Although video games provide great value-per-dollar for entertainment, gaming can be an expensive hobby. Those purchases add up, and it's easy to spend upwards of $1,000 in a year.

Fortunately, if your budget is tight, you have ways to cut back. First, stop pre-ordering games. You could even take it one step further and avoid buying new games altogether.

However, the best idea of all is to wait for deals. You'll need some patience, and you won't always get to play the games you want right away, but video game deals can save you lots of money. To help you out, you should use game discount sites to help you find great deals on games.

With that in mind, here are the best sites to buy cheap video games.

1. IsThereAnyDeal

IsThereAnyDeal

IsThereAnyDeal is a deal comparison site for video games. It not only aggregates pretty much every video game deal currently available, but lists them all side-by-side and ranks them by how much you can save. Just search for the game you want, then view all the deals on its page.

Other nifty features include the ability to set a price point and get alerted when the price drops below it, and to view the game's price history to assess whether the current price is really a deal.

If price is your only criterion, then this site is what you need. But IsThereAnyDeal also lists stores selling the game without deals. This allows you to use the site as a "where can I buy this game?" tool, regardless of deals.

2. CheapShark

cheapshark

CheapShark only aggregates video game prices from a dozen or so online retailers, but lets you search for any game and gives you a quick comparison of what it costs at each one.

Handily, the site shows a game's lowest price ever and when that price occurred, and lets you set a price point to receive an alert when the game drops below it.

CheapShark's deals listing page has an interesting sorting measure called Deal Rating. It considers various factors (e.g., absolute price, percent off, Metascore, release date) to determine how good the deal is.

3. GG.deals

gg deals

GG.deals is a PC game price comparison website that ensures you're getting the best deal. It compares prices across official stores and key shops, taking into consideration any active promo codes. It also lets you know whether the game is included as part of any subscription service, like Ubisoft+ or Xbox Game Pass.

Not only that, but GG.deals tracks the historical price of a game so that you can ensure you're genuinely getting a good deal. In fact, sometimes you might not have to spend a dime, since the site also notifies you when a service is giving a game away free.

4. Humble Bundle

humble bundle

Humble Bundle started in 2010 as a discounted collection of video games, with some proceeds donated to charity. Its first few bundles consisted of mainly indie games, but it has since evolved to include AAA titles and other more desirable games.

Humble Bundles are known for the "pay what you want" approach, which means you can grab lots of games very affordably. However, some of the most desirable titles are only available if you spend a minimum amount.

You can also browse the Humble Store for regular sales. Either way, these two options comprise some of the best ways to save money and get cheap games.

5. Fanatical

fanatical

Fanatical is an online game store that always has deep discounts on the latest and greatest games. While the prices on Fanatical are usually great anyway, the site often holds sales or flash deals where you can get even cheaper prices than usual. Since video gaming is an expensive hobby, these bargains are most welcome.

You should also check out Fanatical's bundles, where it packages similar games together for a discount rate. Occasionally, you can build your own bundle to get a group discount on a bulk purchase.

6. Green Man Gaming

green man gaming

Green Man Gaming is one of the best stores and game discount sites. If you want cheap video games, Green Man Gaming has you sorted. It sells Steam and Xbox keys, but you can buy in the knowledge and safety that every key has come direct from the publisher—no shady third-party involvement.

As you buy on Green Man Gaming, you earn XP. The more you buy, the more XP you earn, and you can redeem this on future purchases to get even greater discounts. It applies the discount automatically, so you're always getting the best deal.

7. GamersGate

gamersgate

GamersGate is officially partnered with publishers large and small, selling Steam keys for PC games across all genres. There are regular sales, meaning you can snag yourself a bargain with ease. If something isn't quite cheap enough for you, GamersGate offers a price drop notification feature—all you need is a free account.

8. WinGameStore

wingamestore

As you might expect from the name, WinGameStore is all about Windows games. Though if Apple is more your flavor, check out its sister site MacGameStore. Whichever site you choose, there are plenty of discounted games to browse and constant publisher sales.

The site even rewards you with points for buying games, referring friends, and writing reviews, which you can then redeem for money off your next purchase.

9. GameBillet

gamebillet

You may wonder whether it's safe to buy game keys. When you buy them from authorized sellers like GameBillet, it's no problem. This site serves customers worldwide, offering deals on new and old PC games alike. It even lets you pre-order games; though frankly, you shouldn't pre-order video games because a digital supply won't run out.

10. Gamesplanet

gamesplanet

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live on a video game planet? Gamesplanet is the next best thing, selling legit game keys for Steam, Ubisoft Connect, GOG, and more. You should check back often because there are always time-limited flash deals that provide an even better price than normal.

11. IndieGala

indiegala

IndieGala doesn't just sell indie games, though it has plenty of those, but rather has good deals on all sorts of PC games. On top of that, IndieGala has a neat selection of free games and endless giveaways—sure, the game quality may be questionable, but it's hard to quibble at zero dollars.

How to Decide What Game to Buy

These sites are sure to net you a great bargain on the next game that you want to play. Many of them let you sign up for email alerts and newsletters; be sure to do that so that you don't miss out on a bargain.

It can be difficult to know what game to buy next. To help decide, don't forget to read reviews, play demos, and use these discount sites to track deals.