices really drop that significantly? Yes – regularly and dramatically. Most games hit 50% off within 6–12 months of release, and 75–90% off within 2–3 years. Using IsThereAnyDeal to track historical lows makes this pattern very clear.
Is Humble Choice worth it if I already have a large Steam library? Depends on the month. The lineup is revealed before you're charged, so check it first. Some months are clearly worth it; others are mostly duplicates of what you own. The 20% store discount alone can justify the subscription if you buy even one game through the Humble Store that month.
Can I use these discounts on console games too? Mostly no – the platforms above are PC-focused. For console discounts, PlayStation Store sales, Xbox deals, and Nintendo eShop sales are the main options, plus GameFly for physical rentals and purchases.
Is it safe to buy from all these sites? All 10 platforms listed here are legitimate, established businesses with clear track records. GOG, Steam, Epic, and Humble have been operating for a decade or more. Fanatical and Green Man Gaming are authorized retailers with publisher relationships. itch.io is the de facto home of indie games. None of them are fly-by-night operations.
Paying full price for games in 2025 is optional. Between weekly free games on Epic, monthly bundles from Humble, DRM-free deals on GOG, and price tracking through IsThereAnyDeal, there's no reason to ever pay retail unless a game just launched and you genuinely can't wait. Build the habits – wishlist everything, claim the freebies, check IsThereAnyDeal before you buy – and your gaming budget goes dramatically further without touching anything shady.
The games are the same. The price doesn't have to be.
Steam – Seasonal Sales Information: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/
Humble Bundle – How It Works: https://www.humblebundle.com/about
Humble Choice – Subscription Details: https://www.humblebundle.com/membership
GOG.com – DRM-Free Gaming FAQ: https://www.gog.com/en/page/drm_free_manifesto
Epic Games Store – Free Games: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/free-games
Fanatical – About Page: https://www.fanatical.com/en/page/about-us
Green Man Gaming – About: https://www.greenmangaming.com/about-us/
itch.io – About Page: https://itch.io/docs/general/about
Amazon Prime Gaming – Official Page: https://gaming.amazon.com/home
IsThereAnyDeal – How It Works: https://isthereanydeal.com/
