The 10 best cheap PS5 games

The best cheap PS5 games can require a bit of legwork to find. The PS5 has been out for almost a year, which means that even its oldest titles are still fairly new. As a result, most PS5 games are still quite expensive — especially since many of them now retail for $70 apiece, rather than last generation’s $60.

Still, you can get cheap PS5 games if you know where to look. One possible solution is to keep an eye out for sales, which occur frequently on the PlayStation Store. The other option is to check out mid-budget and indie games, which often sell for much less than their big-budget counterparts. For the purposes of this article, we consider any game “cheap” if it cost $30 or less. If these games aren’t to your liking, then just give it some time; other PS5 games will come down in price as the months roll on. Remember, too, that the PS5 is backwards compatible with the best cheap PS4 games.

Alan Wake Remastered

Alan Wake was one of the most beloved sleeper hits on the Xbox 360, and now it’s on a Sony console for the first time. In this action/horror game, you take control of crime novelist Alan Wake. He and his wife plan a getaway at a remote cabin, but things get creepy when his wife disappears and Alan finds himself facing down shadowy horrors that represent his own fears. The game features a clever combat system, in which you wear down foes with flashlights, then pummel them with improvised weapons. But the dark, twisted Stephen King-esque story is the big draw here.

Bugsnax

Bugsnax was one of the first games on the PS5, and it’s still one of the oddest. You play as a journalist who travels to the mysterious Snaktooth Island in pursuit of a big scoop. There, you meet a variety of quirky, puppet-like townsfolk called Grumpuses — and a whole lot of adorable, collectable Bugsnax. These odd creatures are exactly what they sound like: half bug, half snack. To unearth Snaktooth Island’s secrets, you’ll have to lure and trap dozens of Bugsnax, then feed them to the Grumpuses to advance the surprisingly heartfelt story. Bugsnax is a weird game, but there’s nothing else quite like it.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

Doki Doki Literature Club! quickly became a cult favorite when it debuted on Steam, and Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! adapts the profoundly bizarre experience for PS5. At first blush, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a simple anime-style dating sim, where you play as a high school student who courts a variety of cute girls. However, the game takes a surprisingly grim turn toward the end — then gets much weirder when you start your second playthrough. To say more would give away some of the game’s best secrets, but if you like psychological horror, this one is an easy recommendation.

The Falconeer: Warrior Edition

While The Falconeer isn’t a universally beloved game, just about every critic respected its unique premise and setting. The Falconeer: Warrior Edition is a PS5 port of the game, which also includes a substantial amount of extra DLC. In this aerial combat game, you’ll take control of a pilot who rides a massive war falcon into battle. You can complete a story campaign, undertake side missions, upgrade your weapons and improve your skills. The game’s structure is nonlinear, and offers a lot of variety, although the combat can get repetitive over time. It’s still unusual enough to warrant a look.

Hades

When Hades debuted, it quickly became one of the most beloved games on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. When it came out for Xbox and PlayStation consoles a year later, new fans embraced it just as warmly. In this roguelite RPG, you play as Zagreus: prince of hell, and son of Hades, god of the dead. To escape from his father’s domain, Zagreus collects a variety of weapons and upgrades, and battles his way through the four realms of the underworld. But when (not if) he falls in battle, he loses just about everything he collected along the way. It’s an addictive journey with a surprisingly good story.

Haven

Lots of RPGs have love stories, but the one in Haven feels decidedly adult in nature. Yu and Kay are a pair of lovers who run away from their oppressive homeland to be with each other on a dangerous planet called Source. As they build up their relationship, they’ll also improve their abilities to explore and survive. Scavenging for resources and choosing the right dialogue options can be equally important, as Yu and Kay’s happiness is dependent on how well they treat each other — much like in a real relationship. It’s an agreeable, low-key mix of adventure and romance.

Little Nightmares II

“Scary side-scrollers that might actually be metaphors for mental health” is probably its own subgenre by now, and Little Nightmares II is one of its better entries. You play as a boy named Mono, who explores a variety of creepy levels, solving environmental puzzles and guiding a little girl named Six. The atmosphere in the game is excellent, using a combination of just-colorful-enough graphics and moody music to set the tone. The story is surprisingly easy to follow, considering that there’s no dialogue. There’s also an optional ending, depending on how well you explore the game’s varied environments.

Subnautica

Survival games often challenge you to stay alive in hostile environments, ranging from mountains, to jungles, to the depths of space. But Subnautica is one of the few games that asks you to survive underwater. In this open-world game, you play as an oceanic explorer who must gather resources to construct tools, shelter and submarines, all while managing your hunger, thirst and oxygen. What sets Subnautica apart from other games in the genre is its strong narrative, providing the perfect carrot to the survival element’s stick. There are also quite a few interesting things to discover once you get out into the ocean, from native fauna to ancient aliens.

Tails of Iron

If you grew up reading Redwall and playing ultra-difficult side-scrollers, then Odd Bug Studio developed Tails of Iron just for you. In this atmospheric action/adventure game, you play as the Redgi: the heir to the throne of an imperiled rat kingdom. Redgi takes up arms against a race of invasive frogs, mastering the difficult combat system and gathering gear to help him in his quest as he goes. Tails of Iron features demanding gameplay, with RPG elements to offset some of the challenge, as well as a memorable art style, which looks like a twisted storybook. It’s a tough game, and an oddly beautiful one.

Tribes of Midgard

Tribes of Midgard borrows a lot of ideas from other genres, but combines them in a way that you probably haven’t seen before. You play as a Viking warrior in a colorful fantasy world inspired by Norse myth. By gathering resources, collecting treasures and working with other players, you must protect the world-tree Yggdrasil from a variety of giants and monsters. Tribes of Midgard deftly blends combat with crafting, and gives you plenty of opportunities to upgrade your character. While you can (and will) fail in your quest, you can buy upgrades that persist throughout runs, earning better rewards as you hone your skills.