Cheap PC Games

So you've got a gaming capable PC sitting there, going to waste, all for a lack of games to play on it. Game are expensive! Blockbusters regularly go for $50 or $60 a pop, and even lesser known games regularly debut at over $40, it's hard to imagine how gamers can afford to keep up with just a few new releases, let alone the tons of games that come out every year.

Fortunately for us less fortunate, there is a treasure trove of cheap games hidden in plain sight. They might not be this year's latest and greatest, but certainly more than a few of these games will keep you entertained for hours, or days without putting a strain on your wallet. Here's a list of best picks from a selection of cheap PC games:

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - RPG ~$10

If you've missed out on the Elder Scrolls games, well, you've really missed out! Offering a massive virtual world filled with lifelike NPCs, beautiful graphics, and hundreds of locations to explore, Oblivion gives players endless hours of exploration, combat, and story driven gameplay.

STALKER: Clear Sky - FPS/RPG ~$8

The graphics-intense prequel to STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky brings you into a world filled with mutants, valuable artifacts and Stalkers. Only having a little in common with the creepy kind of stalker that follows you home at night, these treasure hunters try to make a living scavenging artifacts from the irradiated zone around Chernobyl.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars – Multiplayer FPS ~$8

Welcome to Earth under attack by the Strogg--an enemy familiar if you've played any of the Quake games. Taking a different approach from those previous games, ET: Quake Wars pits humans against Strogg in strategic online battles. Both teams fight for control points, very similar to the Battlefield series. However, it might be a bit difficult finding lots of other people to play against.

Tom Clancy's EndWar - RTS ~$6

This voice controlled RTS might be an acquired taste, but for $6, who can complain? Command your forces through World War 3 with campaigns taking you through war-torn Washington DC, Moscow, Paris and beyond. EndWar also has a uniquely massive take on multiplayer, with persistent games against up to hundreds of players.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames - Action ~$6

Take destruction to a whole new level with the second Mercenaries game. Although stuck with a generic plot, really its all just an excuse to blow things up. Do we really need a reason? Mercenaries 2 lets you roam around an open world, able to hijack everything from cars to tanks to helicopters in order to meet your goals or just satisfy a craving for destruction. What more could you want from a cheap PC game?

Medal of Honor: Airborne – FPS ~$10

Set in an all too common backdrop, if you haven't had enough of World War 2, here's your chance to relive it from yet another perspective. With solid game play, the only real fault of this Medal of Honor game is the generic setting. If you can get past having to fight the Nazi's yet again, there is still a lot of fun to be had with Airborne.

An additional note: Keep on the lookout for deals on cheap PC games at digital distributors such as Steam, Impulse or Direct2Drive. It's easy to overlook if you're not vigilant, but they have been known to offer some astounding deals on not only classic games, but sometimes even knocking off over 25% on newer releases!