The gaming hype cycle wants you to buy whatever just came out. The truth is that some of the best games of the past decade are now available for under $20 and absolutely hold up. Here are five worth installing this weekend.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Price now: Often $10-15 on sale, sometimes free.
An open-world RPG that holds the title of "actually deserving its open-world bloat" because the side quests are genuinely better than most games' main quests.
Why it still holds up: The writing is some of the best in any game. The combat is okay but the storytelling is exceptional. The world feels lived-in in a way most games still do not match.
Time investment: 100+ hours for the main game, more for the expansions (which are also great).
Verdict: If you have not played this, you are missing one of the few games people will still talk about in 20 years.
2. Hollow Knight (2017)
Price now: About $15. On sale regularly for $7.50.
A 2D Metroidvania about a small bug exploring an underground kingdom. Hand-drawn art. Atmospheric music. Tight combat.
Why it still holds up: Atmospheric games age better than most. The art style still looks great. The level design is exemplary. The boss fights are some of the best ever made.
Time investment: 30-50 hours depending on completion.
Verdict: The best Metroidvania ever made, full stop.
3. Hades (2020)
Price now: About $25, often $12-15 on sale.
A roguelike where you escape from the Greek underworld. Story progresses with each death. Voice acting is incredible. Combat gets better as you get better.
Why it still holds up: Roguelikes barely age. The mechanics are timeless. The story system (where each death advances narrative) is still innovative.
Time investment: 30-60 hours to see most of it. Hundreds if you want to master it.
Verdict: Buy it on Switch for portable runs. Buy it on PC or PlayStation for sit-down sessions. Either way, buy it.
4. Outer Wilds (2019)
Price now: About $25, often $10 on sale.
A space exploration mystery game where you have 22 minutes before everything resets. The whole game is about figuring out what to do and why things are happening.
Why it still holds up: The gameplay is essentially "explore and think." That ages perfectly. The mystery is one of the best in any medium.
Time investment: 15-25 hours.
Verdict: Do not look anything up about it. Just buy it and play it blind. You will thank me later.
5. Stardew Valley (2016)
Price now: About $15. The price has barely changed because demand is still high.
A farming simulator where you inherit a farm in a small town. You grow crops, raise animals, befriend villagers, explore mines, and build a life.
Why it still holds up: Cozy games age extremely well. The art style still looks great. The amount of content is still genuinely shocking for a one-developer game.
Time investment: 50-200+ hours depending on how you play.
Verdict: The best stress-relief game ever made. Buy it on whatever platform you use most.
What ages badly
For comparison, some games that I would NOT recommend going back to:
- Pre-2015 3D platformers. The cameras were rough back then.
- Most early 3D action games. Tank controls. Bad cameras. Bad animation.
- Anything with a frame rate locked at 30 in fast-paced action. Modern eyes notice.
- Online-only games whose servers are dead. Obviously.
- Games that sold on graphics rather than gameplay. Graphics age badly. Gameplay does not.
The pattern
The games that age well share traits: strong art direction (not just high polygon counts), good writing, tight gameplay loops, and core mechanics that did not depend on the latest tech. The games that age badly tried to push hardware envelopes and have been surpassed.
If you want to play older games, look for the ones with strong art direction and writing. They will hold up.
The takeaway
You can build a phenomenal gaming library by ignoring new releases entirely and just playing the best games of the past 10 years. They are cheaper, more complete, and the quality holds.
Pick one of these five and play it this month. You will have more fun than chasing whatever the current hype game is.
