Games with Near-Infinite Replayability

A love letter to the games that just keep giving and giving and giving.

It sucks, but it’s true: Video game prices are increasing.

With new releases topping out at $70, it’s become a harder ask to spend money on a new, unproven game — especially since we’ve heard horror stories of expensive games being buggy and not worth the money spent (looking at you, Cyberpunk 2077).

And now with New Game+ options sometimes taking months to roll out, we’re wondering, how much entertainment are we actually going to get out of this?

One thing we’ve found ourselves caring more about as we’re shopping for games: Replayability.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of the Top 5 games when it comes to the ratio of cash spent to hours played.

Our criteria for these are simple: We want the story to feel fresh, new, and interesting on every playthrough, with options to customize the gameplay, and new endings to discover.

While many of these games aren’t new, they still hold up after years precisely because the game never gets stale.

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Vampire Survivors

Free on mobile | $4.99 on Steam | Included with Game Pass

Credit: Vampire Survivors

THE MIN:

Is this game infinitely replayable or just insanely addicting? It’s both. For the extremely low price tag, this throw-back pixelated game is a great way to turn your brain off and have a blast.

THE MAX:

From the sheer joy of discovering a new weapon combo to the thrilling rush of defeating the final boss on Capella Magna, Vampire Survivors was programmed to be digital-MSG … literally.

Before creator Luca Galante came up with the concept for Vampire Survivors, he designed flashy graphics for slot machines, so he knows how to keep players coming back for more.

With tons of power-ups, unlockable weapon combos, and 50+ characters with unique abilities that change gameplay, you’re playing a different game every time you touch the screen.

Even if you play too much at once and start feeling burned out, it always regains its charm and is easy to pick up and put down at will.

Added to all of this is the running gag that there are actually no vampires in it. But you can fight Death itself, so that’s kind of a win, right?

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Stardew Valley

$14.99 on Steam | $4.99 on Mobile | Included with Game Pass

Credit: Stardew Valley

THE MIN:
This farming simulator isn’t just about farming — you can spend hours fighting monsters, scavenging in the wilds, fishing, and schmoozing the locals. With different options for your farm and many people to love, this game is easily one of the best time-sucks of all time.

THE MAX:

If anyone has ever told you Stardew Valley is a “cozy game,” do NOT believe them. We have never been more stressed than running to harvest our pumpkins before Fall 28.

This game is perfect for both casual gamers who want to take their time with low-stakes goals, and those who are greedy capitalists at heart.

While Stardew Valley and Pelican Town themselves never change (and they never should), the player can control how their farm works with increasing complexity. Start by choosing from different types of farms, and then climb your way out of rural poverty by growing crops, ranching animals, or siding with an evil corporation.

Stardew Valley also has a system for building favor (and love) with the residents of Pelican Town that reward the player with cutscenes and dialogue that reveal more about the person and their ties to the town (which kind of makes this a dating sim, too).

This game also never has an “end” point, making it one of the best games to keep coming back to.

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Hades

$24.99 on Steam, Switch, PSN, and XBox

Credit: Supergiant Games

THE MIN:
Like every rogue-like, Hades’ bread and butter is replayability. What sets this game apart is its changing dungeons, multiple weapon playthroughs, and a longer-than-Game-of-Thrones script so you’re never having the same conversation twice.

THE MAX:

Not for the faint of heart (cause everyone is so damn hot), this rogue-like revolves around Greek god Zagreus’ attempts to escape the Underworld to find out what happened to his mother.

Between boons from other Olympians to sub-plots taken right out of Greek mythology, there’s so much to do in the game aside from “escape.” But, of course, the constant combat is the fun part. You can switch it up every time by using a different weapon, or turn up the heat if the game starts to feel too easy.

The best part? You have to finish the main quest of the game to unlock some of the extra content, so the incentive to keep playing never goes away.

But Hades’ heavy focus on interpersonal relationships also makes this a richly emotional game that connects you to the characters. Also, the music slaps, which is just a massive bonus.

It’s worth getting to play now before the release of Hades II, Supergiant’s first-ever sequel game.

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The Dragon Age Series

$29.99 to $39.99 on Steam | Included with Game Pass

THE MIN:

The Dragon Age series is one of the most robust franchises when it comes to player decisions having an actual effect on the main story. And when those stories span three games, there’s always something new to find when replaying.

THE MAX:

Known for having one of the best games of all time, the Dragon Age franchise is famous for its rich lore, intensive party management, and choice-based story system.

The number of player choices is so incredibly vast and can change the world of Thedas so much that the developers created a website where players can log their decisions to create custom world states — for every. single. game. If that’s not an invitation to play through this game series more than once, we don’t know what is.

And really, almost every single BioWare game is like this — from Mass Effect to Baldur’s Gate to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. We chose Dragon Age simply because of the number of games and relatively low price tag.

Also, with a new Netflix series covering another canon story in the Dragon Age world, you can take a break from the game and still get your Thedas fix.

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Civilization VI

$59.99 on Steam | Included with Game Pass

Credit: Civilization VI

THE MIN:

Civilization VI offers hours of unique gameplay. This game will always feel new with over 50 civilizations to play, multiple game modes, randomly generated maps and players, and continuous updates by the game publisher.

THE MAX:

While the most expensive option on this list, Sid Meier’s 30-year-old Civilization series has been a staple in the turn-based strategy community for a reason.

Offering dozens of ways to play at various difficulties and on different types of maps, you can, quite literally, never play this game the same way twice.

What’s great about this game compared to others on this list is that the publisher, 2K Games, is still continuously updating and adding content, both free and paid.

If you’re not a fan of turn-based games, Civilization VI’s new features (ever-expanding cities, fun graphics, and new leaders) are charming enough to give it a try.

Still a little too expensive? You can hold off and watch for price drops during one of Steam’s many sales. Or you can wait until the next release, as Civilization VII is reportedly in the works.

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Honorable Mentions:

• Oxenfree — With a low price tag, this game is meant to be played multiple times. Set on an island you and your friends are trapped on, this game is spooky and mind-bending all at once.

• The Sims 3 — While a die-hard fan of Sims 4, we often got tired of all the paywalled expansions. Sims 3 offers that hit of nostalgia we’re looking for, and feels like a larger game with the World Adventures expansion.

• Skyrim — A classic open-world, this game is nearly as buggy as when it was released in 2011. But with the many mods freely available, it’s worth sinking hours into multiple saves.

• Any Pokémon Game — Whether you’re the type to play the first save for 1,000 hours or you want to challenge yourself with a special playthrough (nuzlocke, anyone?), Pokémon’s combat system offers fresh playthroughs every single time.

• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — The only reason this is not part of this article is that we have high hopes for Tears of the Kingdom to replace it.

• No Man’s Sky — While plagued with an underwhelming and buggy release, the developers have continued to patch and add new content. With its literally infinite skies, this game redefined the genre of exploration games.