How to tell if a game deal is actually good

By DealDrop GG · Published Oct 31, 2026 · Facts checked Oct 31, 2026

A big red "-80%" tells you how far the price fell from a reference price, not whether it's a good price. The best single check is the game's price history: is today's price at, or close to, the lowest it has ever been?

1. Compare against the all-time low, not the "regular" price

Price trackers record a game's price across stores over time. CheapShark (the source we use) and IsThereAnyDeal both show a game's historical low. If today's price matches that low, you're unlikely to see it much cheaper soon. If it's well above it, the game has been cheaper before and probably will be again.

Our rule: we only list a sale when it's at or within 10% of the all-time low, and it's a Grab it only when it matches the low on a game with 90%+ positive Steam reviews (how we pick).

2. Know how "regular" prices are supposed to work

The FTC's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing say a "was" price should be a real price the item was openly offered at for a reasonably substantial period, not an inflated price set up to make a later cut look bigger (16 CFR Part 233). On Steam, Valve's own rules require a discount to reference a base price that has been in place for at least 30 days, and a game can't be discounted for 30 days after a price increase (Steamworks: Discounting).

That's why a history check still matters at other stores: a percentage is only as honest as the price it's measured from.

3. Check the reviews, not just the price

A cheap game you don't enjoy isn't a deal. Look at the Steam review score and the number of reviews: a high percentage from thousands of reviews tells you more than a high percentage from a handful.

4. Check the edition and what's included

Deluxe, Gold and Complete editions bundle different DLC. Compare the edition you're buying with the one in the price history. Epic's 2026 Black Friday sale, for example, focuses on premium editions specifically (Epic's Q4 promotional guide).

5. Buy from official stores

Steam, Epic, GOG, Humble, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming and the console makers' own stores sell licensed keys. We don't list grey-market key resellers.

6. Remember the next big sale

Steam's seasonal sales are exempt from its 30-day discount cooldown, so a game discounted in November can be discounted again in the Winter Sale starting December 17 (Steamworks). If it's not at its low now, waiting is often reasonable.

A quick checklist

• Is it at or near the all-time low on a price tracker?
• Is the review score high, from a decent number of reviews?
• Is it the edition you actually want?
• Is it an official store?
• When does the sale end, and is a bigger sale coming?

Sources

• CheapShark API docs
• IsThereAnyDeal
• FTC Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, 16 CFR 233
• Steamworks: Discounting rules

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