The past few weeks have seen some major video game releases, including Ghost of Yōtei, Battlefield 6, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. On top of that, the nominee announcements for December’s Game Awards have brought attention back to some titles that have gotten love all year, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

So it’s totally reasonable if you may have missed some of the smaller, more worthwhile releases that have come out recently (and don’t cost $70). From one of the most engrossing scripts I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing to a surreal, wordless adventure, here are three new games worth every minute and penny (if you have any of those left), each less than $30.

Dispatch

Available on: PlayStation 5 and Windows PC

In 2012, developer Telltale Games released the first season of The Walking Dead, an episodic adventure series based on the comic book series of the same. It was revolutionary for its branching, player-influenced narrative and for helping to revive the adventure genre. The series waned over the years, thanks in no small part to a lack of innovation going forward.

So I was a bit hesitant to check out Dispatch, developed and published by AdHoc Studio, which was founded by former Telltale staff, among others. That hesitation was for naught: Dispatch is one of the best games I’ve played in some time. In this eight-hour game, broken up into eight episodes, you control Robert Robertson III (yes, that’s his name), a powerless superhero who uses a mech to fight crime in Los Angeles. One rough night later, he’s working for the Superhero Dispatch Network, where he sends his team of former villains out to save the day, from catching falling planes to rescuing kittens in trees.

The gameplay is minimal, consisting of quick-time prompts during conversations and sequences in which you decide how to send your team out across L.A., both of which affect future in-game outcomes. (Tip: Don’t send the hot-tempered member to de-escalate any situation. It never works.) The narrative, dialogue and pacing, however, are top of their class. In collaboration with Critical Role Productions, the company behind the fantastic “The Legend of Vox Machina” series on Prime Video, Dispatch has some of the best writing in video games, full of charm, wit and hilarious brashness. A powerhouse voice cast including Aaron Paul (as Robert), Laura Bailey, Erin Yvette, Alanah Pearce, Matthew Mercer and Jeffrey Wright doesn’t hurt either.

With Dispatch, AdHoc has taken up Telltale’s adventure game mantle, creating something uproariously clever, emotionally endearing and, most important, enjoyable to play. I need Season 2, ASAP.

Keeper

Available on: Xbox Series X|S and PC (also on Xbox Game Pass)

On the other hand, there’s not a single word of dialogue in Keeper, the latest creation from Double Fine, known for ingenious adventure games like Psychonauts and Broken Age. Yet you can’t help but be affected by the surreal journey you embark on.

And it is surreal, not least of all because you play as an animated lighthouse with a birdlike creature as your main companion. The path forward is fairly linear, and the puzzles are only occasionally challenging. But it’s the environment that’s the main draw here. It’s like a trippy watercolor come to life, vibrant in palette choice and gorgeous in its execution. And it’s only when the colors start to change that you realize the true danger you’re in.

Admittedly, the slow pace of Keeper won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a five-hour escape full of unexpected surprise and beauty — and a dorky little bird that likes to decorate you with seafaring ornaments — I recommend you give it a try.

Ball x Pit

Available on: PS5, Xbox X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC and macOS (also on Xbox Game Pass)

And on the other, other hand, there’s a Ball x Pit, which almost never slows down. Developed by just one person and published by Devolver Digital, Ball x Pit throws you in a pit filled with monsters, which you must defeat with … balls. Shocking, I know. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.

In fact, the main gameplay mechanic is surprisingly in-depth, thanks to the sheer number of ways different balls interact with each other and the enemies around you. As the player, you have access to several different adventurers, each with their own destructive ball weapons. As you progress, you can level them up and even fuse them together to create entirely new weapons. Randomness also plays a heavy role, making no two runs exactly the same.

Levels get chaotic very quickly, especially when you’re using area-of-effect balls or when allies join you on your quest. But that’s only half the game. When you finish a level (or die), you’re sent to your town. It’s here where you’ll harvest resources that can be used to build and upgrade your town’s infrastructure, which in turn helps enhance your adventurers. (I will say, the town interface is entirely too clunky and probably the worst part of the game.)

But then you return to the pit, with new knowledge and perhaps newfound strength, and it’s an absolute blast. It takes about 20 hours to beat Ball x Pit, but it’s the type of game you could easily spend dozens of hours playing — and you probably will.

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