The gift giving season is upon us. Some of you out there will have spent almost all your money by now, satisfying this strange yearly custom of ours. Some of you are going into debt to do so. But despite these dire straits that you find yourself in you still want to game, we get that, and that’s why this week’s shoestring gamer is designed to give you options at the lowest possible price point. Now a buck ninety-nine isn’t a lot of money, so be prepared to play some older, sometimes really older games, which you might even have to patch or run in compatibility mode.
Let’s start with a classic Pc game that will satisfy your need to raise armies and wage war. It might be over ten years old but Praetorians is still a highly regarded RTS. You are a Roman general and war against Egypt is at your fingertips, for less than a dollar no less!
Maybe you’re in the mood for something more magical, the Heroes of Might and Magic inspired turn based RPG Disciples 2: rise of the elves still looks and plays great. You pick it up on steam for less than two bucks!
What’s that you say? You've been at the mall all week and need to blow of some steam by shooting virtual guns at polygon people? Death to spies will let you take out your frustrations against Nazi intelligence officers, while Dino D-Day will let you do the same thing…only as a velociraptor with a machine gun strapped to its back.
Looking for something more hack-N-slash-y ? Greenman Gaming ‘s got From Software’s 2010 release Ninja Blade for you for a ridiculous ninety-five cents!
Now so far I’ve given you a bunch of pc games to play, but don’t worry Mac users, I’ve got a few options for you too. Do you like adventure games? The intriguing ‘Eco Thriller’ A new beginning: Final Cut is on sale at indiegala for a buck fifty (click on the mac tab under platforms). Otherwise, why not take a chance on the quirky rhythm game Frederic: Resurrection of music, wherein Frederic Chopin comes back to life to take on the music industry.
And don’t forget that some games are free to play entirely, Quake live, Dota 2, and League of Legends are all free and have huge user bases. Why not jump into the Dead Island: Epidemic open Beta? It just doesn’t get any cheaper than free.