WITH the average console game costing more than £70 – it’s no surprise people can quickly rack up expensive bills if they have a PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch.
I’m one of them. I bought a PS5 at launch in 2020 for £450 but have spent well over £1000 on games for it since.
And that’s just one console.
Dare to be a big gamer and have a Nintendo Switch as well and your bank balance will take an even bigger dent.
While many of these games are undeniably top quality, the costs are reaching unsustainable levels – and they will inevitably keep going up.
So, I’ve decided to go back to basics.
No, I don’t mean Snake on my old Nokia 3310…
There are plenty of really good video games available to many for free via your existing devices and service subscriptions.
They may not have all the huge franchises, but there are still some big names not be missed.
Here’s where you should look.
Netflix Games
Netflix has the power to be a real disruptor in the gaming space, but only if all of its 325million subscribers are aware of it.
Netflix Games is a hidden gem that’s gone from strength to strength since starting in 2021.
There are iconic names like Red Dead Redemption, Football Manager 26, Street Fighter and WWE available to download and play on mobile at no extra cost – and with no ads either.
But where Netflix can really stand out is utilising its own shows.
So there are exclusive games for Love Is Blind, Too Hot To Handle, Emily In Paris and Stranger Things to name a few.
And more recently Netflix has taken it up a level with games you can play on your TV, mostly in groups, using your mobile as a controller.
The latest addition I love is called Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game, based on the mystery movie series starring Daniel Craig, in which you have to solve a murder mystery and players become suspects.
It’s seriously great fun.
Another is Party Crashers, which gives me slight Traitors vibes – as the aim of the game is to lie and deceive your team mates.
There’s also some classics like Boggle and Pictionary that I would recommend for a fun evening in with friends.
And if you want to play solo from your TV you can too, with a special Happy Gilmore Golf Mayhem game and puzzle games (my favourite is Underwater Melon).
Sky
Sky has long had games available but these days they’re a lot more exciting.
There’s plenty that will keep the kids happy for weeks with Cartoon Network favourites like Teen Titans Go! Power Tower and Prince Ivandoe, which turns your Sky remote into a wand.
But there’s some fun for grown-ups too.
You can play well-known game shows Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
But my absolute favourite is Name The Song.
This does what it says on the tin – a track plays and you have to name the song title from the three listed on screen.
It starts easy but gets harder, and there’s a timer that accelerates as you proceed too.
Amazon Luna
If you have an Amazon Prime subscription you have access to Amazon Luna for free.
It’s the firms very own gaming platform that you can connect to from a smart TV or a Fire Stick.
All you need is a games controller – this can even be an Xbox or PlayStation controller for example.
The games are streamed into your room so you don’t need a big old console taking space in the home.
Amazon routinely updates the list of games available – but there are usually some really major titles.
At the moment, you can play the Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy.
When it launched in 2023 the game cost about £60 and these days its around £15 – instead you’re getting access for nothing.
Other titles include EA Sports Madden NFL 26 which is currently £60 to purchase in shops and Indiana Jones and The Great Circle (usually about £18).
So gaming doesn’t mean breaking the bank – all these are available right now hidden within your existing subscriptions.
