The best open-world games you can grab for under $20

Massive worlds, modest budget

Open-world games are among the biggest, most expensive-feeling experiences on PC, yet the best of them age into genuine bargains. Each of these sprawling adventures regularly drops under the $20 mark during sales — that is dozens or even hundreds of hours of exploration for the price of a takeaway. The trick is simply knowing when to buy, because these particular titles go on sale often, and the gap between full price and a good deal can be enormous.

• Cyberpunk 2077 — a dense, reactive Night City that has been transformed by years of updates. Now a stunning open-world RPG that routinely goes cheap.
• Hogwarts Legacy — a lavish, explorable wizarding world that already dips well below its launch price during sale events.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 — arguably the most detailed open world ever built, and one that frequently sees deep discounts.
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — the benchmark open-world RPG, endlessly generous with content and almost always affordable.
• Far Cry® — the original that launched the series' open-world formula, and an easy pickup for pocket change.

Prices swing constantly across the different stores we track, so do not pay full whack — check the current price on each page and buy only when a title sits near its all-time low.

Set a watchlist alert and you will never have to guess whether now is a good time to buy. For more picks, see the best open-world games on sale and, if you are really counting pennies, the best PC games under $10. Our deals page flags the exact moment each one goes cheap.