Subnautica drops you into an alien ocean where survival means crafting gear, exploring wrecks, and diving deeper into the unknown. Its mix of beauty and danger makes every dive unforgettable, from colorful reefs to the terrifying creatures lurking below. It’s one of the most absorbing survival games out there, and easy to lose dozens of hours to. | © Panic Button Games
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a roguelike where every run feels different thanks to hundreds of items, secret rooms, and strange character builds. Boss fights are chaotic, challenging, and keep you glued to the screen, whether you’re facing Mom, Hush, or even Mega Satan. With endless unlocks and modifiers, it’s a game that stays fresh for hundreds of hours. | © Nicalis
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive RPG with one of the richest worlds and most epic stories gaming has ever seen. From monster contracts to sprawling side quests, it’s packed with content that can last well over a hundred hours. The best part? It’s almost always on sale, so you can grab this masterpiece for a fraction of its original price. | © CD Projekt
Crashlands is a quirky mix of crafting, combat, and exploration that quickly becomes addictive. Its humor and charm make it stand out, and the variety of systems gives players plenty to do. The start is a little slow, but once it clicks, it’s the kind of game that keeps you hooked for hours. | © GameMaker Studio
Oxygen Not Included is a colony sim that challenges you to keep a group of settlers alive on an alien asteroid. Behind its cute look is a web of deep systems – oxygen, food, plumbing, power – that all need constant attention. It’s tough to learn but endlessly rewarding, and easily a game you can keep playing for years. | © Klei Entertainment
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Complete Edition packs the base game and all DLC into one definitive Liberty City experience. It may be overshadowed by GTA 5, but its cast and gritty atmosphere still shine. Playing as Niko, Johnny, or Luis means hours of chaos and one of the best sandboxes around. | © Rockstar Games
Slay the Spire is the roguelike deckbuilder that kicked off the whole genre, and it still offers unmatched depth and replay value. Beating the game unlocks 20 escalating Ascension levels, each piling on new challenges to keep runs tough and fresh. With four characters to master, it’s the kind of game you can play for hundreds of hours. | © Mega Crit
Terraria is a 2D sandbox RPG where you can build, craft, and fight your way through hundreds of hours of content. With tons of gear, wild boss fights, and endless ways to shape your world, it’s a game that rewards creativity and persistence. It can be tough without a guide, but that’s part of the charm. | © Re-Logic
Stardew Valley starts you off with a rundown farm, but it quickly opens up into a life full of crops, animals, friendships, and even romance. There’s also a sprawling dungeon to explore for resources, giving you more to do than most big-budget games. It’s cheap, constantly updated for free, and offers hundreds of hours of play. | © ConcernedApe
Persona 4 Golden blends classic dungeon-crawling RPG combat with a full high school life sim, where making friends and building bonds powers you up in battle. Between turn-based fights and social events, you’ll easily get lost in its 100+ hours of story. It’s an older title that often goes on sale, making it one of the best-value JRPGs you can pick up. | © Atlus
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain gives you a massive open world to sneak through, packed with missions, bases to infiltrate, and recruits to bring back to your team. Even ten years later, its stealth mechanics and freedom of choice still feel unmatched. Best of all, it regularly goes for just a few bucks, which is wild for a game this big and important. | © Kojima Productions
Mad Max drops you into a huge desert wasteland where car combat and brutal fistfights are the main event. Cruising the dunes and upgrading your ride feels more exciting than most open-world driving games, and the brawling takes cues from the Batman Arkham series. It’s often heavily discounted, making it one of the best cheap sandboxes you can sink dozens of hours into. | © Feral Interactive
Rogue Legacy combines fast roguelike action with a clever family tree system that keeps every run fresh. Each time you die, your heir takes over with new quirks – maybe they’re tiny, colorblind, or can even walk on the ceiling – so no two attempts feel the same. It’s cheap, endlessly replayable, and the sequel is out there, too, if you want to spend a little more. | © Cellar Door Games
Looking for games that won’t drain your wallet but will keep you busy for dozens of hours? These 15 titles prove you don’t need to spend much to get lost in massive worlds, deep systems, and endless replay value.
