this post was submitted on 27 May 2025
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I bought 226 games this month. No, I’m not okay. (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by atomicpoet@lemmy.world to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca
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This month, I bought 226 PC games for C$185.82 ($134.58)

Now are those a lot of games? Yes, it's a silly amount of games. Perhaps I'm addicted to good deals that deliver fun.

We all have a vice, and this is mine. I don't drink, or smoke, or gamble -- but I buy lots and lots of video games.

Though back when I was a console gamer, I'd might get eight games for that price -- if I were lucky.

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[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 33 points 1 month ago (13 children)

Good deals that deliver fun.

If that's what you're buying in a single month, I'd hate to know how much you're buying in a year.

The sad truth is that you're spending this money but you're never going to have the time to enjoy more than the upper crust of what all these games have to offer. You might dive deep on a handful of them, but you're just lighting the rest of that money on fire and likely condemning a lot of good games to the digital equivalent of rotting on a shelf.

Unless this is some roundabout way of supporting dev teams this screams unfettered consumerism to me.

I'm not trying to offend you I promise. This is just very odd to me. I don't even think I've played 200 games in my life and I've spent a fuckload of time immersed in games of all kinds for ~30 years.

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago (11 children)

I’ve played 22% of my Steam library and 25% of my GOG library.

Most of the time, I don’t finish the games. But I’ve got maybe 1 hour of enjoyment out of most of them—sometimes more. And I typically pay less than C$1.00 per game.

Meanwhile, at my local arcade, I sometimes pay $1.00 for a mere minutes of play.

Is it unfettered consumerism? Maybe it’s consumerism. If so, it’s certainly fettered.

I place hard limits on what I spend, and each game must be regarded as worth playing.

If there’s one regret I have it’s that I don’t talk about the many hidden gems I experience as much as I wish I did.

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[–] Flickerby@lemm.ee 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You still spent less than buying two AAA at release

[–] xavier666@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

Ooof. Really puts things into perspective

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 13 points 1 month ago

I mean as far as hobbies go $134 ain't a whole lot. And you didn't really mention anything about your financial situation.

I spent $4k on a bicycle that I'll probably replace in 3-4 years. And spend several hundred more in between, repairing and upgrading.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How many did you play?

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I have a personal rule that I don’t play games until I own them for a solid month.

I’ve played quite a few games that I’ve bought during the month of April.

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Uh, why?

That's like the opposite of what I try to do with my purchases. I won't buy something unless I've wanted it for a while (at least a week) that way if I do buy it, I know it's something I truly want. VS if I impulse buy it I might not ever get around to it.

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m a value buyer. I wait and wait and wait till there’s an obscene sale—at least 90% off retail price—then I swoop in and buy.

For example, I’ve wanted to play Quake 4 for decades. Then a couple of weeks ago, I got it for $0.64.

This is pretty much how I acquired the entirety of my library.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That doesn't really answer the question. Once you have bought it, why do you then wait a month before playing them? That doesn't affect the price at all

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

It gives me motivation to play through more of my backlog.

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[–] felsiq@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Outta curiosity, why that rule? Whatever the reason, I admire the restraint lol

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It motivates me to look through my backlog instead of get all hung ho about games I immediately buy.

I may have bought 226 games this month, but there’s also many others that deserve to be played.

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[–] MudMan@fedia.io 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How did you get a sub-dollar average on 200 games?

I'm not shocked by the count, we hang in the same leagues, I'm impressed by the penny-pinching. Even with bundles that's a very consistently low average.

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Bundles and sales.

Fanatical had a lot of killer sales this month.

Also, SteamDB helps you target games based on discount and price.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Sure, but... a dollar on average? Man, that's some filter-feeding purchase pattern, hardcore. Even setting the bar on 90% discount keeps the full price fare at five bucks apiece, and that low in the stack it's really hard to get enough games for fifty cents that you offset that spend. Unless you really don't mind getting shovelware for that much, and I get the impulse... it's a lot. Especially since Humble started putting a minimum spend on getting full packages it's really hard to get there. Their twelve dollar subscription bundle works out at 1.50 per game or so these days.

I'd be curious to see that game list, because I'm guessing it's quite obscure and unexpected.

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, let's take a look at the games I bought today:

  • Ground Control Collection was $0.51. This includes Ground Control Anthology (Ground Control and Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy) as well as Ground Control II. That's three games -- which ends up being $0.17 each.
  • Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death was $0.60.
  • Anuchard was $0.67
  • Men of War: Red Tide was $0.59
  • Moonbase Commander was $0.44

Based on today's hauls, that's $0.40 per game.

I wouldn't call these games shovelware. But they're either old or they're indie.

Occasionally, though, I do end up with a somewhat recent AAA title. Back in March, I got Far Cry 5 for 95% off -- which ended up being $4.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I was fomoing a bit on the Ground Control series that cheap, but it turns out I do own those on GOG already :D

I remember being astounded when that came out at a 3D RTS where you could see the empty casings pouring out of the units' guns. Good times.

Still, that shows up for five bucks, so no discount at all. Those key resellers are doing a lot of work in that process.

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[–] 13igTyme@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's less than a dollar on average.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 1 points 1 month ago

Yes, I said that up front. I'm rounding up to not have to say "eighty cents" each time.

[–] Honytawk@feddit.nl 5 points 1 month ago

Have you played those games yet?

How do you know whether or not they are fun?

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How many do you have in total?

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

LOL. I’ve been collecting video games for nearly 40 years—almost the entirety I’ve been alive—starting with Atari 2600 carts.

So the answer is, I don’t know.

But it’s a lot. And I’m thankful Steam and GOG exists because I’m glad most of it is digital, not physical.

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Okay, how about you tell us how many there are in your Steam and GOG library? Should be fairly easy to get those numbers :)

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

All right, so on Steam, it’s 7,123 collected over 12 years. This includes some free games though. Officially, Steam says I have 5,342—so I assume that’s what I’ve paid for.

On GOG, it says I have 401 games. But a large chunk of that are free games—though not a majority.

On Epic, it says I have 97 games. I have not paid for a single one.

On Xbox Game Store, it says I have seven games. I only paid for one.

On Amazon, I have three games, all free.

And on itch.io, I have three games currently installed—nothing I paid for. But I have my eye on one specific game that I might pay for.

EDIT: I guess this doesn’t count collections that exist on Steam. For example, I recently got a Castlevania Collection that’s contains nine Castlevania games.

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[–] ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Does it count as collecting for digital renting?

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Of course it's collecting. But it's like underwear collecting: you don't resell it.

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[–] lath@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I only buy what i like and played or play. But yeah, large list anyway.

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Okay, but you know how many games became my favourite even though nobody talked about them—but I bought them because the price was right? A stunning amount.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Then don't just stare at them, play them you fool!

[–] atomicpoet@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Don’t worry, I’m working on that.

[–] MITM0@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

You seem OK to me, it's still better than getting addicted to drugs or gambling.

You do play those games right ?

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