They’re more expensive than ever. And don't even get me started on console exclusives, that demand you pony up for the hardware too. That’s why I’ve taken some of 2026’ biggest games and suggested budget alternatives.

A mix of indies, underappreciated gems, and the downright bizarre. Can I persuade you to snub Forza Horizon 6 to instead play something called ‘Wreckreation’? Let’s find out!Grand Theft Auto 6(Image credit: Rockstar)Rockstar has supposedly spent over a billion dollars working on this long-awaited sequel.

But will it really be any better than Sleeping Dogs? Ok, probably, but if you're as miserly as me, you can still get your fix of open world crime action for a lot less than GTA 6 is likely to cost. Samson(Image credit: Liquid Swords)The titular Samson is a low-level criminal who owes some awful people an awful lot of money.

Each day you do odd jobs, usually involving punching lots of people in the head, to keep on top of that debt. That ticking clock gives crime sandbox tropes a nice new layer of tension. It’s janky, to say the least, and some of its quirks can irritate.

It’d be nice if Samson didn’t celebrate taking painkillers by throwing his melee weapon away. But there’s more than enough good, interesting ideas here. When was the last time you played a crime sandbox where a car repair payment was as terrifying a prospect as a mob hit?

It’s a wannabe gritty cops-n-crims drama where you can also knock down sandwich boards to win more nitro boost tanks for your car. We should treasure such nonsense, especially at such a reasonable asking price. The Precinct (Image credit: Fallen Tree Games)An open-world crime sandbox where you’re actually trying to stop the criminals.

I ran over countless civilians in the tutorial chase and wasn’t fired for it, which is either cutting satire or a sign that the game needs a little polish (actually, I was punished for my pedestrian slaughterfest with less options to call for backup—well, I’ve certainly learnt my lesson). But I really like its commitment to gamifying the more mundane parts of police life. Are you a bad enough dude to correctly identify these parking violations?Shakedown Hawaii and Retro City Rampage(Image credit: Vblank Entertainment)If you’re more into GTA for the chaos, Shakedown Hawaii and Retro City Rampage are silly riffs on the early 2D games that are great fun if you just wanna indulge your inner Trevor.

Not having to render 3D 4K AAAA megagraphics means it can just keep piling on the explosions, tanks, and other destructive delights. Great Steam Deck companions, these.Resident Evil Requiem(Image credit: Capcom)Capcom celebrated 30 years of Resident Evil this year with an outstanding mix of tense survival horror and fun shooty bang-bang action, only slightly weakened by basically turning into The Leon of Us in its second half. But you can make yourself just as terrified alone at your desk at night for a fraction of the price with these alternatives!Fear the Spotlight(Image credit: Cozy Pal Games)This horror adventure has a lovely graphical style inspired by the PS1, though if we're honest with ourselves, no game on that machine ever looked this good.

It nails the foreboding atmosphere, as you explore a school and slowly piece together the grim tragedy that’s got it all spooked up. Its monster is a little goofy (spotlight head man isn’t going to be making Freddy Krueger lose any sleep) but it still kept me constantly on edge, and it knows how to tell a great, spine-tingling story.Crow Country(Image credit: SFB Games)An atmospheric trip to a cursed theme park that's made no less scary by all its characters looking like they're made of Duplo. It also puts modern controls on the analogue stick and tank controls on the D-pad so you can switch between them without ever entering the options menu, which I think deserves a round of applause from you right now.

Lorelei and the Laser EyesIt’s like classic fixed-camera Resi except with a beautiful black-and-white (and a bit of red) art style, and all the zombies have been replaced with brutal puzzles. Outrageously well-written, too. Amnesia: The BunkerThe most terrifying game of the last decade.

I don’t even want to imagine the level of whimpering that would come out of poor Grace Ashcroft if she played it.Pokémon Pokopia(Image credit: Game Freak, Omega Force)Last month’s mega hit lets you build, craft, and feel smugly vindicated if you’ve been droning on for years about how great Dragon Quest Builders is. Arguably the Switch 2’s first killer app, thanks to its innovative idea of being the first Pokémon game in forever that doesn’t run like absolute tripe. But what if you don't want to shell out for a new handheld and then pay Nintendo game prices on top? There is another way… Ooblets(Image credit: Glumberland)The game for people who find Animal Crossing