THE PRICE INDEX
What twelve paid games actually cost.
US list prices, standard edition, checked 25 September 2026. Euro and pound prices are the publishers’ own regional list prices. "First-year estimate" is the base price plus the extras we actually bought plus twelve months of any subscription; cost per hour divides that by the hours we logged. Sorted by cost per hour.
| Game | Model | Base price | Extras | Subscription | First year | Hours | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stardew Valley | One-time | $14.99€13.99 · £10.99 | None sold; all updates free | — | $14.99 | 110 | $0.14 |
| Valheim | One-time | $19.99€19.99 · £15.99 | None sold | — | $19.99 | 70 | $0.29 |
| Satisfactory | One-time | $39.99€39.99 · £32.99 | None sold | — | $39.99 | 120 | $0.33 |
| Hades II | One-time | $29.99€28.99 · £24.99 | None sold | — | $29.99 | 60 | $0.50 |
| Deep Rock Galactic | One-time | $29.99€29.99 · £23.79 | Cosmetic packs $7.99–$9.99 each (optional, performance-neutral) | — | $39.98 | 60 | $0.67 |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | One-time | $59.99€59.99 · £49.99 | None sold | — | $59.99 | 90 | $0.67 |
| Helldivers 2 | One-time + optional passes | $39.99€39.99 · £34.99 | Warbonds 1,000 Super Credits (~$9.99) each, earnable in play | — | $49.98 | 55 | $0.91 |
| Monster Hunter Wilds | One-time + optional cosmetics | $69.99€69.99 · £59.99 | Cosmetic DLC $2.99–$9.99 (optional); paid expansion expected | — | $69.99 | 70 | $1.00 |
| Elden Ring | One-time + expansion | $59.99€59.99 · £49.99 | Shadow of the Erdtree expansion $39.99 (optional) | — | $99.98 | 85 | $1.18 |
| Final Fantasy XIV | Subscription | $19.99€19.99 · £15.99 | Expansions bundled in Complete Edition $59.99 | $12.99 Entry / $14.99 Standard per month | $199.87 | 90 | $2.22 |
| The Elder Scrolls Online | Buy-to-play + optional sub | $19.99€19.99 · £14.99 | Chapters $39.99–$49.99 each (optional) | ESO Plus $14.99 per month, optional | $239.86 | 80 | $3.00 |
| It Takes Two | One-time (friend’s pass) | $39.99€39.99 · £34.99 | None; second player free via Friend’s Pass | — | $39.99 | 12 | $3.33 |
How to read it
Cost per hour is a value measure, not a quality one. Stardew Valley is cheap per hour because it is cheap and long; It Takes Two is dearer per hour because it is a twelve-hour game you finish, and it is still one of the best purchases here. Subscriptions look expensive over a year and cheap per month you actually play; pause them in the months you do not.
Where the numbers come from
Base prices are read from the US storefront on the check date. Extras are what we actually bought during the test, not everything available. Hours are the total across our accounts. We re-check prices every season and whenever a publisher announces a change; changes are logged on the updates page.